The House Intelligence Committee voted Friday to release 53 interviews from its prematurely ended Russia investigation, sending those transcripts to the Director of National Intelligence's office a declassification review.
Among those to be released are interviews with President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his longtime spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, and his former bodyguard Keith Schiller. The committee also will reelease dozens of other transcripts of interviews with former Obama administration officials and numerous Trump associates, including Roger Stone, currently the subject of a grand jury investigation.
Committee chairman and Trump transition advisor Devin Nunes (R-CA) initiated the vote after refusing for six months to honor Democratic members' call for full transparency.
Republican Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas, who led the investigation in place of Nunes, said he “wanted to declassify or release as much of the underlying data as we could so that not only would they have my conclusion, but they could look at what I was looking at to make up their own mind.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), top Democrat on the committee, released a statement after the vote explaining why Nunes' move remains suspicious and where the majority's support falls short.
When the Chairman was pressed on whether the timing of this sudden decision was directed by the White House or the President’s legal defense team, he refused to answer.
“However, as has often been the case, even this claim does not withstand scrutiny: The GOP does not want ALL of the transcripts released and wish to conceal certain interviews from the public, including key interviews with Director Comey, Admiral Rogers, Director Brennan, and Rep. Rohrabacher. Apparently, the Majority does not want the public to see the testimony of these agency heads, as well as that of Rohrabacher.
“This is not transparency, only a further subterfuge.
“The Majority also rejected the immediate release of all unredacted transcripts to Special Counsel Mueller, so that his team would have the benefit of the evidence they contain and so that he may determine which witnesses may have perjured themselves before our committee. They have no wish to assist in the Russia investigation by either our committee or the Special Counsel, and apparently wish to protect those witnesses who may have lied to protect themselves or the President.”
Conaway and Schiff said they didn’t know how long the review would take or when the transcripts would be released to the public. Schiff said Republicans made clear that none of the transcripts, which largely don’t contain classified information, will be released until the declassification review is completed for all of them.
House committee to release Russia investigation transcripts (AP)
List of transcripts set to be released
Schiff Statement on Vote to Send Russia Investigation Transcripts for Classification Review and Eventual Release (press release)