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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 17 SepteMber 2018

GOP push to release House

interviews in Russia investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The in order here, so I expect probes.
House intelligence com- to make those (transcripts) Rep. Adam Schiff of Cali-
mittee chairman said Sun- available from our com- fornia, the highest ranking
day he plans to release the mittee to the American Democrat on the House
transcripts of dozens of pri- public here in the next few intelligence committee,
vate interviews conducted weeks,” said Rep. Devin called upon Nunes to
during its investigation into Nunes, R-Calif., months schedule a meeting “im-
Russian election-meddling after the GOP colleague mediately” so members
and would push the direc- who led the investigation could vote on releasing
This April 12, 2018, file photo shows Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. tor of national intelligence said such a release could the transcripts. The Schiff
speaking during a committee hearing on Capitol Hill in to declassify others. have a “chilling impact” on has favored complete dis-
Washington.
Associated Press “I think full transparency is testimony in future inquiries. closure so the public could
He said the committee in- make its own judgment
terviewed nearly 70 peo- about the witnesses.
ple, and he estimated that That is the approach Nunes
about 70 percent to 80 per- is taking, saying he want-
cent of those interviews are ed Americans to “see the
not classified. work that we did and they
“Those need to be pub- can see all the people that
lished, and they need to were interviewed by us
be published, I think, be- and their answers to those
fore the election,” which questions.”
is Nov. 6, Nunes told Fox Nunes said “there’s so
News Channel’s “Sunday much that’s out there
Morning Futures.” that’s misinformation or dis-
Nunes said he hoped it information on this ‘Russia-
would take Dan Coats, the gate’ fiasco that we need
national intelligence direc- this information out before
tor, only “a matter of days” the election.”
to act once Nunes made That both Republicans
his request about the classi- and Democrats want the
fied depositions, and “they transcripts released un-
don’t do their normal foot- derscores the partisan lens
dragging where they slow through which each side
roll and we don’t get these has viewed the investiga-
before the election.” tion.
Making the transcripts Republicans are likely to
available can only be say that the content of the
done by committee vote. interviews proves there was
Committee Democrats no evidence of collusion
have said they want the between Trump’s cam-
transcripts made public. paign and Russia; Demo-
The committee already has crats probably would say
released a handful of tran- they prove there was evi-
scripts, but only in cases dence.
where the witness insisted The Senate intelligence
on a public disclosure. committee is still conduct-
GOP Rep. Mike Conaway ing its own investigation
of Texas, who led the in- and has interviewed far
vestigation, said in March, more witnesses than the
when the committee com- shorter House probe. The
pleted a draft of its final re- chairman, North Carolina
port that found no coordi- Sen. Richard Burr, has said
nation between Russia and he won’t release commit-
the Trump campaign, that tee documents, so it is un-
he decided against releas- clear whether any of those
ing the whole transcripts for interviews will ever become
fear it could hinder future public.q