Rep. Devin Nunes Explodes At DOJ Over Strzok; Threatens Contempt

Yes, it's time for anger, and action.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes has issued an angry demand to the FBI and Department of Justice to explain why they kept the committee in the dark over the reason Special Counsel Robert Mueller kicked a key supervising FBI agent off the Trump-Russia investigation.

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Word of the messages and the affair were news to Nunes, even though the committee had issued a subpoena that covered information about Strzok's demotion more than three months ago. The committee's broadly worded subpoena for information related to the so-called Trump dossier went to the FBI and DOJ on Aug. 24. In follow-up conversations on the scope of the subpoena, committee staff told the FBI and DOJ that it included information on the circumstances of Strzok's reassignment.

Byron York then notes a series of meetings and requests for information about Strzok, on October 11, October 31, November 20, November 29, and December 1. On none of these occasions did Rod Rosenstein or anyone from the DOJ or FBI disclose the reason for Strzok's demotion -- and Nunes was asking.

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"By hiding from Congress, and from the American people, documented political bias by a key FBI head investigator for both the Russia collusion probe and the Clinton email investigation, the FBI and DOJ engaged in a willful attempt to thwart Congress' constitutional oversight responsibility," Nunes said in a statement Saturday afternoon. "This is part of a months-long pattern by the DOJ and FBI of stonewalling and obstructing this committee's oversight work, particularly oversight of their use of the Steele dossier. At this point, these agencies should be investigating themselves."

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Now, after this latest episode, it seems likely that leaders in Congress are becoming increasingly frustrated with what they see as the FBI and DOJ jerking lawmakers around. At some point, they will act.

Congress should pass a resolution explicitly condemning Rod Rosenstein and several other DOJ and FBI officials who have been thwarting them -- making it much easier for Trump to fire them. Or at least putting that shot across the bow.

posted by Ace at 12:30 PM

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