House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes has said that the challenges had “stretched the ability of the committee and its staff to conduct the vigorous oversight demanded by the current security.” | AP Photo Republicans push back on claims House Russia probe is growing

Republicans are pushing back on Democratic claims that the House Russia investigation is growing, saying the probe continues to be capped at 13 staffers.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said earlier this week the panel was “bringing on board additional staffing resources” for its investigation into Russia’s meddling in the presidential election, as well as to bolster “our vital oversight work.” The California congressman added that he was hiring two new staffers as part of a larger staff shakeup following the departure of the committee’s minority staff director.


The announcement led to stories in the news media, including POLITICO , suggesting the House was expanding its Russia investigation, which is exploring the possibility of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

But the announcement also raised eyebrows among some Republican congressional sources, who considered it misleading and spoke with POLITICO on the condition of anonymity because the inner workings of the secretive intelligence panel are not normally discussed publicly.

“It's a sleight-of-hand thing,” said one source. “They're adding the staff anyway. It had nothing to do with the Russia investigation.”

The committee has 13 slots for staffers who can access sensitive classified material turned over to Congress for the Russia investigation, the sources said — eight Republican staffers and five Democratic staffers. These numbers have not changed.

The committee could hire even more staffers “and say they're for the Russia investigation,” the source quipped, “but they're not, because they can't review any of the documents.”

The intelligence panel is getting a budget boost this year, but sources said this was originally requested in January 2016 and then again at the beginning of this year. The increase in funding is intended to support the committee’s normal oversight work, sources added. The intelligence panel’s budget during the 114th Congress was $9.2 million and is set to grow by 32 percent during the current 115th Congress to $12.1 million.

“Our funding is at pre-9/11 levels,” Schiff told the House Administration Committee at a February hearing in which he and Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) requested the funding boost. “Since that time, the threats have only multiplied and increased in severity — from Al Qaeda, to ISIL, to China, North Korea and, of course, to Russia.”

Nunes said at the hearing that these challenges had “stretched the ability of the committee and its staff to conduct the vigorous oversight demanded by the current security.”

Neither of their prepared statements specifically mentioned the Russia investigation.

Asked about the discrepancy, Schiff acknowledged there were caps on the number of staffers who could view the sensitive intelligence related to the Russia probe. But he said his additional staffing resources would free up some aides to focus exclusively on the investigation, rather than also having to deal with other oversight responsibilities.

“Having additional staff allows us to devote people to Russia and take away their oversight responsibilities,” Schiff explained. “It's essentially all contributing to both Russia and our oversight.”

Nunes, who in April stepped aside from leading the Russia probe, declined to comment on the issue. The office of Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), who is leading the probe in Nunes’ place, did not respond to requests for comment.

The House Russia probe has been beset by partisan bickering, though things have cooled off since Nunes stepped back after the House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating whether he mishandled classified information. But earlier this month there was a standoff over scheduling witness interviews.