◆ SpookStack

Letter to James B. Comey, Jr. Page 2 On December 20, 2016, Ranking Member Conyers and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) wrote you with two specific requests. First, they asked that you confirm the existence of an investigation into the recent activities of the Russian government. Second, they asked that you provide the House Judiciary Committee with copies of "all relevant investigative materials . . . including copies of any primary evidence or interview notes" at the conclusion of any such investigation.' These materials would, of course, parallel those you provided to the Committee and other offices at the conclusion of your investigation into Secretary Clinton. To date, your office has provided no response to our request. ... On January 10, 2017, during an open hearing of the Senate Select Committee on. Intelligence, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) referenced comments by a senior Russian diplomat ... suggesting contact between the Russian government and the Trump campaign.' Sen. Wyden then asked you: *Has the FBI investigated these reported relationships and, if so, what are the agencies finding?" You responded: "I would never comment on investigations, whether we have one or not, in an open forum like this.6. : : Finally, late on January 10, 2017, breaking reports suggested that Sen. John McCain (R- .. AZ) personally handed you a file that allegedly documents secret contacts between the Trump organization and the Russian government.' Other reports suggest that the Department of Justice ; and the FBI attempted to target four associates of Donald Trump for electronic surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act--and eventually obtained a warrant from the .. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on at least one of those targets in October 2016.8 : We respect the longstanding tradition of the FBI to decline from commenting about ongoing criminal investigations---but, using your own words, there is now a clear and pressing need for the public to be reassured about the President Elect, and it is "obvious and apparent,' given these reports and the public activities of the FBI, that an investigation of some nature is ongoing. Your own standard for public comment on this matter has been met. We therefore request confirmation that the FBI is investigating any connection between the Russian government and Donald Trump, his business, or the Trump presidential campaign. 4 Letter from John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member, H. Comm. on the Judiciary, and Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member, H. SubComm. on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations to James B. Comey, Jr., Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (Aug. 30, 2016). 5 Ivan Nechepurenko, Russian Officials Were in Contact With Trump Allies, Diplomat Says, N.Y. TiMEs, (Nov. 10, 2016). 6 Austin Wright and Martin Matinshak, Comey won't say if FBI is investigating contacts between Moscow, Trump campaign, Politico (Jan. 10, 2017) (emphasis ours). 7 Greg Miller et al., Intelligence chiefs briefed Trump and Obama on unconfirmed claims Russia has compromising information on president-elect, WAsh. POsr (Jul. 10, 2016). 8 Julian Borger, John McCain passes dossier alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts to FBI, GuARDiAn (Jan. 10, 2016).