Washington, DC – Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and Judiciary, and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, issued the following statement today reiterating her strong support of House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff’s call for an independent commission to probe Russia’s interference in the United States Federal elections:

“Each day brings new revelations that make it clear House Intelligence Committee Chairman Nunes has done irreparable harm to the investigation probing Russian contacts with Trump campaign officials in the run-up to the United States Federal elections. According to media reports, not only did Chairman Nunes visit the White House to share behind closed doors information from an unnamed source last week, but Chairman Nunes actually met with his source on White House grounds a day prior to holding his press conference without briefing other members of the House Intelligence Committee who are still waiting to review the information the Chairman collected.

“Both developments are unprecedented and raise the following probative question: Who is Chairman Nunes working for? Is it the White House or the Intelligence Committee because you cannot do both. Russia’s attempt to undermine our nation’s democratic process is a matter of urgency that should not have the distractions caused by the Chairman’s actions.

“It is clear that Chairman Nunes, who led the National Intelligence Transition Team for President Trump has compromised his objectivity and hindered the Intelligence Committee’s ability to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation. The American people deserve to know the truth, and that is why I am reiterating my support of Ranking Member Adam Schiff in calling for an independent commission to determine the breath and scope of Russia’s activity to undermine last year’s the Presidential Election.”