Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded Monday to FBI Director James Comey’s confirmation that the FBI was investigating possible coordination between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 election, saying that the investigation must proceed “without any interference, meddling, or political pressure of any kind whatsoever.”
“The Department of Justice and Trump administration must allow Director Comey’s investigation to move forward without any interference, meddling, or political pressure of any kind whatsoever,” Schumer wrote in a statement.
“The possibility of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian officials is a serious, serious matter. The investigation must be fair, independent, and impartial in every way, and the FBI must be allowed to follow the facts wherever they may lead.”
In testimony on Monday to the House Intelligence Committee, which has been investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including “any intelligence regarding links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns,” Comey confirmed that the FBI was investigating possible ties between Trump associates and Russian officials.
“As you know, our practice is not to confirm existence of ongoing investigations, especially those investigations that involve classified matters,” Comey told the committee. “But in unusual circumstances where it is in the public interest, it may be appropriate to do so, as Justice Department policy has recognized. This is one of those circumstances.”
“I’ve been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI as part of our counterintelligence mission is investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election,” he continued. “That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who campaigned on Trump’s behalf in 2016, recused himself from any Justice Department matters relating to the 2016 campaign or possible ties between the Trump administration and Russian officials, after it was revealed that he met twice with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the campaign.
