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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 5 February 2018

Democratic, GOP lawmakers: Memo doesn’t clear Trump in probe

By HOPE YEN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi-
dent Donald Trump was
wrong to assert that a GOP-
produced classified memo
on FBI surveillance powers
cleared him in the Russia
investigation, Democratic
and Republican lawmak-
ers said Sunday. They ex-
pressed hope that special
counsel Robert Mueller’s
work would continue with-
out interference.
Democrats could seek a
vote on publicly releasing
their rebuttal memo when
the GOP-led House Intel-
ligence Committee meets
late Monday afternoon.
The committee rejected
that move last week, with
one Republican member
saying revisions were need-
ed so the memo would not
endanger national security.
The Senate’s Democratic
leader, Chuck Schumer of
New York, urged Trump to President Donald Trump boards Air Force One, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Andrews Air Force Base, Md., en route to Palm Beach
back the public release International Airport, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
and said that refusing to Associated Press
do so would show the presi- the White House. “As far as Will Hurd, R-Texas, said, “I eign policy adviser Carter tell a judge that the op-
dent’s intent to undermine I know, no,” he responded, don’t,” when asked wheth- Page and his ties to Russia. position research that pro-
the Russia investigation. then refused to answer er he agreed with Trump. Specifically, it takes aim at vided grounds for the FBI’s
The committee’s top when asked whether his Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., the FBI’s use of information suspicion received funding
Democrat, California Rep. staff members had com- asked whether the memo from former British spy Chris- from Hillary Clinton’s presi-
Adam Schiff, branded the municated with the White affected the investiga- topher Steele, who com- dential campaign and the
GOP memo “a political House. tion, said, “No, not to me, piled a dossier containing Democratic National Com-
hit job.” He questioned He had previously apolo- it doesn’t, and I was pretty allegations of ties between mittee. Page had stopped
whether the chairman, gized for sharing with the integrally involved in the Trump, his associates and advising the campaign
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., White House secret intel- drafting of it.” Russia. sometime around the end
had coordinated with the ligence intercepts related Lawmakers also said the The underlying materials of that summer.
White House in drafting the to an investigation of Rus- memo should not impede that served as the basis Steele’s research, accord-
document seized on by the sian election interference Mueller. for the warrant applica- ing to the memo, “formed
president to vent his griev- before talking to commit- “I think it would be a mis- tion were not made public an essential part” of the
ances against the nation’s tee members. take for anyone to suggest in the GOP memo. Even warrant application. But it’s
premier law enforcement Trump’s Saturday tweet that the special counsel as Democrats described unclear how much or what
agencies. that the memo “totally vin- shouldn’t complete his it as inaccurate, some Re- information Steele collect-
“The goal here is to under- dicates ‘Trump’ in probe” work. I support his work. I publicans quickly cited the ed made it into the appli-
mine the FBI, discredit the even as “the Russian Witch want him to finish it. I hope memo — released over the cation, or how much has
FBI, discredit the Mueller Hunt goes on and on” he finishes it as quickly as objections of the FBI and been corroborated.
investigation, do the presi- found no echo from four possible,” Stewart said. Justice Department — in Republicans say a judge
dent’s bidding,” Schiff said. committee Republicans The memo released Friday their arguments that Muel- should have known that
“I think it’s very possible his who appeared on the Sun- alleges misconduct on the ler’s investigation is politi- “political actors” were in-
staff worked with the White day talk shows. part of the FBI and the Jus- cally tainted. volved in allegations that
House.” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R- tice Department in obtain- The memo’s central allega- led the Justice Department
Nunes was asked during a Ohio, said, “I think this is a ing a warrant under the tion is that agents and pros- to believe Page might be
Jan. 29 committee meet- separate issue.” Rep. Chris Foreign Intelligence Surveil- ecutors, in applying in Octo- an agent of a foreign pow-
ing whether he had co- Stewart, R-Utah, said, “No, lance Act to monitor for- ber 2016 to monitor Page’s er — an accusation he has
ordinated the memo with it doesn’t end that.” Rep. mer Trump campaign for- communications, failed to consistently denied.q