Report: GOP-led House Intel Committee asked spy agencies to 'unmask' U.S. citizens
Under the leadership of Chair Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the House Intelligence Committee asked spy agencies in late 2016 to "unmask," or reveal, the identities of U.S. citizens caught up in surveillance of foreign targets pertaining to Russian election manipulation efforts, The Washington Post reported Friday evening. Since then, Nunes, who has recused himself from the committee's Russia-Trump investigation, has accused the Obama administration of abusing the same sort of unmasking requests to target President Trump's associates.
Meanwhile, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the committee's ranking Democrat, told HuffPost Friday night that Nunes continues to screen subpoenas the committee investigation issues even after his recusal — subpoenas like the one issued to ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn this week.
"What I've been urging is power be delegated to [committee investigation lead Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas)] since the chair recused himself," Schiff said. "The chair has not been willing to honor that part of his commitment so he's still requiring his sign-off."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Bonnie Kristian was a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief of TheWeek.com. She is a columnist at Christianity Today and author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (forthcoming 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). Her writing has also appeared at Time Magazine, CNN, USA Today, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and The American Conservative, among other outlets.
-
What happens to a Democratic Party without Nancy Pelosi?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The storied former speaker of the House is set to retire, leaving congressional Democrats a complicated legacy and an uncertain future
-
The plant-based portfolio diet focuses on heart healthThe Explainer Its guidelines are flexible and vegan-friendly
-
Gregory Bovino: the officer leading Border Patrol’s aggressive tacticsIn the Spotlight He has been referred to as the Border Patrol’s ‘commander-at-large’
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
