Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called President Trump’s decision Monday to order the declassification of documents concerning the federal Russia investigation a “clear abuse of power.”

“President Trump, in a clear abuse of power, has decided to intervene in a pending law enforcement investigation by ordering the selective release of materials he believes are helpful to his defense team and thinks will advance a false narrative,” Schiff said in a statement.

“With respect to some of these materials, I have been previously informed by the FBI and Justice Department that they would consider their release a red line that must not be crossed as they may compromise sources and methods,” Schiff added. “This is evidently of no consequence to a President who cares about nothing about the country and everything about his narrow self-interest.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced in a statement Monday evening that documents, including all text messages related to the Russia probe of former FBI Director James Comey, DOJ official Bruce Ohr, and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, were ordered released. Trump also set in motion the declassification of select documents pertaining to the Russia investigation, including some related to the FISA surveillance warrants to spy on onetime Trump campaign aide Carter Page, who had suspicious ties to Russia.

As noted by Schiff, not all the documents related to the four FISA warrant applications were singled out for declassification. Schiff has been highly critical of Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a close ally of Trump. The GOP majority of that panel released a Russia investigation report that found no evidence of collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign earlier this year; Democrats said it was incomplete and vowed to continue investigative efforts.

Trump additionally ordered relevant FBI reports of interviews with Ohr. Still a DOJ official, though demoted, Ohr had a close relationship with Steele, who was commissioned by Fusion GPS to create and disseminate the dossier about Trump’s relationship with Russia. Fusion GPS was hired in part by the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Bruce Ohr, who passed on information from Steele to the FBI, was not also forthcoming about his wife’s job with Fusion GPS and ties to the dossier.

Text messages between former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who exchanged anti-Trump messages and were both at one point involved in the Russia investigation, were also ordered released.

Schiff wasn’t the only Democrat critical of Trump’s decision. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., accused Trump of “obstruction."

“More obstruction from the President,” Connolly tweeted Monday evening in response to the news.



More obstruction from the President. https://t.co/RhOJ6JfNSS — Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) September 17, 2018



GOP allies of Trump, who have said the use of the dossier by the FBI shows bias atop the bureau, cheered Trump's move Monday. "Transparency wins. This is absolutely the right call," tweeted Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin. He also has expanded his investigation to look at possible obstruction of justice after Trump fired Comey in May 2017.