Devin Nunes approved requests for 'unmaskings' — and now Democrats say he's 'gone rogue'

pulse

June 3, 2017 7:22 PM

Nunes told the Democrats "super last minute" about his unmasking subpoenas.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., waves as he arrives for a closed-door GOP strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

The House Intelligence Committee, under the leadership of Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, made at least 5-6 unmasking requests to US spy agencies related to Russia's election meddling between June 2016-January 2017, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

Nunes, who would have had to sign off on any committee requests to reveal the identities of US persons mentioned in intelligence reports, called unmaskings "

Obama administration officials requested the unmasking of Trump associates last year. Reports have suggested that Trump advisers like Michael Flynn and Carter Page were either mentioned or directly involved in surveilled conversations with Russian officials during the election.

"That's the obvious motive," the aide said, adding "The Democrats feel that Nunes has gone rogue, or that he's trying to undermine the committee because he no longer serves in the top position on this investigation."

Nunes stepped aside from the Russia investigation in early April after bypassing his fellow committee members the month before to brief Trump and the press on classified intelligence that he said showed Trump and his transition team had been "incidentally" surveilled after the election.

told CNN

"Nunes is not going to be able to go any further," the Democratic aide said, adding that, if he did, committee Democrats would pressure House Speaker Paul Ryan to remove Nunes as chairman.

"The American people are watching," the aide added.

pulse