House Intel panel vows to monitor FBI probe for political influence

The House Intelligence Committee announced Thursday that it will conduct “rigorous oversight” to ensure that the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election proceeds without political influence.

The committee “is determined to move forward with its Russia investigation in a thorough and nonpartisan fashion,” Reps. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said in a brief statement that did not specifically name the White House.

“As a part of our responsibilities, we will be conducting rigorous oversight to ensure that the FBI’s own investigation is not impeded or interfered with in any way.”

The terse announcement comes in the wake of President Trump’s shocking decision to fire FBI Director James Comey Tuesday.

{mosads}It also follows an intense partisan imbroglio in the House panel’s investigation, which led to the recusal of committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). Nunes was plagued by accusations that he had acted at the behest of the White House, and Conaway has since taken over the probe. 

In a series of slightly shifting explanations, the White House has largely sought to pin the decision to fire Comey on his handling of the FBI’s investigation into Democratic presidentia nominee Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of State. But speculation has raged that the firing was an attempt to quash the bureau’s probe into whether Trump associates colluded with Russia to influence the election.

The House Intelligence Committee statement came just hours after acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe told the Senate Intelligence Committee that there had as yet been no political interference in the investigation.

“There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date,” he said.

He further promised that he would inform the committee of there was any attempt to interfere in the probe in the future.

McCabe also vowed to lawmakers that he would not provide any updates to the White House on the status of the investigation.

The president in his dismissal letter to Comey said that he “appreciated” that the director had “on three separate occasions” assured him he was not under investigation, a claim that has been met with raised eyebrows in Washington.