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11. House Investigation on Trump Campaign

Trump-Russia Investigation Wiki
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11. House Investigation on Trump Campaign

11.1 General

  • 3/1/2017 - House Panel reaches written agreement on scope of investigation into Trump. Source
  • 3/2/2017 - Rep Schiff accuses Comey of withholding information on Russia Probe. Source
  • 3/2/2017 - Nunes- “I would assume that because it’s quite complicated as it relates to, if, for example, you were on the phone with the Russian ambassador and somehow your phone call got recorded, would you want them turning over that phone call and that transcript to the committee?” Source
  • 3/7/2017 - Sen Cornyn says he saw at CIA four large binders of information given to his colleagues for a bipartisan probe about Russian interference." Source
  • 3/7/2017- House schedules first hearing on March 20th. Source
  • 3/7/2017 - Schiff seeks Trump dossier author testimony. Source
  • 3/8/2017 – Rep Swalwell added part of his site focusing on Trump and Russia.** **Source
  • 3/9/2017 – Comey meets with senators on matters related to Trump Tower. Source
  • 3/11/2017 - “From everything that I can see, his conversations with the Russian ambassador, he was doing this country a favor, and he should be thanked for it,” Mr. Nunes said. Source
  • 3/15/2017 - Intel Comm asked FBI, CIA, NSA to provide names of people whose names were “incidentally” collected. With Threat of subpoena if deadline not met. Source
  • 3/15/2017 - Senate Intelligence chairman plans public hearing on Russia. Source
  • 3/18/2017 – Senators ask Roger Stone to preserve Russia-Related Documents.** **Source
  • 3/19/2017 - Rep. Schiff: “Circumstantial Evidence of Collusion”, Between Trump Campaign and Russia. Source
  • 3/19/2017 – Nunes in an interview with Fox states one person still at the White House is under investigation/Surveillance. (This may have been classified?) Source
  • 3/19/2017 – Nunes claims no evidence of collusion. Source
  • 3/20/2017 – Schiff "surprised’ ex-DNI Clapper said he’d seen no evidence of Trump/Russia collusion; “not consistent with what I’ve reviewed” Source
  • 3/24/2017 - Poll : Majority of Americans want independent commission to investigate Trump-Russia ties. Source
  • 3/26/2017 - Gowdy on Face the Nation seems to indicate problems with witnesses unable to answer questions, questions why they’d ever do more open hearings. Source
  • 4/4/2017 - Rep Castro predicts Trump aides will go to jail in Russia investigation. Source
  • 4/5/2017 - House republicans boycott informal briefing organized by Swalwell. Source
  • 4/21/2017 - House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Sends Letters Inviting Testimony of Comey, Rogers, Brennan, Clapper and Yates to a closed hearing on May 2nd. Source
  • 4/24/2017 - Quigley on Russia: “If the US public saw what I had seen…they would want a full-throttle investigation” Source
  • 4/26/2017 - The House Russia investigation is not just back on track, it’s chugging on – with an agreed-upon plan to call high-profile witnesses from the campaign of President Donald Trump, new access to intelligence documents and plans to work longer hours in Washington. Source
  • 5/20/2017 - House Inquiry Turns Attention to Trump Campaign Worker With Russia Ties. Michael Caputo, who served as a communications adviser to the Trump campaign, has been asked by the House committee investigating Russian election meddling to submit to a voluntary interview and to provide any documents he may have that are related to the inquiry.Source
  • 5/28/2017 - Ranking House Intelligence Committee member Adam Schiff called Sunday for a review of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s security clearance in light of reports he discussed setting up secretive back channels with Russian officials. Source
  • 5/30/2017 - The House Intelligence Committee has requested information from Boris Epshteyn, who served as a Trump surrogate during the campaign and then worked briefly on the White House communications staff. Source
  • 5/31/2017 - Page says he’s eager to testify but HPSCI wants to review their information before setting a date for his testimony. Source
  • 5/31/2017 - On Wednesday, the House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas – four related to the investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election(Of which 2 were for Cohen and Flynn) and three to the “unmasking” of Trump associates during the presidential transition. On Wednesday, Nunes issued three subpoenas related to whether intelligence officials improperly unmasked Trump officials in surveillance reports. Those requests came in addition to subpoenas agreed upon by Schiff and Conaway, who is now leading the Russia investigation. Source
  • 6/9/2017 - Leaders of the House Intelligence Committee are asking the White House to produce any tapes that might exist of President Donald Trump’s conversations with ousted FBI director James Comey. Source
  • 6/15/2017 - Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, is negotiating with his Republican counterpart about whether to investigate President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice as part of the panel’s Russia investigation. Source
  • 6/16/2017 - House Russia investigators are planning to call on Brad Parscale, the digital director of President Donald Trump’s campaign, as the congressional and federal probes dig into any possible connections between the Trump digital operation and Russian operatives. Source

11.2 First Open Hearing 3/20

  • 3/20/2017 - A full transcript of the hearing can be read here: Source

Key Points of hearing :

  • The Trump campaign has been under FBI investigation for possible cooperation with Russia since June.
  • Republicans were also hacked by Russia.
  • Comey states he never briefed Clapper on the investigation only the report that was publicly published.
  • FBI/NSA in agreement Russia wanted to help Trump and hurt Clinton.

11.3 Open hearing 5/23

Open hearing with former CIA director Brennan

  • 5/23/2017 - The hearing can be watched here : Source
  • Brennan had seen numerous contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russians around the time they were investigating Russian meddling in the election.
  • The were frequent enough and involved people important enough that Brennan felt FBI should investigate.
  • Brennan was so concerned with Russian meddling he warned Russia directly, as well as briefed the “Gang of Eight” in Congress.
  • Brennan believes IC leaks threaten national security.
  • Brennan emphasizes that Russia was actively trying to help Trump win, and harm Clinton.
  • Brennan said sharing intel with the Russians in itself wasn’t the problem, but that Trump broke protocol and didn’t use proper methods/channels.

A key quote from the hearing: ““Frequently, people who go along a treasonous path do not know they are on a treasonous path until it is too late,””

Open Hearing 6/21

Open hearing with Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson

  • 6/21/2017 - You can watch the hearing Here or read the transcript [Here]

Key Points :

11.4 Nunes Scandal

  • 3/22/2017 – Nunes seems to leak information about members of Trump team being incidentally collected, informs Ryan and White House. Source
  • 3/22/2017 – Schiff holds a conference following Nunes leak.Source
  • 3/22/2017 – In a sharply worded statement, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said it was a “profound irregularity” for Nunes to bring these claims to Trump in the middle of an ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the election, which includes a probe into ties between Trump allies and Russian officials. Source
  • 3/22/2017 – Schiff: There is now ‘more than circumstantial evidence’ of Trump-Russia collusion. Source
  • 3/22/2017 – King: Trump Surveillance Report Shows ‘Shameful’ Intel Violations. Source
  • 3/23/2017 - Nunes apologizes to House Committee members.Source
  • 3/23/2017 - Nunes claims he had a “duty and obligation” to brief Trump. Source
  • 3/23/2017 - Nunes won’t share his source with the HPSCI Source
  • 3/23/2017 - The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee is claiming that he has been presented with new information on collusion between associates of President Donald Trump and Russia, suggesting “it’s the kind of evidence” that a grand jury investigation would want to consider. Source
  • 3/26/2017 - Schiff, Warner call for independent commission into Trump-Russia. Source
  • 3/27/2017 - Schiff and Pelosi call on Nunes to recuse himself from Russia Probe/ Source
  • 3/27/2017 - Schumer calls for the removal of Nunes from HPSCI. Source
  • 3/27/2017 - Nunes refuses to step down. Source
  • 3/27/2017 - Jeremy Bash the former chief of staff at Defense Department and CIA under Obama claims Nunes stopped hearings to keep Yates from testifying. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Nunes cancels all hearing for the week. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Swalwell on Nunes : This is what a cover-up to a crime looks like. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - The Trump administration sought to block former acting attorney general Sally Yates from testifying to Congress in the House investigation of links between Russian officials and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Spicer - But when the information that is occurring now, which is two individuals who were properly cleared – or three, or whoever he met with – I don’t know – that they are sharing stuff that is entirely legal with the appropriate clearances. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - White House denies trying to block Yates from Testifying. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Schiff indicates he believes they blocked Yates because she would have revealed truth about Flynn scandal. Source
  • 3/29/2017 - Nunes first announced last Friday that he was inviting Comey back to the House on Tuesday to answer questions in a closed briefing. But Nunes announced Monday that he had to cancel the hearing because Comey could not make the hearing. However, a source at the FBI said the reason Comey couldn’t make the hearing was because he was never invited. Source
  • 3/29/2017 - Schiff presses for a public hearing with Yates Source
  • 3/30/2017 - Trump intervened to halt the transfer of a White House aide who later provided Devin Nunes with classified intelligence. Source
  • 4/1/2017 - Speier on Nunes controversy: “Absolutely convinced it started in the Oval Office” Source
  • 4/4/2017 - Schiff: White House ‘Selectively’ Helped Get Intel Reports To Nunes. Source
  • 4/6/2017 - Schiff, said Wednesday President Donald Trump personally promised documents at the center of “unmasking” allegations would be made available to all members of the House intelligence committee, but that White House staff is fighting those documents’ release. Source
  • 4/6/2017 - Nunes recuses himself from the Trump-Russia investigation following news he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee following his recent actions. Source
  • 4/12/2017 - Classified docs contradict Nunes surveillance claims, GOP and Dem sources say. Source
  • 5/24/2017 - Democratic lawmakers asked Deutsche Bank AG to hand over its findings on two politically charged matters – its banking on behalf of now-President Donald Trump and trades from the bank’s Moscow operation that helped move some $10 billion out of Russia. Source

11.5. White House Response to investigation

11.5.1 General

  • 2/27/2017 - “I haven’t called Russia in 10 years,” Trump told a reporter who asked him whether a special prosecutor should carry out an investigation. Source
  • 2/27/2017 - Sean Spicer knocked down calls for a special prosecutor "We have now for six months have heard story after story about unnamed sources say the same thing over and over again and nothing came of it. Source
  • 3/1/2017 - White House lawyers have instructed the president’s aides to preserve materials that could be connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election and other related investigations, three administration officials said Wednesday. Source
  • 3/8/2017 - “There is no reason that we have to think that the president is the target of any investigation whatsoever,” Spicer said at a news briefing. Source
  • 3/22/2017 – Trump feels “Somewhat vindicated” after Nunes Briefing. Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Trump pressures House Intelligence Committee to probe the Clintons’ ties to Russia, not his Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Sean Spicer insists Trump-Russia case closed as FBI and two congressional committees continue to investigate. Source

11.5.2 White House attempt to knock down Trump-Russia stories.

  • **2/24/2017 – The White House contacted the FBI to knock down Russia stories, **FBI refused White House request to knock down recent Trump-Russia stories. Source
  • 2/24/2017 – White house defends contact with FBI over Russia Reports. Source
  • 2/24/2017 – In an interview, Burr acknowledged that he “had conversations about” Russia-related news reports with the White House and engaged with news organizations to dispute articles - Source
  • 2/26/2017 – EX-Cia Directon Brennan: “It has been my experience working with Jim that he would not do anything that was going to in any way compromise the integrity of an ongoing investigation”. Source
  • 2/26/2017 – “Trump spokesman says FBI called links ‘BS’ but agency has yet to comment” Source
  • 2/27/2017 – Devin Nunes, one of the senators the White House contacted to knock down stories says he hasn’t found evidence of Trump team’s ties to Russia. Source
  • 2/27/2017 - Sessions said Monday that he wasn’t aware that FBI Director James Comey and FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe had contact with White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus about a New York Times report contending that those around Trump had contacts with Russian intelligence officials. )
  • 3/17/2017 - Priebus talk with FBI appears to break White House rules. Source

11.6. Outsider Response

  • 2/27/2017 - Minority Whip Dick Durbin wants independent probes into Trump-Russia. Source
  • 2/27/2017 - Rep Darrel Issa backs calls for special prosecutor “if justified” Source
  • 2/27/2017 – George W. Bush on Trump and Russia : “We all need answers” Source
  • 2/27/2017 – AG Jeff Sessions says he’ll recuse himself on Russia Probe “if needed” Source
  • 2/27/2017 - Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is pushing back on calls for a special prosecutor. Source
  • 2/28/2017 - Paul Ryan “We need answers” on alleged ties between Trump and Russia. Source
  • 2/28/2017 – Newt Gingrich "Independent investigator needed for Trump-Russia Probe. Source
  • 2/28/2017 – House GOP defeats resolution requesting Trump-Russia documents. Source
  • 3/12/2017 – Mccain says he believes “a lot more shoes to drop” in regards to Russia. Source
  • 3/22/2017 – "McCain: Select Committee on Russia Now A ‘Requirement’. Source
  • 3/23/2017 - “How does it happen that we have a president who has nothing but nice things to say about Mr. Putin? What do the Russians have on Mr. Trump?” Source
  • 3/23/2017 - ‘What the hell is Nunes doing at the White House?’: Former top CIA, NSA lawyer stunned House Intel chair shared info with Trump Source
  • 3/27/2017 - Cheney : No question Russia meddled in US election, could be an act of war" Source
  • 3/28/2017 - Mccain : Nunes should absolutely reveal his sources. Source
  • 3/30/2017 - Paul Ryan: Nunes’ source was ‘whistle blower-type person’ Source
  • 3/30/2017 - Sen. Paul: giving Nunes information was ‘noble’ Source
  • 3/30/2017 - GOP Rep Yoho. ‘Misspoke’ When He Said Nunes ‘Works For The President’ Source
  • 4/2/2017 - Gingrich: All ‘real evidence’ of Russian influence points to Dems Source