Republicans On House Intelligence Panel Find No Collusion Between Trump Campaign, Russia

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee say that they have completed interviews for their investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump ’s campaign and Russians and that they have found no evidence of such scheming, according to multiple reports .

“We have found no evidence of collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians,” they told reporters Monday.

The Republican members of the committee concluded that although Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government did take action to interfere in the election, it did not do so with the intention of aiding Trump. This contradicts earlier findings from U.S. intelligence agencies . 

Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes  (R-Calif.) said a full report is forthcoming. 

“Once the Committee’s final report is issued, we hope our findings and recommendations will be useful for improving security and integrity for the 2018 midterm elections,” he said in a statement. 

Democrats on the Republican-controlled committee will likely issue a competing report , CNN reported. 

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee, told reporters last month that there is “ample evidence ” of Trump’s campaign colluding with Russia. He blasted the committee’s Republican majority for ending the investigation.

“The Majority was not willing to to pursue the facts wherever they would lead, would prove afraid to compel witnesses like [former White House chief strategist] Steve Bannon , [former White House communications director] Hope Hicks , [Attorney General] Jeff Sessions , Donald Trump Jr. , [former campaign manager] Corey Lewandowski and so many others to answer questions relevant to our investigation,” Schiff said in a scathing response. 

However, Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), the lawmaker leading the committee’s probe, told reporters that the worst the investigation uncovered involved “perhaps some bad judgment , inappropriate meetings, inappropriate judgment at taking meetings.”

Two other committees the Senate Intelligence and Senate Judiciary Committees are pursuing their own probes into the matter. Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller is continuing a third investigation into Russia’s meddling in the election.

President Trump welcomed the release on Twitter: