Cummings Seeks Docs From Intel Chiefs Allegedly Pressured By Trump Over Russia Probe

Ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) listens on. Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met to consider a censure or IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) listens on. Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met to consider a censure or IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 on Cap... Ranking member Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) listens on. Members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform met to consider a censure or IRS Commissioner John Koskinen on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke) MORE LESS
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Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the ranking member on the House oversight committee, has opened up a new front in the ongoing, sprawling investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, possible collusion with the Trump campaign, and alleged attempts by the White House to obstruct those investigations.

On Tuesday, he sent letters to Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers demanding “all documents, communications, memoranda, notes, and recordings” the officials may have from their conversations with President Trump regarding the Russia investigation. The request comes after the Washington Post reported that Trump asked both men to publicly “push back” on reports that the FBI was investigating members of his campaign for collusion with Russian officials. Both men reportedly refused the president’s entreaty.

Coats refused to confirm or deny this report while testifying before the House Armed Services Committee last week, but did say: “If I am called before a investigative committee, I will certainly provide them with what I know and what I don’t know.”

Cummings’ letter to Coats references this promise, and asks both him and Rogers if the president did in fact ask them “to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion during the 2016 election.” Cummings requested a response by June 2.

Read the letters below:

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  1. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    Not that I’m expecting anything, but I’m pretty sure that using (or attempting to use) your office to interfere with intelligence activities you have a personal interest in would fit the definition of a High Crime.

  2. Thank you, Congressman Cummings, for continuing to fight the good fight. Looks like we may need to rely on the CBC to have our backs and bring justice to this criminal enterprise. BTW, this is the same group, the only group, to fight on behalf of the American voters when SCOTUS voted to stop the FL recount and install W.

    And on the senate side of the equation, Corey Booker has lofty ambitions but he’s now come out as supporting Jared Fucking Kushner and him maintaining his security clearance despite the mounting evidence that he intentionally perjured himself on his clearance form and engaged in espionage during the campaign and transition. Yes, the same Booker who rec’d substantial contributions from the Kushners and their family, Wall Street and, of course, Big Pharma. There is literally no one I am more determined to deny the nomination in 2020 than Corey Booker.

  3. Remember: this is nothing more than a request from the minority Democrats. Whether the majority Republicans follows- up with a subpoena is a horse-of-a-different-color. Flynn has already ‘refused’ the minority request for documents. What now Republicans?

  4. Avatar for tani tani says:

    I’ll waiting for any of the democrats in either chambers to speak out about against the deliberately sabotage US alliance with all our allies, He desecrated our treaties that go back decades and he just s**** on them, he’s planning to rollback the Cuba agreement.
    Merkel’s comments front page news here in Venice. Headline: “I do not trust Trump”: https://twitter.com/passantino/status/869091101608693760?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fhonoring-sacrifice%2F
    JUST IN: Trump to reverse Obama’s Cuba policies: report: https://twitter.com/thehill/status/869269373915213824?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fmemorial-day-forever-grateful%2F
    https://twitter.com/TIME/status/869513731218300928?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fhonoring-sacrifice%2F
    https://thinkprogress.org/us-trump-germany-trade-surplus-548f0417c7cd
    https://twitter.com/newschambers/status/869136084390866946?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fmemorial-day-forever-grateful%2F
    https://twitter.com/MalcolmNance/status/869620126773108736?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fhonoring-sacrifice%2F
    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/europes-leaders-confront-the-worst-case-scenario-trump
    https://thinkprogress.org/when-talking-to-eu-leaders-trump-complained-about-his-golf-courses-816c0be26ec2
    https://twitter.com/USATODAY/status/869401747906756608?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheobamadiary.com%2F2017%2F05%2F29%2Fhonoring-sacrifice%2F
    Emmanuel Macron says Donald Trump is like Putin and Erdogan: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/emmanuel-macron-donald-trump-russia-turkey-diplomacy-public-abuse-g7-handshake-recep-tayyip-erdogan-a7761841.html#gallery

  5. Excellent post, tani!

    Disgraceful what this sack of shit has done to the good (or at least decent) name of America!

    Only a matter of time before he’s equated with Duterte and Kim but his enablers and co-conspirators will remain silent if they think they can ram thru their destructive, self-serving agenda.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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