Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerMcConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security Warren, Schumer introduce plan for next president to cancel ,000 in student debt Schumer lashes out at Trump over 'blue states' remark: 'What a disgrace' MORE (D-N.Y.) demanded Thursday that Rep. Devin Nunes Devin Gerald NunesSunday shows preview: With less than two months to go, race for the White House heats up Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington Sunday shows preview: White House, congressional Democrats unable to breach stalemate over coronavirus relief MORE (R-Calif.) be removed as House Intelligence Committee chairman amid controversy over the potential release of a GOP memo that alleges "shocking" abuses of power by the FBI and Justice Department.

Schumer sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanAt indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates Peterson faces fight of his career in deep-red Minnesota district MORE (R-Wis.) questioning why he hasn't reined in Nunes, who compiled the GOP memo, and if he or any member of House GOP leadership consulted with Nunes or helped plan or draft the memo.

"I urge you to answer the preceding questions; remove Chairman Nunes from the [House Intelligence Committee]; withdraw support for the release of the ... memo," Schumer wrote.

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He added that Ryan should also "insist on supporting swift passage of legislation protecting Special Counsel [Robert] Mueller’s investigation from political interference."

Schumer's letter comes roughly an hour after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Nancy PelosiMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Overnight Defense: Top admiral says 'no condition' where US should conduct nuclear test 'at this time' | Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings Pelosi must go — the House is in dire need of new leadership MORE (D-Calif.) similarly demanded that Nunes be removed from his spot atop the House Intelligence Committee.

Ryan responded later in the day during a press conference at the GOP retreat in West Virginia that Democrats are "just playing politics and they’re just looking for a political distraction" by demanding that he remove Nunes from his post.

Ryan also defended the memo as Congress trying to fulfill its "oversight" responsibilities and trying to "guard people's civil liberties."

"This memo is not an indictment of the FBI or the Justice Department. It does not impugn the Mueller investigation," he said.

Nunes has been under growing Democratic fire, as well as skepticism from some Republicans, over a memo that alleges "shocking" surveillance abuses by the Justice Department, according to GOP lawmakers.

The memo is said to contain allegations of the FBI improperly surveilling Trump campaign communications.

The House Intelligence Committee voted earlier this week to publicly release the memo, which is currently under review by the White House.

Democrats have slammed the memo as a compilation of cherry-picked facts meant to undercut Muller's probe into Russia's election interference and potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. The FBI said in a statement Wednesday that it had "grave concerns" about releasing the memo in its current form.

Multiple sources told CNN that Trump believes the memo will help discredit the Russia investigation.

Schumer has repeatedly lashed out at Nunes and the memo this week.

Jack Langer, Nunes's spokesman, said in a statement that Schiff's letter amounted to another "strange attempt to thwart publication of the memo."

But Schumer seized on the claim, asking, in the letter to Ryan, if he was aware of the differences and if he knew of any previous instance "where a Chairman has unilaterally and substantively changed a document ... without notifying the committee? Or without voting on an amended document?"

Updated: 2:49 p.m.