Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, is now calling on committee chair Rep. Devin Nunes to recuse himself from the Russia and Trump investigations.

But in much the same way that the Attorney General was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after failing to inform the Senate of his meetings with Russian officials, I believe the public cannot have the necessary confidence that matters involving the President's campaign or transition team can be objectively investigated or overseen by the Chairman.

As to the merits of the Chairman's underlying claim, none of the committee members—Democrats or Republicans—has seen the relevant documents, now almost a week later. Whether the documents support the argument that names were improperly unmasked or distributed, it is impossible to judge, but one thing is very clear: There was no legitimate justification for bringing that information to the White House instead of the committee. That it was also obtained at the White House makes this departure all the more concerning. In the interests of a fair and impartial investigation whose results will be respected by the public, the Chairman's recusal is more than warranted.