The embattled chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence came under more intense criticism on Sunday — this time from his own predecessor. Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) told CNN’s State of the Union that he would have handled the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election “completely” differently.
Noting that he had presided over one of the eight Congressional investigations into Benghazi, Rogers noted that his investigations were far more bipartisan than the current Nunes debacle.
“We came to some common ground rules on how to do this investigation that was gonna be facts and facts-based only,” Rogers recalled. “We didn’t have press conferences about it and didn’t run out every time we got a new document saying this or that happened.”
Nunes, after three Trump administration officials reportedly provided him with information the White House believed “somewhat vindicated” the president’s definitively debunked claim that President Obama had “tapped” Trump Tower, held a bizarre press conference announcing his findings.
Rogers said that with people’s character — and possibly their freedom — on the line, “it is no place for sharp-edged partisan politics.”
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For his actions, Nunes has drawn widespread criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. At least two House Republicans have suggested the investigation should be taken away from Nunes’ purview, while Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dismissed his “Inspector Closeau investigation” as “off track” and unlikely to “get back on track.” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) scolded that he has “never heard of any such thing” in his time in Congress.