“All it was was just a place where I had to go to be able to review this information," Rep. Devin Nunes said. | AP Photo Nunes denies coordinating intelligence allegations with White House

Rep. Devin Nunes, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Monday that he did not coordinate his allegations that President Donald Trump’s transition team was monitored by U.S. intelligence officials with the White House.

Nunes announced last week that he had seen classified documents that showed that communications of Trump transition team members had been picked up by U.S. intelligence officials between November and January, apparently legally and incidentally. CNN reported on Monday morning that Nunes had gone to the White House grounds to view those documents, which further raised the question of whether the Trump administration had given them to him and coordinated the story.


Nunes denied that in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer early Monday evening, arguing that it is commonplace for him to travel to White House grounds to view classified materials from various agencies or for other business in his capacity as a congressman.

“Nobody was sneaking around,” Nunes said. “All it was was just a place where I had to go to be able to review this information.”

He added later, “In fact, I'm quite that sure that I think people in the West Wing had no idea that I was there. Look, I go over there a lot, go over there often for meetings and briefings to meet foreign dignitaries, all those sorts of things.”

Nunes declined to identify his source or detail who cleared him to enter the grounds to view the information.