House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-CA) said Sunday that the committee will release dozens of deposition transcripts recorded in the course of the committee’s probe into Russian election interference and related matters.
“The depositions that we took, I believe about seventy people, those need to be published and I think they need to be published before the election,” Nunes told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo.
“I expect to make those available from our committee to the American public here in the next few weeks,” Nunes added.
Nunes said “70 or 80 percent” of the transcripts weren’t classified, and that the transcripts that are would need to be cleared for release by the Director of National Intelligence.
Nunes: Intel Committee's Russia probe interview transcripts will be public "in the next few weeks." pic.twitter.com/PY6J3ee2OP
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) September 16, 2018
Democrats on the committee have been harshly critical of the Republican-controlled committee’s handling of the probe, saying Republicans neglected to speak with all relevant witness and failed pursue relevant lines of inquiry.
CNN noted that Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), months ago, called out Republicans on the committee for voting to block the release of more than 60 witness interview transcripts. “The transcripts reveal among other things how often the majority acted as defense lawyers for the president rather than true investigators,” Schiff said in June, as quoted at the time by NBC News. ” And I think they’re embarrassed by that.”
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), a member of the Intelligence Committee, told The Hill on Wednesday that the committee should release the transcripts.
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), who took over leadership of the committee’s Russia probe from Nunes, said in March, referring to the prospect of releasing interview transcripts: “We may not be able to do that, turns out.”
