Washington, D.C. — Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif) released the following statement after appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher where he backed an independent review on Russia:
“The American people need a clear-eyed view of the nefarious actions of the Russian government. Right now, we have speculation and assumptions, but not clarity and fact, including questions about Russia’s actions, what the FBI knew of the cyber breaches, what the Obama Administration did in response, and potential actions of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
What we do know is that the Putin government is a bad actor who should be carefully scrutinized – and regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on – our country has a vested interest in fully understanding exactly what happened, outside the fog of accusation and political jostling. An investigation is not the same as an assertion of specific wrong-doing, it’s following the facts where they lead so that American people can know what may or may not have taken place.
President Obama and Attorney General Lynch allowed obstruction and unanswered questions from the American people to linger, clouding their work and calling into question the impartiality of the FBI’s findings. These mistakes must not be repeated.
Any review conducted must have the full confidence of the American people, which is why I recommended an independent review. I want the Trump administration to be successful and that starts with embracing high standards for openness and transparency.”
