Sen. Kamala Harris on Friday said she is frustrated with the pace of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in last year’s presidential election and wants the panel to move faster.

“We are reviewing binders and binders of documents, and we have a great group of folks who are working on that. But certainly I do become a bit impatient with the case, I do believe we need to pick it up,” the California Democrat said in a brief interview outside Naval Air Station North Island.

“The subject matter is a very serious one,” she continued. “When we have another country involving itself in the election of our president, that should cause everyone a serious amount of concern, especially when that country has been an adversary. We should all want to get to the answer.”

President Donald Trump said that his campaign did not collude with Russians, and questioned the intent and legitimacy of some of the investigations. He has called one of the inquiries into any such associations a “witch hunt” and said that any possible interference, including hacking by Russians of Democrat’s computer files, did not alter the outcome last year’s election.


He has further said that former FBI Director James Comey had told him he is not under criminal investigation. Trump also said that he was thinking of the FBI’s investigation into the matter when he decided to fire Comey last month.

Harris, a career prosecutor and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she is satisfied with other aspects of the investigation, including staff and resources needed to conduct it.

The panel is issuing subpoenas to compel the answers to the questions members have. Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and friend and personal lawyer Michael Cohen have been subpoenaed.

Harris’ remarks were made as Comey prepares to testify before the Intelligence Committee next week. He is expected to discuss the investigation into Russian involvement in last year’s election, any possible associations that country or its operatives had with Trump’s campaign, and reports that the president tried to interfere with the law enforcement agency’s inquiry. He is expected to testify in open session before meeting with committee members behind closed doors.


After Comey was fired, the Justice Department appointed former FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the Russia investigation in an attempt to isolate the people conducting the probe from political interference.

Harris said she plans to press Comey on matters that have emerged since the last time he testified before Congress.

“I’ve got a lot of questions to follow up on that last conversation, including whether he was told, in any way, to manipulate the investigation,” she said.

She said she also wants to determine if Comey believes the FBI’s investigation has proceeded in the right speed and manner, and if he has any information he can share with committee members that would assist with their own investigation.


Harris did not say whether the committee’s investigation was expanding or contracting, nor did she speculate if any charges are likely based on the information and evidence she has seen.

“I won’t jump to any conclusions,” she said.

It was the freshman senator’s first trip to San Diego since she was sworn into office, and her schedule included a tour of the Naval Special Warfare Training Center to learn about the SEALs and a reconnaissance team, and a tour of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Also, she was to be briefed on the Navy’s 3rd Fleet, whose reach extends to the Eastern and Northern Pacific and Arctic.

Harris said she also will meet with SEALs who are mourning Special Warfare Operator Remington Peters, who died last week during a jump as a member the Leap Frogs skydiving team.


Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com


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