Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is now allowed to serve a leadership role in the Russian investigation, a fact that concerns some as he directs it toward the potential impropriety in FBI special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, according to The Washington Post.
Most of the fears lie in dangers of discrediting of the nation's top law enforcement office, according to the report.
Nunes is reasserting himself as the panel's chairman after he has been cleared this month by an ethics investigation that alleged he disclosed classified information provided to him by the White House, which included accusations of Obama administration officials improperly unmasking Trump campaign affiliates.
Amid the House ethics probe that had him on the sidelines of the Democrats' most important attack on the presidency, Nunes had "deputized" other Republicans to run the probe while he was on the sidelines, but "even Republicans acknowledge it was difficult to distinguish between staffers' allegiance to the committee and their loyalties to Nunes," the Post's Karoun Demirjian wrote.
"I don't know where his staff ends and HPSCI [House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence]" begins, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., told the Post. "Some of them are apolitical nonpartisan members of his staff, and I'm not smart enough to know who's what."
Gowdy's statement does not show a complete lack of confidence in Nunes' impartiality, but Gowdy does express concern Nunez is planning a "corruption exposé about the FBI," having said his "heart would be broken" if Nunez stooped to that level, the Post reported.
Gowdy also chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and maintains Nunes' plausibly politically motivated maneuvers need the "blessing" of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., according to the Post.
Earlier in December, Gowdy expressed frustration on the politicians of the congressional investigations and the reports of anti-Trump biased texts from within Mueller's team.
"I'm interested in getting access to the information and not the drama," Gowdy reportedly said.
A spokesman for Nunes declined to comment to the Post's report.
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