Connelly: Rep. Heck says FBI won't let Trump pull plug on Russia probe



less "Have they heard of Mark Felt?" asks Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., predicting that FBI professionals will never allow President Trump to derail the Bureau's investigation of Russia's cyber espionage in the 2016 campaign. Felt was the senior FBI official, known as "Deep Throat," who helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein expose President Nixon's deep involvement in Watergate. "Have they heard of Mark Felt?" asks Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., predicting that FBI professionals will never allow President Trump to derail the Bureau's investigation of Russia's cyber espionage in the 2016 ... more Image 1 of / 6 Caption Close Connelly: Rep. Heck says FBI won't let Trump pull plug on Russia probe 1 / 6 Back to Gallery

LAKEWOOD -- Professionals at the FBI will never permit President Trump and his aides to derail or squelch their probe of Russia's interference in the 2016 election, a Washington congressman who serves on the House Intelligence Committee predicted Wednesday.

"They would dampen this investigation at their own peril," said Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., reacting to Trump's dismissal of FBI Director James Comey.

"Have they ever herd of Mark Felt?" he asked. Felt was the senior FBI official who was "Deep Throat," the deep background source for Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in exposing the Watergate scandal, which brought down President Nixon.

Heck is seeing echoes of Watergate in the Trump response to evidence that aides to the Republican candidate had backdoor dealings with or colluded with Russia in a cyberespionage campaign against the Democrats.

"History does not repeat itself so much as it rhymes with itself," said Heck. He sees the White House under Trump leaving a trail:

-- Comey was fired soon after bringing the Trump-Russia probe out of FBI field offices and into FBI headquarters. "A little bit lost," said Heck, is that three weeks ago, "Director Comey announced he was bring the investigation into the mother ship."

-- Comey had asked additional money for the investigation, which Trump has described as "fake news" in multiple nervous tweets.

-- The Watergate investigation centered on a 18-minute gap in which an Oval Office tape was erased.

With Trump, there is what Heck calls an "eerie parallel," the 18-day gap from when the Justice Department warned the White House that National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was compromised, and when Flynn was finally fired.

-- The "Saturday Night Massacre" saw Nixon fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, with Attorney General Elliott Richardson resigning when he refused to fire Cox, and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus dismissed.

With Trump, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates was given the boot after warning the White House about Flynn. Flynn was subsequently fired, Trump has since defended Flynn, much as Nixon same praises of his departing aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman.

Heck serves on a committee of great consequence in the "other" Washington. It has been described as an oasis of adult responsibility in a sea of fraternity behavior.

Its members face investigation under the Espionage Act if they leak classified material. The Republican chairman of the espionage panel, Rep. Devan Nunes, R-Calif., took himself out of the Russia investigation when accused of leaking material.

But Heck is discovering a high level of interest back home, in his Pierce-Thurston County district that includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"People are genuinely concerned they (Russia) messed with our election and we can't have that," Heck said Wednesday.

The three-term congressman has collected 2,100 "likes" on his Facebook posting about the Russia problem. He recently drew more than 450 constituents to a town hall on the Russia investigation. He was quizzed on the probe at a Wednesday morning meeting of the military affairs committee of the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce.

Heck was home during an 11-day House recess, which followed close upon Congress' Easter recess and will be followed closely by the Memorial Day recess.

The Senate is still working in Washington, D.C.

Calls for appointment of an independent prosecutor, or a special committee to take charge of the Russia investigation, came from lawmakers of both parties on Wednesday.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called for a special congressional committee.

All 48 Senate Democrats united, in the words of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that "we need a special independent prosecutor."

"It's time for a special prosecutor who can run an independent investigation far from the reach of President Trump and his administration to take the case and finally get the answers the American public deserves," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., a member of the House Republican leadership, seemed supportive of the Comey firing. "The president must have confidence in those who work for him," she said.