Byron York: On Capitol Hill, growing frustration with FBI secrecy about Russia probe
Yet there is still uncertainty among the public about whether anything lies at the bottom of the Russia-Trump controversy. Is there a crime down there? No one seems to know. The reason is simple: The FBI, which has been investigating alleged ties between Trump campaign figures and Russia for ten months, won't say.
[clip]
Now, as the Russia-Trump controversy festers, there are signs of growing impatience with the secrecy. Some lawmakers — among them the Republican chairman and the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee — are pushing the FBI and other agencies involved to let Congress know what they are doing. In particular, lawmakers want to see evidence — if there is any — to show why the investigation is focusing not just on Russian misdeeds — there's no doubt there are plenty of those to investigate — but on Trump campaign figures, and possibly on the president himself.
On Friday, Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to FBI acting director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein demanding briefings on the latest in the Russia investigation. The last paragraph of the letter indicated that the senators' patience is running thin. "Please contact [staff] by 5:00 p.m. today to schedule the briefings," Grassley and Feinstein wrote. "Thank you for your immediate attention to these important matters."
Not by tomorrow, not by Monday, not by the end of the week. Grassley and Feinstein wanted a response by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the letter. Given that the power of both parties is behind the request, they will most likely get what they want.
Yet there is still uncertainty among the public about whether anything lies at the bottom of the Russia-Trump controversy. Is there a crime down there? No one seems to know. The reason is simple: The FBI, which has been investigating alleged ties between Trump campaign figures and Russia for ten months, won't say.
[clip]
Now, as the Russia-Trump controversy festers, there are signs of growing impatience with the secrecy. Some lawmakers — among them the Republican chairman and the Democratic ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee — are pushing the FBI and other agencies involved to let Congress know what they are doing. In particular, lawmakers want to see evidence — if there is any — to show why the investigation is focusing not just on Russian misdeeds — there's no doubt there are plenty of those to investigate — but on Trump campaign figures, and possibly on the president himself.
On Friday, Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to FBI acting director Andrew McCabe and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein demanding briefings on the latest in the Russia investigation. The last paragraph of the letter indicated that the senators' patience is running thin. "Please contact [staff] by 5:00 p.m. today to schedule the briefings," Grassley and Feinstein wrote. "Thank you for your immediate attention to these important matters."
Not by tomorrow, not by Monday, not by the end of the week. Grassley and Feinstein wanted a response by 5:00 p.m. on the day of the letter. Given that the power of both parties is behind the request, they will most likely get what they want.
Last edited:
