Rep. Devin Nunes, the head of the House Intelligence Committee, announced Thursday morning that he willstep aside from the committee's investigation intoRussian meddling in the 2016 election.Nunes' announcement came as the House Ethics Committee said it is investigating whether he made unauthoritzed disclosures of classified information.Nunes blamed the move on "leftwing activist groups" that filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics and maintained that accusations of bias are "entirely false and politically motivated," but said he chose to temporarily step away."Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics," Nunes said in the statement. "The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being leveled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of US citizens and other abuses of power.""Despite the baselessness of the charges, I believe it is in the best interests of the House Intelligence Committee and the Congress for me to have Representative Mike Conaway, with assistance from Representatives Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney, temporarily take charge of the Committee's Russia investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into this matter."Nunes told The Washington Post's Robert Costa that he plans to return to the Russia investigation at some point in the future. He said he chose to step aside now becausehe is facing ethics complaints about how he handled classified information.Nunes has come under fire in recent weeks for communications with the White House that critics have deemed inappropriate in light of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into associates of the president.Last month, Nunesbypassed committee members to visit the White House and brief Trump on classified intelligence reports that he said showed members of Trump's transition team had been swept up in incidental surveillance after the 2016 election.Trump used that information to support his unsubstantiated claims from early March that the Obama administration had wiretapped Trump Tower. Last week,however, reports surfaced that three White House officials had helped provide the intelligence documents to Nunes.House Speaker Paul Ryan released a statement Thursday reaffirming his trust in Nunes and saying he supports hisdecision to temporarily recuse himself. Ryan said that House Ethics Committee inquiries "would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in our election."The House Ethics Committee also released a statement Thursday noting its investigation ofNunes."The Committeee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct," Rep. Susan Brooks, chairwoman of the committee, said in the statement.Brooks said the committee is "investigating and gathering more information regarding these allegations." Brooks also noted that "the mere fact that [the committee] is investigating these allegations" "does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgement on behalf of the committee."Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said at a press conference Thursday that he supported Nunes' decision."I think it is in the best interest of the investigation," Schiff said. "It will, I think, allow us to have a fresh start moving forward."Join the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Trump appears to ignore requests for a handshake with Angela Merkel during their first meeting
Click here to read full news..
