Story highlights Schultz stepped down from the DNC after email hacks

She called for a 9/11-style commission

Washington (CNN) The former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee said Wednesday that reported contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign aides and Russia amounted to collusion.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz told CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront" the media reports necessitated an "independent, bipartisan investigation."

"With every passing day, it gets more and more disturbing, and more and more evidence that there was collusion," Wasserman Schultz said. "This requires, it begs, it cries out for and independent, bipartisan investigation. And Donald Trump should be the first person asking for one, but since I think he likely was part of it, it's not surprising that hasn't happened."

Trump declined to answer questions about the matter at the White House on Wednesday. CNN has reached out to the White House seeking response to Wasserman Schultz Wednesday evening.

Earlier on "OutFront," Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, told Burnett "it is entirely possible that there were people on his campaign that were talking with people that may have been inappropriate to talk with and he didn't know it. On the other hand, maybe he did. But there is no evidence one way or the other."

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