UPDATE: The Associated Press:
It was unclear how much information was given to lawmakers. According to a U.S. official familiar with the meeting, the briefers did not reveal the name of an informant. They brought documents but did not share them, and made several remarks about the importance of protecting intelligence sources and methods. The person declined to be identified because the briefing was classified.
(...)
Nunes attended both briefings Thursday. According to the U.S. official and another person briefed on the Capitol Hill meeting, Nunes did not speak at all during the briefing ...
Dem, GOP leaders get classified briefings on Russia probe (AP)
Details of what exactly took place in Thursday's DOJ briefing meetings still are trickling in, but preliminary reports indicate some concerning irregularities.
First, while Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday no one from the White House would attend, that changed by Wednesday night as the DOJ released an updated schedule showing Chief of Staff John Kelly expected in both a 12pm ET and 2pm ET meeting.
Reporters spotted Kelly leaving the DOJ Thursday along with White House lawyer for the Russia investigation Emmet Flood, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI).
CNN:
The Trump administration officials met at noon at the Justice Department with Nunes, House Speaker Paul Ryan, South Carolina GOP Rep. Trey Gowdy and [House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam] Schiff (D-CA). Then they went to a separate 2 p.m. briefing on Capitol Hill with the bipartisan "Gang of Eight," the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and the Intelligence Committees.
Nunes and Gowdy both declined comment after their briefing. Ryan said in a statement afterward that the Intelligence Committee was "now getting the cooperation necessary" to complete their work.
From CNN:
The White House claims Kelly and Flood only stayed for part of the meetings.
Responding to questions about why Flood and Kelly were there, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a statement saying "Neither Chief Kelly nor Mr. Flood actually attended the meetings but did make brief remarks before the meetings started to relay the President’s desire for as much openness as possible under the law."
"They also conveyed the President’s understanding of the need to protect human intelligence services and the importance of communication between the branches of government. After making their brief comments they departed before the meetings officially started," her statement continued.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, complained about the unprecedented move of having a White House presence at a Gang of 8 briefing, confirmed at least Flood left early, and called the 12pm meeting before the Gang of 8 meeting "rogue."
Rep. Schiff (D-CA) made a statement after the second meeting and later weighed in on Flood's presence at both.
CNN:
"Although he did not participate in the meetings which followed, as the White House's attorney handling the Special Counsel's investigation, his involvement — in any capacity — was entirely improper, and I made this clear to him," Schiff said in a statement.
Schiff pointed to comments Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani made to Politico on Thursday, in which Giuliani said: "We want to see how the briefing went ... today and how much we learned from it."
"If we learned a good deal from it, it will shorten that whole process considerably," Giuliani added, suggesting the briefings could speed up the process for special counsel Robert Mueller's team to interview Trump.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told NPR following the meeting he attended that nothing he heard Thursday changed his mind.
"The two investigations going on that I think will give us the answers to the questions that you raise — the IG [Inspector General] investigation in the Justice Department and the Mueller investigation," McConnell said. "I support both of them, and I don't really have anything to add to this subject based upon the Gang of 8 briefing that we had today, which was classified."
The Democratic members of the Gang of 8 released a joint statement saying Thursday's briefing supplied no evidence to support the president's lie about a possible campaign spy.
“Today’s Gang of Eight briefing was conducted to ensure protection of sources and methods.
“Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the FBI or any intelligence agency placed a ‘spy’ in the Trump Campaign, or otherwise failed to follow appropriate procedures and protocols.”
McConnell Says He Supports Mueller Investigation (NPR)
White House lawyer attends start of Justice Dept. briefings with lawmakers on confidential source (CNN)
Statement On Behalf Of Leader Schumer, Leader Pelosi, Vice Chairman Warner, And Ranking Member Schiff (press release)
Congressional leaders meet with DOJ, intel officials on informant controversy (ABC News)