Story highlights Grassley was referencing the FBI entering a nondisclosure agreement with the Office of Special Counsel

Feinstein also revealed that she had asked the CIA to turn over relevant classified intelligence

Washington (CNN) The leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday escalated their feud with the FBI and Justice Department, accusing the bureau of obstructing their ability to investigate the firing and actions of former Director James Comey.

Republican Chairman Chuck Grassley excoriated the FBI for putting in place what he said amounted to "gag orders," demanding the bureau turn over what his committee has asked for regarding Comey, his firing and statements he made publicly during the campaign about the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's email server.

"Why now? Why was the FBI so focused on keeping Congress in the dark? Why is it so afraid of shining the light of day on the controversial decisions Mr. Comey made in the months before he was fired?" Grassley said at the beginning of a hearing on legislation that would protect special counsels.

Grassley and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein have flexed their muscle on possibly subpoenaing witnesses and documents related to Russian interference in the election and any possible obstruction of justice.

Grassley was specifically referencing the move by the FBI to enter into a nondisclosure agreement with the Office of Special Counsel before turning over information related to a personnel investigation of him by the Office of Special Counsel (which is unrelated to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.) The FBI only turned information over to the counsel's office on the grounds it wouldn't be shared with Congress, per the agreement, according to Grassley.

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