Ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) called on Monday for Chairman Devin Nunes (R., Calif.) to recuse himself from an on-going investigation into Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
Schiff was responding to the revelation that Nunes met on White House grounds with a source privy to incidental surveillance of President Donald Trump and his associates. In a statement posted to Twitter, Schiff suggested Nunes's involvement undermined public confidence in the committee's investigation.
"I believe the public cannot have the necessary confidence that matters involving the President's campaign or transition team can be objectively investigated or overseen by the Chairman," Schiff said.
After much consideration I believe Chairman should recuse himself from involvement in investigation/oversight of Trump campaign & transition pic.twitter.com/jpfA1x80Si
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 27, 2017
Schiff also called for Nunes to avoid investigating incidental surveillance of Trump's transition team, as Nunes was a part of that team.
"This is not a recommendation I make lightly, as the Chairman and I have worked together for several years, " Schiff said, before denouncing Nunes recent actions.
Nunes told Bloomberg that the source he met with was an intelligence official, not a White House staffer, and that they met on White House grounds because it was the most secure and convenient location with a computer connected to the system that held the reports.
Nunes's spokesman Jack Langer stated on Monday that Nunes had been looking into "improper unmasking" before Trump claimed that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.
"Chairman Nunes met with his source at the White House grounds in order to have proximity to a secure location where he could view the information provided by the source," Langer said. "The chairman is extremely concerned by the possible improper unmasking of names of U.S. citizens, and he began looking into this issue even before President Trump tweeted his assertion that Trump Tower had been wiretapped."