WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee has cleared the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on a complaint that he may have leaked classified information.

The decision paves the way for Rep. Devin Nunes of California to again lead the intelligence panel's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

The Ethics Committee said in a brief statement Thursday it determined the Republican congressman did not disclose classified information while talking about information he had received on a clandestine trip to the White House.

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Nunes has said he only temporarily stepped aside from the Russia probe pending the results of the ethics investigation. The ethics panel opened its investigation in April.

Texas Rep. Michael Conaway has led the Intelligence Committee's Russia investigation since Nunes stepped aside.

The ethics panel had also been investigating allegations against Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona, who abruptly said Thursday evening that said he would resign from Congress. According to Franks' statement, the committee had been reviewing an inquiry in which he discussed surrogacy with two former female subordinates when he and his wife faced infertility.

The committee is now also investigating for a second time charges against Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas.