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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| House Democrats to 'clean up' Trump-Russia memo in bid for release | House Democrats to 'clean up' Trump-Russia memo in bid for release |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| Democrats are prepared to black out parts of memo Trump blocked, which tries to counter GOP allegations of surveillance excesses | Democrats are prepared to black out parts of memo Trump blocked, which tries to counter GOP allegations of surveillance excesses |
| Associated Press | Associated Press |
| Sun 11 Feb 2018 20.14 GMT | Sun 11 Feb 2018 20.14 GMT |
| Last modified on Mon 12 Feb 2018 19.23 GMT | |
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| Democrats on the House intelligence committee are prepared to black out parts of their memo about the FBI’s Russia investigation to ensure there is no harmful spilling of secrets, then try again to get Donald Trump to let it come out. | |
| A White House aide said Sunday he was confident it would be released once Democrats “clean it up”. | A White House aide said Sunday he was confident it would be released once Democrats “clean it up”. |
| That possible nudge toward progress came as both sides traded recriminations over the matter. | That possible nudge toward progress came as both sides traded recriminations over the matter. |
| Adam Schiff of California, the senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Trump was putting his personal interest above the country’s in blocking a memo that “completely undermines his claim of vindication” in special counsel Robert Mueller’s continuing investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign’s relationship with Russian interests and Russia’s meddling in the election. “The president doesn’t want the public to see the underlying facts,” Schiff said on CBS’s Face the Nation. | |
| The White House legislative director, Marc Short, countered that Democrats padded their memo with sensitive information, knowing Trump would stop its release, in an effort to make him look obstructionist. | The White House legislative director, Marc Short, countered that Democrats padded their memo with sensitive information, knowing Trump would stop its release, in an effort to make him look obstructionist. |
| “We’re not afraid of transparency,” Short said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “I think you’re going to see us release the memo.” | “We’re not afraid of transparency,” Short said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “I think you’re going to see us release the memo.” |
| Three separate congressional committees are investigating Russian tampering in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign: the Senate judiciary and intelligence committees, and the House intelligence committee. | Three separate congressional committees are investigating Russian tampering in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign: the Senate judiciary and intelligence committees, and the House intelligence committee. |
| The committees have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents. The list of witnesses to have been interviewed so far is long, and includes Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner, as well as lesser figures such as former adviser Carter Page; Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, which commissioned the Steele dossier; and Ben Rhodes, the former Obama adviser. | The committees have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents. The list of witnesses to have been interviewed so far is long, and includes Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner, as well as lesser figures such as former adviser Carter Page; Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, which commissioned the Steele dossier; and Ben Rhodes, the former Obama adviser. |
| The most aggressive of the three committees so far, with a reasonable appearance of bipartisanship. Republican chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina said in October that the question of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives remained open. But Burr has also said the committee was not focused on “criminal acts” but a larger picture. The committee notably heard testimony from James Comey after the former FBI director was fired. | The most aggressive of the three committees so far, with a reasonable appearance of bipartisanship. Republican chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina said in October that the question of potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives remained open. But Burr has also said the committee was not focused on “criminal acts” but a larger picture. The committee notably heard testimony from James Comey after the former FBI director was fired. |
| Hampered early on by partisan disagreement about the scope of its investigation, the committee has interviewed top witnesses including Donald Trump Jr and has taken a particular focus on the firing of James Comey. But the committee has deferred to Mueller in the investigation of Paul Manafort and has interviewed fewer witnesses than others. | Hampered early on by partisan disagreement about the scope of its investigation, the committee has interviewed top witnesses including Donald Trump Jr and has taken a particular focus on the firing of James Comey. But the committee has deferred to Mueller in the investigation of Paul Manafort and has interviewed fewer witnesses than others. |
| Riven by partisan conflict, the committee appears to be on track to produce two reports – one from each party. Chairman Devin Nunes recused himself from the inquiry in March after Trump tweeted that Barack Obama had "tapp[ed] my phones" and Nunes, in an apparent attempt to defend the president, revealed that some communications involving Trump aides had been intercepted by US surveillance programs. | Riven by partisan conflict, the committee appears to be on track to produce two reports – one from each party. Chairman Devin Nunes recused himself from the inquiry in March after Trump tweeted that Barack Obama had "tapp[ed] my phones" and Nunes, in an apparent attempt to defend the president, revealed that some communications involving Trump aides had been intercepted by US surveillance programs. |
| Trump overrode strong justice department objections when he declassified a Republican memo alleging an abuse of surveillance powers in the FBI’s Russia investigation earlier this month. The FBI expressed “grave concerns” about the memo’s accuracy and the justice department said in advance that its release, without proper review, would be “extraordinarily reckless”. | Trump overrode strong justice department objections when he declassified a Republican memo alleging an abuse of surveillance powers in the FBI’s Russia investigation earlier this month. The FBI expressed “grave concerns” about the memo’s accuracy and the justice department said in advance that its release, without proper review, would be “extraordinarily reckless”. |
| But Trump has blocked the Democratic document, which tries to counter the Republican allegations of surveillance excesses. The president has the authority to keep such information under wraps, and has exercised it only against the Democrats. | But Trump has blocked the Democratic document, which tries to counter the Republican allegations of surveillance excesses. The president has the authority to keep such information under wraps, and has exercised it only against the Democrats. |
| “Their goal here is to put the FBI on trial, to put Bob Mueller’s investigation on trial, and the president is only too happy to accommodate,” Schiff said. | “Their goal here is to put the FBI on trial, to put Bob Mueller’s investigation on trial, and the president is only too happy to accommodate,” Schiff said. |
| Devin Nunes, chairman of the intelligence panel, said if Democrats were intent on making important information public, they should get to work. “Their memo is sitting at the House intelligence committee down at the bottom of the Capitol waiting to be redacted,” the California Republican told Fox News. “If they really wanted to get it out, they’d be down there all day yesterday redacting it, getting it back over to the White House so that the public can know what’s in it.” | |
| Schiff said Democrats showed the memo to the justice department and the FBI and asked for their feedback before bringing it to the intelligence panel, and did not hear complaints about inaccuracy. But he said Democrats will “sit down with the FBI and go through any concerns that they have” about the disclosure of classified intelligence. “We will redact it to make sure that we’re very protective of sources and methods,” Schiff said. | Schiff said Democrats showed the memo to the justice department and the FBI and asked for their feedback before bringing it to the intelligence panel, and did not hear complaints about inaccuracy. But he said Democrats will “sit down with the FBI and go through any concerns that they have” about the disclosure of classified intelligence. “We will redact it to make sure that we’re very protective of sources and methods,” Schiff said. |
| In their memo, Republicans challenged how the FBI and justice department used information from former British spy Christopher Steele in obtaining a secret warrant to monitor Carter Page, who advised the Trump campaign on foreign policy. The memo alleges the FBI and justice department didn’t tell the court enough about Steele’s anti-Trump bias or that his work was partly paid by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Republicans argued that the reliance on Steele’s material politicized the government’s surveillance powers. | In their memo, Republicans challenged how the FBI and justice department used information from former British spy Christopher Steele in obtaining a secret warrant to monitor Carter Page, who advised the Trump campaign on foreign policy. The memo alleges the FBI and justice department didn’t tell the court enough about Steele’s anti-Trump bias or that his work was partly paid by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee. Republicans argued that the reliance on Steele’s material politicized the government’s surveillance powers. |
| Democrats said that memo “cherry-picked” details. They noted federal law enforcement officials had informed the court about the political origins of Steele’s work, some of his information was corroborated by the FBI and other evidence was used to get the warrant. The Democratic memo is thought to elaborate on those points. | Democrats said that memo “cherry-picked” details. They noted federal law enforcement officials had informed the court about the political origins of Steele’s work, some of his information was corroborated by the FBI and other evidence was used to get the warrant. The Democratic memo is thought to elaborate on those points. |
| Short, though, said Democrats also introduced political theater into the episode. | Short, though, said Democrats also introduced political theater into the episode. |
| “We believe that Congressman Schiff potentially put in there methods and sources that he knew would need to be redacted,” he said. “And if we redacted it, then there would be an outcry that said the White House is trying to edit it. So we said take it back, work with the FBI, clean it up, and we’ll release it.” Asked if Democrats drafted a memo they knew would be blocked, Schiff said “of course not”. | “We believe that Congressman Schiff potentially put in there methods and sources that he knew would need to be redacted,” he said. “And if we redacted it, then there would be an outcry that said the White House is trying to edit it. So we said take it back, work with the FBI, clean it up, and we’ll release it.” Asked if Democrats drafted a memo they knew would be blocked, Schiff said “of course not”. |
| House of Representatives | House of Representatives |
| Trump-Russia investigation | Trump-Russia investigation |
| Russia | Russia |
| Democrats | Democrats |
| Donald Trump | Donald Trump |
| Robert Mueller | Robert Mueller |
| news | news |
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