House Intel votes to release controversial Republican memo alleging FBI spying 'abuses'

Erin Kelly | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption House committee votes to release classified memo on Russia probe Brushing aside opposition from Department of Justice, Republicans on the House intelligence committee voted to release a classified memo that purports to show improper use of surveillance by the FBI and the Justice Department in the Russia probe.

WASHINGTON — The House intelligence committee voted Monday to make public a controversial GOP memo alleging the FBI and Department of Justice abused their surveillance authority to target then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his campaign associates.

The Republican majority voted to declassify and release its four-page memo, while all Democrats on the panel voted against it. Republicans, who hold the majority in Congress, also blocked the release of a counter memo written by Democrats, said Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the panel's senior Democrat.

The GOP memo, written by Republican staff at the direction of Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., will be released if given the go-ahead by the White House, which has up to five days to review it.

Schiff said he believes the White House will allow its release, despite objections from the Department of Justice that it contains classified information that could harm U.S. intelligence-gathering.

Nunes did not talk to reporters after the vote.

Republicans rejected an effort by Democrats to bring in FBI Director Christopher Wray and Justice Department officials to brief the committee — and the full House — before the panel took action on the memo, Schiff said.

Schiff said Republicans clearly want to undermine the investigation being led by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian meddling, possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and obstruction of justice by President Trump.

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"This is an effort to circle the wagons around the White House and distract from the Russia probe," Schiff said.

The Intelligence Committee is running its own Russia probe, which Schiff said will continue despite the latest turmoil.

"I think we have crossed a deeply regrettable line," Schiff said after the vote, adding that he believes the committee, by agreeing to release the memo, has "potentially compromised sources and methods" used by U.S. intelligence agencies to gather information.

Schiff said the committee's vote effectively puts the FBI and Department of Justice under investigation by the panel's GOP majority.

The Justice Department, which warned that the release of the Republican memo would be “extraordinarily reckless,” did not immediately comment Monday on the committee’s vote.

Wray had a chance to review the GOP memo over the weekend, but wanted to express his concerns about it to the committee before its public release, Schiff said.

Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein met Monday with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. White House officials wouldn’t discuss their agenda.

The committee's vote came just hours after FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who has been a target of fierce criticism from Trump and some conservative GOP lawmakers, abruptly announced his resignation Monday.

Committee Republicans voted earlier this month to allow any House member to come into a secure room and read the GOP memo. Lawmakers were not allowed to make copies or take the memo with them since it contained classified information. Releasing classified material is a federal crime.

House members will now be allowed to come to the same secure room and read the Democratic memo if they want to — the one concession that Democrats won Monday night.

After the GOP memo was offered for review by House members, GOP lawmakers put out press releases describing the memo as containing "shocking" revelations that threatened democracy. However, they refused to give details because revealing classified information is a federal crime.

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Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus and pressed for the memo's release, described the GOP memo as "revealing alleged surveillance abuses in the U.S. government."

"I had the opportunity to go into a confidential setting to make sure that we can understand better what actually took place," Meadows said last week. "And I'm here to tell all of America...that I am shocked to read exactly what has taken place. I would think it would never happen in a country that loves freedom and democracy like this country."

Schiff has described the GOP memo as "a profoundly misleading set of talking points" that is "rife with factual inaccuracies" that give "a distorted view of the FBI."

The committee's action is the latest evidence of the deep partisan divide among its members, whose Russia investigation has been marred by political infighting.

White House denies involvement in McCabe departure The White House is denying any involvement with FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe stepping down from his position ahead of a previously planned retirement this spring. (Jan. 29)

Contributing: Kevin Johnson and David Jackson