Speaker Paul Ryan's message seemed aimed at a subset of GOP lawmakers who have argued that the memo's findings could end up curtailing Robert Mueller's criminal probe. | Jon Gambrell/AP Photo Ryan urges Republicans to take caution with FBI memo He also urged them not to connect the memo's findings to Robert Mueller's probe.

Speaker Paul Ryan urged Republican colleagues Tuesday to avoid overstating the findings of a classified House intelligence committee memo that alleges misconduct by FBI officials investigating Trump campaign contacts with Russia.

In a closed-door meeting with House Republicans at the Capitol, Ryan (R-Wis.) also urged lawmakers not to connect the findings of the memo with the probe being run by special counsel Robert Mueller, according to a source in the room. Ryan pleaded with members not to oversell the memo and to distinguish it from Mueller's investigation.


"This is a completely separate matter from Bob Muller’s investigation, and his investigation should be allowed to take its course," Ryan said at a news conference following the GOP meeting. He said he agreed with releasing the document.

Ryan also indicated to reporters that he saw no cause for firing Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees Mueller's probe. Some Trump allies have heaped criticism on Rosenstein for appointing Mueller in the first place and for not doing more to put constraints on the probe.

The messages seemed aimed at a subset of GOP lawmakers who have argued that the findings — hotly disputed by Democrats, who say it misrepresents the underlying facts — could end up curtailing Mueller's criminal probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. That investigation has expanded to include whether President Donald Trump or his allies attempted to obstruct justice.

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Trump has publicly vented about Rosenstein and suggested in a New York Times interview last year that he had a "conflict of interest."

"I think Rod Rosenstein is doing a fine job. I see no reason why [Trump] should do that," Ryan said when asked about the prospect of firing Rosenstein.

The House Intelligence Committee voted Monday to release its classified memo publicly, a request that is now pending a review by Trump. Sources familiar with the memo say it alleges senior FBI officials inappropriately used a sensitive spying program, called FISA, to surveil a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser. Democrats opposed releasing the memo publicly and said it was an attempt to discredit the Russia investigation and Mueller.

"There are legitimate questions about whether an American's civil liberties were violated under the FISA process... there may have been malfeasance at the FBI by certain individuals," Ryan said at the news conference.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee said Ryan "completely rolled over" in his approach to the memo.

"And that's a grave disappointment but also fully undermines the whole institution," he said.

Ryan said he would welcome releasing a Democratic rebuttal, but only after it goes through the same review process by House members that the GOP memo did.

"This memo that got popped on us yesterday is now going through that process," he said of the Democrats' response.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she'd prefer for the House to slow down its process to release the memo and instead consulted more completely with the FBI and Justice Department so they could redact anything sensitive.

“That is really an important step that should be taken," she said

