Graham to start hearings on Russia probe, Flynn in June

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on Thursday that the Senate Judiciary Committee will start hearings in June on the FBI’s investigation into Russian election interference and President Trump’s campaign.

Graham said in a statement that the hearings will deal with the Justice Department’s decision to drop its case against former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, the warrant applications against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and if former special counsel Robert Mueller should have been appointed.

“The Judiciary Committee will begin holding multiple, in-depth congressional hearings regarding all things related to Crossfire Hurricane starting in early June,” Graham said.

Graham previously told The Hill that he would start holding public hearings in June, with the goal of putting out a report by October.

Republicans have increasingly set their sights on decisions stemming from the Obama-era FBI and Justice Department. Graham has been pledging, and faced pressure from the right, to do an in-depth investigation into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court after Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 17 inaccuracies and omissions in the warrant applications related to Page.

But Graham also indicated on Thursday that he would use his gavel to look into the investigation of Flynn, after acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell sent Congress a list of dozens of Obama administration officials who he says asked for documents that led to the identity of Flynn being “unmasked” in intelligence reports between the 2016 election and Trump’s inauguration.

Trump himself weighed in on Thursday morning, urging GOP senators to call former President Obama to testify.

“If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama,” Trump tweeted. “He knew EVERYTHING.”

The president specifically singled out Graham, telling him to “just do it” and to stop playing “Mr. Nice Guy.”

Graham, however, appeared to shoot that down, while noting that Obama or Trump were welcome to come testify as part of his committee’s investigation and that it would “make for great television.”

“As to the Judiciary Committee, both presidents are welcome to come before the committee and share their concerns about each other. If nothing else it would make for great television. However, I have great doubts about whether it would be wise for the country,” he said.