Story highlights Anger was reignited when Nunes signed off on four subpoenas

A Republican points out that Nunes never promised to "recuse" himself

But Democrats are mad at his reemergence as a player in the probe

Washington (CNN) The House intelligence committee's Russia investigation appeared Friday to be veering back off the rails after a rocky week, punctuated by the re-emergence of House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes as a force in the probe.

A visibly angry House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday she has met with House Speaker Paul Ryan multiple times to complain about Nunes never fully stepping away from the Russia probe -- despite the California Republican's promise two months ago that he would step aside.

"The behavior of Nunes -- whatever we're calling him, 'Chairman Recused, 'Un-recused, 'I didn't mean recuse, when I said and gave you the impression of recused' -- whatever that loosey-goosey (definition) is -- is beneath the dignity of being a chairman of the intelligence committee," Pelosi said.

The anger behind the scenes was reignited when Nunes signed off on four subpoenas sent by House Russia investigators to former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump lawyer Michael Cohen -- and also issued three subpoenas on his own, seeking information from former Obama administration officials.

The old arguments that threatened to consume the House probe almost two months ago re-emerged immediately. But now, Democrats were openly blaming House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, for Nunes' continued role.

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