Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, say Republicans aim to use the memo to undercut the special counsel's Russia investigation. | Alex Wong/Getty Images Schumer, Pelosi ask Ryan to demote Nunes over memo

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday fired preemptive strikes at House Republicans over an incendiary classified GOP memo that alleges misconduct by FBI officials investigating President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.

The pushback from the two Democratic leaders — which appeared not to be coordinated — comes amid growing indications the White House will publicly release the memo, which charges the FBI with mishandling surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide. In letters to Speaker Paul Ryan, both called for the removal of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, whose staff drafted the memo.


Democrats say Republicans aim to use the House GOP memo to undercut special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, including whether Trump himself intended to obstruct the investigation. Even some Republicans have urged their House counterparts to slow down: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Thursday the Senate intelligence committee's members and staff should get full access to the memo before it is released.

In his Thursday letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Schumer lamented that "many House Republicans have decided to sow conspiracy theories and attack the integrity and credibility of federal law enforcement as a means to protect President Trump and undermine the work of Special Counsel Mueller."

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The Senate Democratic leader included a dozen questions for Ryan, including seeking more information about the House ethics committee's inquiry into whether the Nunes improperly divulged classified information early last year. That ethics probe ended in December, clearing Nunes on the grounds that experts had deemed the information he released not subject to classification limits.

Pelosi's separate letter to Ryan blasted the GOP efforts as a "cover-up campaign" to protect Trump and claimed that last-minute changes to the memo made by Republicans after they had already voted to release the document were "dangerous" and in violation of House rules.

"House Republicans’ pattern of obstruction and cover-up to hide the truth about the Trump-Russia scandal represents a threat to our intelligence and our national security. The GOP has led a partisan effort to distort intelligence and discredit the U.S. law enforcement and intelligence communities," she wrote.

"It is long overdue that you, as Speaker, put an end to this charade and hold Congressman Nunes and all Congressional Republicans accountable to the oath they have taken to support and defend the Constitution, and protect the American people," Pelosi continued.

A Nunes spokesman has dismissed Democratic complaints about the changes, describing them as minor — and in some cases requested by Democrats themselves.

Ryan's office did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday. When Schumer asked Ryan Wednesday night to step in after House Democrats alleged the memo had been improperly edited before its transmission to the White House, Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong responded: "We hope Senator Schumer would agree that potential FISA abuses on American citizens are extremely troubling and should be reviewed."

As Democratic leader, Schumer is an "ex officio" member of the Senate intelligence committee. Pelosi is a former top Democrat on the House intelligence panel. Both are in the so-called "Gang of Eight," the members of Congress with access to some of the most sensitive secrets collected by the intelligence community.

