House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller should in no way impede congressional investigations into ties between Russia and the Trump administration, and said ousted FBI Director James Comey should be called to testify in the Senate committees on Intelligence and Judiciary.
“There is no reason for the congressional investigation to slow down or stop,” said Schumer, D-N.Y. “This is our solemn constitutional duty.”
“Mr. Comey should testify in both the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees to discuss the events surrounding his dismissal,” he added.
Schumer spoke days after some Republicans said they expected the congressional investigations to be severely limited by Mueller’s investigation. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that could happen because testimony to Mueller could be used for a possible criminal prosecution, which could make witnesses more reluctant to testify in Congress.
Comey, fired by President Trump on May 9, has committed to appearing before the Senate Intelligence panel but not the Judiciary panel, which has also invited him to testify. Comey declined the Judiciary panel’s invite on Friday, prompting an angry response from both Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa and ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Schumer said the panels should have access to notes written by either President Trump or Comey and should be able to obtain a memo Comey wrote that suggested Trump attempted to pressure him to drop and FBI probe into ousted national security advisor Mike Flynn.
Mueller was appointed last week to investigate allegations the Trump campaign colluded with Russian operatives. Mueller is also expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Comey’s firing and his allegation of Trump pressuring him to drop the Flynn probe.
