Rep. Mike Conaway has already drawn criticism from the left for his skepticism toward the intelligence community's conclusions about Russia’s aims. | Getty Congress Meet Mike Conaway, the new sheriff on the Trump-Russia case The Texas congressman, who once led the House Ethics Committee, takes over for Devin Nunes.

Rep. Mike Conaway has contended that Russian meddling in the 2016 election is no different than Democrats enlisting Mexican entertainers to campaign for Hillary Clinton in Nevada to get out the vote.

“If we’re worried about foreign influence, let’s have the whole story,” the Texas conservative told the Dallas Morning News in January.


Now, Conaway is the man leading the House investigation into Russian interference in the campaign, including whether Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

Conaway was tasked Thursday with overseeing the probe after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) stepped aside amid an Ethics Committee investigation into whether he divulged classified information and accusations by Democrats that he ran interference for the Trump White House. Nunes has denied both charges.

Despite Conaway’s minimizing of the Russia’s cyberattacks, Democrats say they’re cautiously hopeful that he can heal the fractured committee as it handles one of the weightiest investigations in its history.



“I think Conaway is a sharp guy. He’s a tough guy. ... I have confidence in him. I’ve worked well with him,” said Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.).

Conaway, an accountant, is an unlikely candidate to be a bipartisan healer. He was elected to Congress in 2004 to a heavily Republican district in midwest Texas and has since racked up one of the most conservative records in the Capitol.

Conaway, 68, has also served stints in the leadership of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP’s political arm. He used his accounting expertise to uncover an embezzlement scheme at the NRCC. A longtime ally of George W. Bush, Conaway worked as chief financial officer of Bush Exploration, an oil and gas firm, in the 1980s. When Bush was governor of Texas, he appointed Conaway a state board of accountants.

Conaway has already drawn criticism from the left for his skepticism about the conclusions of the intelligence community regarding Russia’s aims. During the committee’s March 20 hearing featuring FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency director Mike Rogers, Conaway challenged the finding that Russia’s meddling was intended to help Trump in the election.

But Conaway has at times also sought to elevate the House above partisanship. In 2013, when he accepted the chairmanship of the House Ethics Committee, he told his hometown paper that his goal was to "improve the view the public has of the House and how it operates."

And Conaway, who did not endorse Trump for president until after he had forced his rivals out of a contested GOP primary, has previously criticized Trump’s posture toward Russia. In April 2016, after Trump called the NATO alliance obsolete and said it inadequately focused on terrorism, Conaway had choice words for the GOP front-runner.

"Trump spouted off before he knew what he was talking about," Conaway told another local paper, the Odessa American, at the time, emphasizing that the alliance is crucial to beating back Russian aggression in the region. "I would disagree with Mr. Trump. It's not about terrorism. It's about Putin," he said.

Democrats on the intelligence panel say they’re hopeful Conaway steers the probe away from partisan terrain.

Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.) said Conaway’s elevation presents “a new opportunity to pursue this in a way that enables us to get at the truth.”

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), who's been sharply critical of Nunes, said he doesn't know Conaway well enough to assess his ability to run the investigation. But he said the leadership change will give the House a new chance to re-engage the Russia investiation.

"By Nunes taking himself out of the loop, that then allowed, first of all, the committee to be fully, hopefully, operational. And it also allowed the public to regain integrity and trust," he said.

The role Conaway will take in shepherding the investigation is still unclear. In the announcement of the change, Nunes emphasized that two other intelligence committee members, Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) and Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), would be taking on responsibility as well. Gowdy led the House GOP's two-year investigation into the Benghazi attacks.

Asked about Gowdy, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said she thinks "he understands his responsibilities there."

"We'll see how he proceeds," she said.

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A spokesman for Nunes did not respond to a question about whether Conaway, Gowdy or Rooney would gain access to the same level of classified intelligence that is typically reserved for the chairman of the committee. Conaway's office also did not respond to a request for comment.

Leaders of a parallel investigation by the Senate intelligence committee are watching with interest whether the House can get its probe back on track.

Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) said he’s worked with Conaway, Rooney and Gowdy in the past and has confidence they can resume the committee's efforts.

Other Republicans also expressed confidence in Conaway helming the probe.

"I think it’s going to be effective," said Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.). "Everything’s bigger and better if you’re from Texas. Mike’s got a great reputation of being honest."

Heather Caygle contributed to this report.