Maine’s two members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Intelligence defended the pace of a probe into Russian election interference and alleged collusion between Russia and associates of President Donald Trump.
Independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of acknowledged news reports in which some members of the committee complained about staffing and unbooked interviews with key witnesses. But he says the investigation is proceeding methodically for a reason.
“I certainly share the people of Maine’s sense that we need to get on with this, but it’s not going to be in a matter of weeks,” he says.
King says the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation is complex because it involves the CIA, NSA and FBI, which are also looking into election meddling and alleged collusion between Trump associates and Russian agents. He says that the panel is still gathering background information that will be used to question witnesses.
Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and King also say that the committee should bring on someone with prosecutorial expertise. That’s because some of the witnesses may not want to answer questions asked by the committee.
“I believe that it’s important to have someone who has dealt with very complicated cases and knows how to sequence these interviews,” she says.
Collins says the inquiry should satisfy three key questions. First, did the Russian government attempt to compromise the integrity of the 2016 election and influence public opinion? Second, did any members of Trump’s campaign collude, wittingly or unwittingly, with Russian agents? And third, did any member of the Obama administration inappropriately request the intelligence committee to reveal the identities of Americans who were surveiled while talking to foreign officials?
Collins says the answer to first question is almost complete and points to a “yes.” The other questions, she says, will take time to answer.
Collins and King have previously vouched for the Senate Intelligence Committee’s ability to complete a fair and thorough investigation into the Russia controversy despite concerns about partisanship, which has already clouded a parallel inquiry by the House Intelligence Committee.
Recent stories have raised questions about whether the Senate Intelligence Committee is heading in a similar direction. The anonymously sourced reports highlighted complaints that the panel doesn’t have enough staff or experts to complete its task and that its co-chairmen, Sen. Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, have been too timid.
In March, Burr and Warner held a news conference designed to assure the public that the Senate inquiry will be thorough and nonpartisan.
King says he isn’t aware of any partisan delays. He says he’ll be the first to speak up if he does. Collins reiterated her call for more public hearings and a public report that will give the public confidence in the committee’s work.
The Senate Intelligence Committee conducts most of its business in private.
