Posted on 04/06/2017 7:10:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
Rep. Devin Nunes said Thursday he is stepping aside as chairman of the House intelligence committee because he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly disclosing intelligence without proper authorization.
"The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being leveled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of U.S. citizens and other abuses of power," Nunes said in a statement, adding that the allegations against him are "baseless."
Nunes said in a hastily-arranged press conference last month he had come into possession of classified information showing Trump transition team members were "incidentally collected" by U.S. intelligence agencies during their surveillance of foreign targets and improperly "unmasked." Nunes made his claim following a late-night trip to the White House where he reportedly met with senior administration officials who played a role in giving him classified information. (Nunes maintains they were not his original source.)
Rep. Mike Conaway, a Republican, will take Nunes's position as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the Ethics Committee begins its probe.
The Ethics Committee is truly bipartisan, with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. The 18a investigation, as its known, has subpoena power and may also look into what Nunes told Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump when he briefed them following his March 22 press conference.
Ryan said Nunes staying on would be a "distraction" for the investigation into Russia's interference in the election and possible collusion with Trump's team. Ryan earlier expressed support for Nunes.
"He continues to have that trust, and I know he is eager to demonstrate to the Ethics Committee that he has followed all proper guidelines and laws," Ryan said in a statement. "In the meantime, it is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in our election. Chairman Nunes has offered to step aside as the lead Republican on this probe, and I fully support this decision."
Nunes had not briefed Rep. Adam Schiff, his Democratic counterpart on the committee, before running to Ryan and Trump. That decision blew up an already strained committee, leading to recriminations from Democrats that Nunes was acting like a presidential pawn. The committee's downward spiral led to suspended hearings on the Russia probe, putting the onus on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
It may be the smart thing to do to continue the investigation without the distraction that the democRats bombarded Nunes with. We know democRat’s MO, do anything under the sun possible to sidetrack any investigation of the facts. We shall see!
Quote from Nunes: “I believe it is in the best interests of the House Intelligence Committee and the Congress for me to have Representative Mike Conaway, with assistance from Representatives Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, temporarily take charge of the Committee’s Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into this matter,” Nunes, a California Republican”, said in a statement
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/devin-nunes-stepping-aside-russia-intelligence-committee/index.html
This was a foolish move. Stop kowtowing to their bullying, the DNC-Media are just liars.
This illegal Obama spying on Trump was going on for at least 2 years at a furious pace, and what do they have to show for it? Nothing. Not a damn thing! The Russia collusion is an empty jar, a bottle of fake news, because if they had the goods they would have wasted Trump in the election. They ran with pussy-gate and even that fell down.
Just keeps saying NO to the DNC-media. Punch a bully in the nose. Hit back! Keep hitting. Attack Obama for adulterating intel reports on ISIS and Iran, attack Brennan for his admitted spying on the Senate which is treasonous and a direct assault on the Constitution. Attack the IRS and those abuses of Obama’s political opponents, attack the blatant lies of Benghazi, they lied to the parents of dead soldiers. Keep saying it, Obama was in fact a corrupt liar. Brennan should be in prison and the guy didn’t even lose his job.
Attack, that’s how Trump won it!
They accuse Trump of treasonous collusion with Putin, and they come up with these silly sit down meetings with a Russian diplomat or some side Russian business deal by some guy remotely connected with the Trump team, and then the DNC-Media grabs their pearls and yells “See!” It is all a lie, and Nunes should have just kept attacking and attacking. Now they are going to say that Nunes is a liar and had to step down. Which is giving DNC lies credence.
Who the heck is running this Republican Party.
Fight back.
The more the Left’s unhinged bullying is rewarded, the more of it we’ll get.
Thanks, Nunes, for teaching the left via a massively significant object lesson that their moronic, hysterical jerk-waddery pays off.
An outside left wing group filed an ethics complaint against him.
This is the political equivalent of monkeys flinging poo.................
I've been thinking along those lines ever since Trump bashed the Freedom Caucus and praised Ryan, Trump's inaction in getting rid of Comey, Rogers, and other Deep State embeds, and the rise of Ivanka/Kushner/demotion of Bannon.
I'm this close to jumping off the Trump Train. I didn't vote for Goldman Sachs and the GOPe.
So tired of these gutless bastards backing down. When was the last time a Democrat resigned, recused or just plain crawled back under their rock after been spuriously accused of evil-doing?
Why the hell did we give them:
- the House in 2012?
- the Senate in 2014?
- the WH in 2016?
Quit LYING to get elected.
Quit BACKING OUT ON PROMISES TO TAKE ACTION.
Quit BEING AFRAID OF YOUR OWN FREAKING SHADOWS
or the rest of us will...
QUIT PULLING THE (R) LEVER. Enough’s enough.
BYE BYE
I honestly believe we’re in the middle of a silent coup being enacted by the left. They are using Alinsky tactics to the letter to overwhelm the people with fake news and overwhelm people in power with threats against them and their families. None of the spineless Republicrats in DC are willing to put their careers on the line.
Trump’s picture is still absent from the VA walls. I will not be surprised if Trump is removed from office within six months. At the very least he will be stripped of all power.
I had become convinced that our votes DO count. Now I realize it makes no difference if they count if the results are ignored.
This won’t help!!!
Ivanka’s secret Planned Parenthood outreach
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/ivanka-trump-planned-parenthood-outreach-236940
Seems Ivanka is playing the DC game behind our backs...she got her ass handed to herby PP Richards and managed to make a fool out of President Trump.
Trump needs to declassify it. It’s the only way to hit back at the deep state. And Nunes should have nor resigned. Is there not one single man with balls in DC? All we have are cowards, and the un-american Intel community deep state. Nothing else.
Not this time. I’m sick of it all.
So...I guess We The People arose mightily in November to grant Chuck Schumer’s every whim, and have Paul Ryan manage the capitulation.
Give my regards to the GOPe, Rino.
Watch Monica Crowley’s opening comments about Schiff and Pelosi leaking that Susan Rice requested the unmasking...
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5387062465001/?playlist_id=930909813001#sp=show-clips
History will regard America and Freedom as the greatest-ever failed experiment.
Apologies to Michelson and Morley.
Yep, it isn’t looking good right now, I just pray it’s a passing phase.
Mike Conaway, from the TX 11th District, is a solid conservative from the Permian Basin oil patch. He’s an accountant, which is infinitely better than being a lawyer, and a graduate of Texas A&M when it used to be conservative. He may have more spine than most GOP House members have shown. Ryan, of course, was all in favor of Nunes caving, and, judging from his comments, may have even asked him to leave the investigation.
Who the heck is running this Republican Party.
—
Nobody.. and it shows.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.