The Latest on Congress and the special counsel’s Russia report (all times local):
10:05 a.m.
House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee say they have “no faith” in Democratic Chairman Adam Schiff and are demanding his resignation. Schiff is insisting President Donald Trump‘s associates colluded with Russia and may be compromised.
The fiery back-and-forth came during a rare public hearing by the secretive committee on Thursday in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia. Attorney General William Barr has said Mueller didn’t find that Trump colluded with election meddling and made no conclusion on obstruction.
Still, Republicans submitted a letter to Schiff saying his statements suggesting the contrary have produced “no faith in your ability to discharge your duties” and mean Schiff should resign from the panel.
Schiff angrily refused and said some activities of Trump and his associates amount to “collusion” and “compromise.”
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12:15 a.m.
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee says he’s disappointed that the attorney general will take weeks instead of days to release the special counsel’s report on Russia’s election interference.
Maryland congressman Elijah Cummings said Wednesday that the delay allows President Donald Trump to spend weeks taking a victory lap in the wake of the generally favorable findings summarized by Attorney General William Barr.
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says Barr told him that he’s combing through Mueller’s report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it to Congress.
Democratic lawmakers warn that the longer it takes to release the full findings the more they will question the legitimacy of Barr’s actions.
