Washington (CNN) The House Ethics Committee has cleared Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes in its investigation into whether he disclosed classified information to the Trump White House, which could create an avenue for Nunes to return to the helm of the panel's Russia investigation.

Nunes's return could further inflame the partisan fervor surrounding the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election.

The California Republican has already launched a joint investigation with the House Oversight Committee into the Uranium One deal that was agreed to in 2010 under the Obama administration, which Republicans claim involved illicit donations to the Clinton Foundation.

He has also hammered the FBI and Justice Department for not turning over documents or making witnesses available in response to subpoenas related to the FBI's connection to the Fusion GPS opposition research dossier on President Donald Trump and Russia compiled by former British agent Christopher Steele.

The Ethics Committee announced Thursday that it was closing its investigation into Nunes after determining the information that he had disclosed was not classified.

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