Devin Nunes threatens to hold Jeff Sessions and FBI director in contempt

In Nunes' latest attempt to undermine the Russia investigation the congressman is asking for info on Steele dossier

Published September 6, 2017 2:01PM (EDT)

Devin Nunes   (Getty/Win McNamee)
Devin Nunes (Getty/Win McNamee)

U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, who recused himself from the Russia investigations in April, has inserted himself into the center of the House intelligence committee's probe again.

Nunes wrote a scathing letter last week to Attorney General Jeff Session in which he threatened to hold the Trump Cabinet member in content of Congress if he did not produce documents on the salacious Christopher Steele dossier. The House intelligence committee had issued subpoenas related to the dossier to the FBI and Department of Justice two weeks ago, but neither agency complied by the Sept. 1 deadline, Washington Examiner reported.

Nunes has been seen as a biased influence in the Russia investigations ever since he met at the White House to review classified documents provided by officials in the Trump administration. The congressman from California apparently hopes that documents on the Steele dossier will show that the Obama administration acted inappropriately by relying on its contents in order to establish a counterintelligence investigation.

Nunes' letter to Sessions only seems to highlight his push to undermine the investigations into the Trump campaign's possible collusion with Russia.

"If all responsive documents are not produced by the revised deadline, the attorney general and the director of the FBI shall appear before the committee . . . during an open hearing, to explain under oath DOJ's and FBI's unwillingness or inability to comply in full with the subpoenas issued," Nunes' letter said.

"Please be advised that, in the event that DOJ or FBI fails to provide the documents in full or testimony described above, the committee expressly reserves its right to proceed with any and all available legal options — including reporting to the full House of Representatives a resolution to hold the attorney general and director of the FBI in contempt of Congress," the letter added.

Being found in contempt of Congress is punishable up to one year in prison.

Nunes was the sole member of the House intelligence committee to sign the letter.


By Taylor Link

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