Pelosi rips Intel panel: House GOP ‘abandoned their oath’ to protect Americans

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) ripped Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee for deciding to end their probe into Russia’s election interference, saying the move is “part of a disturbing pattern by the House GOP to obstruct and interfere with investigations into the Trump-Russia scandal.” 

Pelosi went after both GOP committee members and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in a statement, accusing Ryan of allowing the committee “to make a mockery not only of the investigation but the Committee itself.”

She said that the panel has a duty to fully investigate any questions about election interference and provide the “American people a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russia’s attacks.”

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“Over the past year, I have repeatedly expressed concerns to Speaker Ryan about House Intelligence Committee Republicans’ lack of leadership and integrity. The Speaker has refused to insist that the Committee follow the facts,” Pelosi said.

“House Republicans have abandoned their oath to support and defend the Constitution and protect the American people,” she continued. “Democrats will continue to take real, immediate action to secure our democracy.”

In a statement emailed to The Hill, Ryan’s office said Republicans are turning their focus to protecting the integrity of November’s midterms.

“After more than a year investigating Russia’s actions in the 2016 election, we are well into the primary season for the 2018 elections and experts are warning that we need to safe guard against further interference,” a spokeswoman for Ryan said. “That’s what this next phase is about and we hope Democrats will join us in seeing this through.”

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) announced earlier Monday that the committee would be ending the probe into Russia’s election interference, and would release a report finding that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the committee, torched the decision, accusing Republicans of having “placed the interests of protecting the President over protecting the country, and history will judge its actions harshly.”

President Trump, who has long denied collusion between his campaign and Russia, took to Twitter to celebrate the panel’s findings.

THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HAS, AFTER A 14 MONTH LONG IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION, FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION OR COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA TO INFLUENCE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 12, 2018