Gowdy, Defending Nunes, Says Even 'Jesus Would Not Be a Satisfactory Chairperson' to Democrats

Top Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee spurned a request from the panel's Democratic ranking member Monday night to have chairman Devin Nunes recuse himself from an investigation into Russia and intelligence gathering related to the Trump transition.

In making his recommendation, Rep. Adam Schiff cited Nunes's meeting with a source on White House grounds the night before the Republican made allegations about the incidental collection on the Trump team after Election Day. Schiff also pointed to Nunes's decision to brief the White House before committee Democrats last Wednesday on the intelligence he had seen.

"[M]uch in the same way that [Attorney General Jeff Sessions] was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after failing to inform the Senate of his meetings with Russian officials," Schiff said, "I believe the public cannot have the necessary confidence that matters involving the President's campaign or transition team can be objectively investigated or overseen by the Chairman." Nunes was a member of Trump's transition team.

He brushed off Schiff's statement shortly after he made it Monday.

"People say a lot of things around here, and it's fine. It's politics," Nunes told THE WEEKLY STANDARD.