House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes Has 'Screwed-up' The Russia-Gate Investigation

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: Devin Nunes and the Tragedy of the Russia Inquiry

Last week, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Devin Nunes, announced dozens of intelligence reports that inappropriately included details on President Donald Trump's transition. This week, he told me that his source for that information was an intelligence official, not a White House staffer.

It turns out, he misled me. The New York Times reported Thursday that Nunes had two sources, and both worked for the White House. This distinction is important because it raises questions about the independence of the congressional investigation Nunes is leading, which may lead to officials at the White House.

Nunes is leading a double investigation of sorts. His committee is probing ties between the Trump campaign and Russia's influence operation against the 2016 election. It's also looking into whether Barack Obama's White House inappropriately spied on Trump's transition.

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WNU Editor: My must read commentary for today. Much of the political and media focus has been on the Trump campaign and Russia's "influence operation" against the 2016 election .... my focus has been on the reports and the growing body of evidence that President Obama's White House inappropriately spied on Trump during the campaign and during the transition. Eli Lake also believes that this is the bigger story .... and I share his frustration on how this has all tarnspired ....

.... Sadly, the merits of this case are undermined by how the White House and Nunes have made it. The chairman is better than this. By misrepresenting how he obtained information worthy of investigation he has handed his opposition the means to discredit it. That's rough justice for Nunes, and a tragedy for the country.

And now we have this bombshell (my next post) .... Mike Flynn Offers to Testify in Exchange for Immunity (WSJ).