Press Releases

Groups Call for Removal of Rep. Nunes as Chairman of HPSCI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 17, 2017
Contact: Daniel Schuman, 202-792-4550
[email protected]

Today, Demand Progress, joined by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Center for Media and Democracy, CREDO, Fight for the Future, Government Accountability Project, and X-Lab, wrote to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to call for the removal of Rep. Nunes (R-CA) as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“HPSCI”). His recent actions and his “recusal” from the ongoing investigation into alleged foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election illustrate that he is unable to effectively lead HPSCI moving forward. Additionally, his ill-defined recusal from the investigation is unworkable so long as he also serves as chairman. The letter is available here.

The following statement can be attributed to Demand Progress policy director, Daniel Schuman:

“Rep. Nunes cannot serve as a part-time chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. So long as Rep. Nunes serves as chairman he receives notifications of sensitive intelligence matters as a member of the Gang of Eight, hires and fires all the Republican committee staff, and calls all committee hearings. His presence as the leader of HPSCI creates an atmosphere of distrust and undermines the committee’s work. Rep. Nunes must step down.”

The letter is available here.

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