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Collins, King Troubled by Reports Trump Officials Enlisted Lawmakers to Counter Russia Stories

Mal Leary
/
Maine Public/file
Maine U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King, at a press event in Brunswick in 2014.

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine's two U.S. senators, independent Angus King and Republican Susan Collins, are expressing concerns about reports that officials in the Trump administration attempted to enlist senior intelligence officials and lawmakers to push back against  several stories that attempt to shed light on Trump associates' links to Russia.

The reportsof Trump officials enlisting lawmakers have raised new questions about an ongoing investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the election and the extent to which Russian intelligence officials interacted with the Trump campaign prior to the election.

Supporters of the congressional probe include King and Collins, who have previously expressed confidence that the congressional inquiry will be thorough and nonpartisan.

Collins and King both released statements Sunday evening after the reports also revealed that Trump officials had contacted key members of the Senate Intelligence Committee to counter stories about Russia. Collins and King are both members of the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

King said he intended to speak with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican who chairs the Intelligence Committee, about the reports. Burr acknowledged in an interview with the Washington Post that he had had conversations with the White House about the veracity of reports that alleged Trump campaign officials were in constant contact with Russian intelligence agents prior to the election.  

Burr told the Post that he believed his discussions with the White House were appropriate, but King said he still found the reports troubling.

"This Committee must have credibility not only with our colleagues, but also with the American people – to whom we owe nothing less than a thorough, fair, and nonpartisan investigation – and I will have serious concerns if it seems that we are no longer able to proceed in this manner," King said in a statement.

Collins discussed the investigation with Maine Public last week, saying she believes ousted national security advisor Michael Flynn should be called to testify. She also said she was open to subpoenaing Trump's tax returns if the documents were necessary to complete the probe. 

Collins, in a statement, said members of the committee should avoid actions that "might be perceived as compromising the integrity of our work."

"The Senate Intelligence Committee has the expertise, the cleared staff, and the bipartisan determination to follow the evidence wherever it leads in this investigation into malicious Russian activities.  For the public to have confidence in our findings, it is important that the Committee work in a completely bipartisan fashion ... It is also important that the Committee ultimately issue a public report on our findings," she said.

At issue is whether the contact between the Trump administration and the intelligence committee could taint what is supposed to be an impartial investigation. Some Democratic lawmakers have called for an independent inquiry, arguing that the congressional probe could be derailed by partisan interests. King and Collins have previously expressed confidence in the Senate inquiry, arguing that it would be faster because the intelligence committee has already been briefed on matters related to Russia.  

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, is vice chairman of the intelligence committee. He issued a statement expressing "grave concerns" about the reports.

"It will be up to Republican leadership to demonstrate in the days ahead that they are capable of pursuing this investigation 'wherever it leads,' " he said. "I have said from the very beginning of this matter that if SSCI cannot properly conduct an independent investigation, I will support empowering whoever can do it right."