Senators locked in turf battle over Russia probes
The Hill
May 29, 2017
Senators are locked in a turf battle as they plot their way forward in dueling investigations on Russian election interference.
Two Senate panels - the Judiciary and Intelligence committees - are conducting separate probes into the 2016 White House race, ties between President Trump's team and Moscow,
and former FBI Director James Comey's firing.
But with new allegations against the administration leaking almost daily, the two committees are increasingly bumping elbows as they fight for the same information.
Leaders on the Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the FBI, say their requests for information are being stonewalled.. Comey declined to testify publicly before their panel.
"We're trying to get (Comey) before the Senate Judiciary Committee but we haven't had any luck," committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told reporters during a conference call.
"Of course we could subpoena him but we don't want to make that move until we have to."
Grassley and ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also want the FBI to hand over any of Comey's memos, and have requested either Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein or Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe brief their committee.
A spokesman for Grassley didn't respond to a request for comment on if the committee had heard back on either requests.
But Feinstein said this week that they hadn't gotten a response to their call for memos on Comey's meetings with Trump and other top officials.
The Senate Intelligence Committee's probe hasn't had such setbacks.
Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and ranking member Mark Warner (D-VA) were given broad subpoena authority and issued the latest round against Michael Flynn, Trump's ousted national security advisor.
More:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/335366-senators-locked-in-turf-battle-over-russia-probes
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