Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Nunes calls the charges "entirely false" and "politically motivated".

The head of a key US congressional investigation into alleged Russian hacking has temporarily stepped down amid an ethics inquiry into him.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes is now himself under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.

The panel is looking into claims that the Republican disclosed classified intelligence.

Mr Nunes called the charges "entirely false" and "politically motivated".

He said his decision to step aside came after "several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics".

Mr Nunes added he would continue to fulfil his other responsibilities as chairman, requesting to speak to the ethics panel "in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims".

Democrats have criticised Mr Nunes for his handling of the inquiry, which is also looking at possible links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

What did Mr Nunes allegedly do wrong?

The House Ethics Committee said in a statement on Thursday: "The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorised disclosures of classified information, in violation of House rules, laws, regulations, or other standards of conduct."

Watchdog groups Democracy 21 and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had asked the House ethics panel to investigate Mr Nunes.

His political foes have accused him of helping the White House to divert attention from several investigations into links between the Trump team and Russian officials.

Mr Nunes has acknowledged making an after-dark trip to the White House grounds last month that even the congressman's own aides were apparently unaware of.

The next day at a hastily arranged news conference he announced he had learned that post-election communications of Mr Trump's team had been monitored by US intelligence agencies as they snooped on foreign officials.

He expressed alarm that information about the then-incoming president's aides had been swept up in US intelligence reports.

Mr Nunes' Democratic colleagues on the panel were furious that he had not shared such information with them before going public.

In the face of much scepticism, Mr Nunes maintains White House officials were not his original source for the claims.

Democrats questioned whether the investigation into Russia's alleged role in the election could proceed objectively.

Does it matter? - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

It's never a good sign when the investigator becomes a bigger story than the investigation.

Such was the case with Congressman Devin Nunes, with his shifting explanations for where and how he acquired sensitive intelligence documents, his decision to keep details from his fellow intelligence committee members, his apparent behind-the-scenes co-ordination with White House sources and his penchant for dramatic press conferences.

All this made him a liability for Republican congressional leadership and the White House. Now he is, at least temporarily, out of the picture.

He may blame an ethics complaint filed by "leftwing activist groups" for forcing the move, but there's little doubt that many Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief. Mr Nunes, at times, seemed out of his depth on the big political stage.

The committee's investigations effectively had been ground to a halt by partisan bickering, and this move is a first step toward rebooting the efforts.

It may be too late, however, as the concurrent Senate intelligence committee investigation has launched more smoothly and with a greater show of bipartisan co-operation.

Members of the House of Representatives often complain of being viewed as the "baby brother" to the upper chamber. The dual Russia probes haven't done much to dispel that notion.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Russia's most famous pop star explained why he backs Trump

What's been the reaction?

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he fully supported Mr Nunes' decision.

Mr Ryan said he trusts Mr Nunes, but the ethics inquiry "would be a distraction" for the House Intelligence Committee investigation.

Representative Adam Schiff, a ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he respected Mr Nunes' decision.

"We have a fresh opportunity to move forward in the unified and nonpartisan way that an investigation of this seriousness demands," he added.

A White House spokesman said in response to the announcement: "This is an internal matter for the House".

Where does this leave the Russia investigation?

Texas Representative Mike Conaway will take over that inquiry with the help of fellow Republicans Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney.

"We're going to proceed with the investigation and follow every lead to its logical conclusion," Mr Conaway said on Thursday.

It is unclear whether Mr Nunes' departure will end the partisan bickering that has brought the committee's investigation to a virtual halt.

But a separate Senate Intelligence Committee probe into Russia's alleged role in the US election appeared to be moving forward, conducting its first round of hearings on the issue last week.

Meanwhile, the FBI also recently acknowledged it is running its own probe into claims of Kremlin political meddling.

Mr Nunes said he plans to return to the House investigation, but he did not provide a timeline.</s>The chairman of the House intelligence committee announced Thursday he is temporarily stepping aside from the panel’s probe into Russian meddling in last year’s presidential election.

The decision by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., comes amid partisan turmoil on the committee. Democrats have alleged that Nunes, who was on President Donald Trump’s transition team, is too close to the White House and cannot lead an impartial inquiry.

“Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics,” Nunes said in a statement. “The charges are entirely false and politically motivated, and are being levelled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth about the improper unmasking of the identities of U.S. citizens and other abuses of power.”

Nunes did not disclose details of the allegations.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he supported Nunes’ decision and said the congressman is eager to talk to the ethics panel.

“It is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in our election,” Ryan said.

He said he believes it is in the best interests of the committee and Congress to have GOP Reps. Mike Conaway of Texas, with help from Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina and Rep. Tom Rooney of Florida, temporarily take charge of the investigation while the House Ethics Committee looks into the issue.

“I will continue to fulfil all my other responsibilities as committee chairman, and I am requesting to speak to the Ethics Committee at the earliest possible opportunity in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims,” Nunes said.

He said he is confident that Conaway will oversee a professional investigation into Russia’s actions and follow the facts wherever they lead.</s>Rep. Devin Nunes , the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who became embroiled in controversy after secretly meeting at the White House to receive intelligence reports, announced Thursday that he is temporarily stepping down from his committee's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election .

Nunes will remain chairman of the committee, but will temporarily step aside from the probe, he said in a statement. Rep. Mike Conway will replace him as the head of the intelligence committee on this matter, with help from Reps. Trey Gowdy and Tom Rooney.

" 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 said.

Nunes came under fire after he bypassed members of his own committee to brief the White House and the press on information he had received that members of the intelligence community incidentally collected information on members of the Trump transition team after the election. The meeting took place on White House grounds, and the New York Times later reported that the sources providing him with the information were members of the Trump administration.

The House Ethics Committee said in a statement it is investigating Nunes’ actions to determine if he disclosed classified information.

After the news broke, complaints were filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics and Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the committee, who was among those calling on him to step aside, insinuated he was colluding with the White House.

Schiff said in a press conference after Nunes had announced his decision that it was in the best interests of the committee and he looks forward to working with him on other issues the committee is working on. “It will allow us to have a fresh start moving forward. This investigation is of such critical importance that we need to get fully back on track.”

“ Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics," Nunes said. "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 U.S. citizens and other abuses of power."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday in a statement that Nunes has his trust, and he fully supports his decision to step aside. “I think Chairman Nunes wants to make sure this is not a distraction to a very important investigation,” Ryan said at his weekly news conference.</s>(CNN) -- House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes announced Thursday he was temporarily stepping aside from leading the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 elections.

Nunes cited a series of ethics complaints filed against him alleging that he violated terms of discussing classified material following his clandestine meeting at the White House just over two weeks ago.

"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, a California Republican, said in a statement.

He added, "I will continue to fulfill all my other responsibilities as Committee Chairman, and I am requesting to speak to the Ethics Committee at the earliest possible opportunity in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement that he trusts Nunes, but also supports his decision to step aside.

"In the meantime, it is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in our election. Chairman Nunes has offered to step aside as the lead Republican on this probe, and I fully support this decision," Ryan said.

The Wisconsin Republican said he's confident that Nunes' replacements on the investigation will conduct "a professional investigation into Russia's actions and follow the facts wherever they lead."

The House intelligence committee met earlier Thursday, but Nunes did not tell members during that meeting of his decision, a source said.

Conaway, a Texas Republican, who will now lead the Russia investigation, said he hopes to work with the committee's Democrats to get the Russia investigation back on track, but said he'll need their cooperation.

"We're going to pursue the investigation, follow every lead to its logical conclusion," Conaway said. "We're going to conduct the investigation and I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pursue every lead."

"I'll need cooperation from both sides to make that happen," he added.

The House investigation has been rocked by turmoil since FBI Director James Comey announced in late March that the FBI has been investigating possible collusion between top aides of President Donald Trump's campaign and Russian officials who sought to sway the US election.

One day after that stunning revelation, Nunes secretly visited the White House to review evidence that is now at the center of Trump's counter-offensive. The ensuing chaos rocked the House investigation and led some lawmakers to declare it dead, but Republicans and Democrats have slowly been setting it back on course.</s>WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway will lead the House Intelligence Committee investigation into Russian influence over the 2016 elections, the committee chairman announced Thursday morning.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California said he is turning over his role as leader of the investigation to Conaway. Conaway is the second-ranking member of the full intelligence committee.

"Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics. 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 U.S. citizens and other abuses of power," Nunes said in a statement.

"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' tenure during the investigation was deeply troubled. Most committee Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, called on him to step down from that role after a series of unorthodox meetings and communications with White House officials.

Chief among Conaway's tasks in this sensitive assignment is to rebuild trust and credibility with a committee that is, essentially, in shambles.

Conaway is a seven-term term member who represents the sprawling West Texas 11th district. On two previous occasions, he made light of the investigations by comparing the Russian cyber attacks on Democratic officials to Mexican entertainers campaigning for Hillary Clinton and then comparing Russian alliances with Big 12 football loyalties.

That said, his GOP colleagues hold him in high regard on investigatory matters. As a relatively junior congressman and accountant a decade ago, he uncovered a financial scandal at the House GOP's campaign arm.

This new task will add to the congressman's portfolio; he is also chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

The committee's top Democrat, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, issued a statement on Conaway.

"With respect to Representative Conaway, I look forward to joining with him and putting our investigation fully back on track," he wrote. "The important work of investigating the Russian involvement in our election never subsided, but we have a fresh opportunity to move forward in the unified and nonpartisan way that an investigation of this seriousness demands.”

Meet Paige: Our new Facebook Messenger bot helps you keep track of the 85th Legislature. Subscribe by messaging HELLO to m.me/texastribune.org. Learn more.</s>Embattled House intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes temporarily stepped away from his oversight of an investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s elections, citing ethics complaints filed against him.

“Several leftwing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics,” he said in a statement released by the committee Thursday morning.

“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 U.S. 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. I will continue to fulfill all my other responsibilities as Committee Chairman, and I am requesting to speak to the Ethics Committee at the earliest possible opportunity in order to expedite the dismissal of these false claims.”

The groups Democracy 21, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and MoveOn.org have filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics claiming Nunes violated House rules by disclosing classified information regarding the unmasking of President Donald Trump’s associates caught up in incidental surveillance of intelligence agency targets.

Nunes then briefed President Trump without first disclosing his information to the committee's ranking member, California Rep. Adam Schiff, or other members of the committee. Schiff has since reviewed the documents.

“Devin Nunes has earned my trust over many years for his integrity and dedication to the critical work that the intelligence community does to keep America safe,” it said. “He continues to have that trust, and I know he is eager to demonstrate to the Ethics Committee that he has followed all proper guidelines and laws. In the meantime, it is clear that this process would be a distraction for the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russian interference in our election. Chairman Nunes has offered to step aside as the lead Republican on this probe, and I fully support this decision. Chairman Mike Conaway, a senior member of the Committee, will now lead this investigation in the House. I am confident that he will oversee a professional investigation into Russia’s actions and follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Nunes has been criticized for going to the White House to review documents he says showed intelligence agencies caught up Trump associates in their investigation of their intelligence targets, then sharing it with Trump. Nunes also cancelled a public hearing with former National Security Agency director James Clapper, former FBI director John Brennan and former acting attorney general Sally Yates.

Clapper was the first in the intelligence community to say that Trump’s claim to have been wire tapped by former President Barack Obama during the transition period had no basis in fact. Yates informed White House counsel Don McGahn of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn interactions with the Russian ambassador during the transition.

© Gannett Co., Inc. 2017. All Rights Reserved</s>He's served in Congress for more than a decade and now has what is among the most high-profile jobs in Washington: overseeing a House probe into Russian meddling in last year's election. On Thursday, Rep. Mike Conaway assumed the role as head of the House Intelligence Committee investigation into whether President Trump's associates colluded with Russia during last year's election - a move that came as Rep. Devin Nunes temporarily stepped aside from the post as he faces inquiries from ethics investigators.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Los Angeles Times.</s>Texas Republican Mike Conaway will now preside over the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. This comes after the announcement on Thursday morning that the embattled Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., will be stepping away from the Russia probe.

Conaway is a seven-term congressman and the second-ranking Republican on the committee. Said to be well-respected among his GOP colleagues, Conaway will have the difficult task of rebuilding trust and restoring credibility to a House probe that has time resembled more of a soap opera than a collaborative bipartisan investigation.

Nunes, who will continue to chair the committee, seemed to leave the door open to fully resuming his duties leading the Russia inquiry at some point. In a statement, Nunes said that Conaway along with Reps. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and Tom Rooney, R-Fla., will “temporarily take charge of the Committee’s Russia investigation.”

The House Ethics Committee is looking into allegations that Nunes possibly divulged classified information at a controversial press conference in March. That’s where Nunes told reporters about evidence of “incidental” surveillance he viewed of then-incoming President Trump’s transition team. Nunes himself was a member of that transition team.

Nunes’ statement said the accusations against him about possible ethics violations are politically motivated and launched by “leftwing activist groups.” He added that he thought it was in the best interest of the Congress and the committee for him to step aside, “despite the baselessness of the charges.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan, speaking to reporters on Thursday, expressed his faith in Conaway’s ability to lead the investigation.

“I am confident that he will oversee a professional investigation into Russia’s actions and follow the facts wherever they may lead,” Ryan said.

Meanwhile, Conaway has received some criticism for appearing to make light of Russia’s interference in the U.S. elections. The Dallas Morning News reported just days before the inauguration that Conaway equated Russian election meddling with Democrats using Mexican entertainers to energize their voters. He told the paper:

And just last month during a House Intelligence Committee hearing, Conaway set off on a peculiar line of questioning with FBI Director James Comey, comparing U.S.-Russian relations to that of the Big 12 football rivalries between the Texas Longhorns and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Conaway represents a sprawling, deeply red Texas district that includes the cities of Odessa and Midland.

He easily won re-election last year, winning his district by a whopping 79 percentage points. On his congressional website bio page, Conaway describes himself a conservative who “believes in the principles of lower taxes, smaller government and a secure nation.”

He is a certified public accountant by training and an ordained Baptist deacon. He also chairs the House Committee on Agriculture and is a member of the Armed Services Committee.

In a statement, California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, struck an optimistic tone by saying that with Conaway at the helm of the Russia investigation there’s a “fresh opportunity” to move the probe forward in a nonpartisan manner.

“With Respect to Representative Conaway, I look forward to joining with him and putting our investigation fully back on track,” Schiff said in a statement.

It may be important to note that Schiff did not renew calls for an independent investigation as he has for a number of weeks, including in an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep last month:

Inskeep: If [Nunes] recuses himself, he remains chairman, and so that part of his work is taken over by Mike Conaway of Texas, I guess, who’s the number two guy — or Peter King of New York who’s the number three guy. They’re still Republicans. Are they going to be independent enough for you? Schiff: Well, look, I think it’s the best that we can do within the House Intelligence Committee. I do think that it calls up the need once again for a truly independent commission, something that would supplement whatever we do in Congress, but would be detached from Congress, would be beyond any kind of political interference by the White House. So the public ultimately can have confidence in the work product. That’s the ultimate goal.”</s>WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/AP) — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is stepping aside from the panel’s probe into Russian meddling of the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement on Thursday, Republican congressman Devin Nunes of California says that several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against him with the office of congressional ethics.

Related: ‘Why Would I?’: Nunes Rebuffs Calls To Step Aside In Russia Investigation

Nunes says the charges are false and politically motivated. But he says it’s in the best interest of the committee to have GOP congressman Mike Conaway of Texas temporarily take charge of the committee’s investigation.

Nunes says he will continue fulfilling other duties with the committee and wants to talk to the ethics committee as soon as possible to defend himself.</s>WASHINGTON — The Republican head of a congressional inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election said he would temporarily step aside from the probe on Thursday because he is under investigation for disclosing classified information.

Devin Nunes, chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and an ally of Republican President Donald Trump, characterized charges that he made unauthorized disclosures of classified information as “entirely false and politically motivated.”

“Several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against me with the Office of Congressional Ethics,” he said in a statement.

The surprise disclosure that Nunes was under investigation injected new uncertainty into the wider Russia probe by his committee. The investigation is one of several in Congress examining whether Russia tried to influence the election in Trump’s favor, mostly by hacking Democratic operatives’ emails and releasing embarrassing information, or possibly by colluding with Trump associates.

Russia denies the allegations, which Trump also dismisses.

The House Ethics Committee issued a statement saying it would investigate allegations Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information “in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct.”

Nunes said in a statement he had decided to step aside from the Russia investigation to fight the allegations and wanted “to expedite the dismissal of these false claims.” He remains committee chairman.

Rep. Mike Conaway, the second-ranked Republican on the intelligence committee, will now lead the probe. While he was a strong Trump supporter last year, the seven-term congressman was not a member of Trump’s transition team, unlike Nunes.

The intelligence panel’s top Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, said Nunes’ decision to step aside was made in “the best interests of the committee, and I respect that decision.”

Schiff had called on Nunes to recuse himself.

Conaway, who is also chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and a former House Ethics chairman, is respected as an administrator and investigator.

“I have great admiration and respect for Mr. Conaway and look forward to continuing to work on that together,” Schiff told reporters.

Democrats, and some Republicans, had said the House panel risked losing all credibility after Nunes received information at the White House that information about Trump aides had been swept up in routine surveillance, held a news conference and briefed Trump on it — all before sharing it with other members of his committee.

Lawmakers said Nunes’ decision was welcome.

“We need to move on. We need to have an independent, credible investigation that makes progress,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democratic committee member, said in an interview.

Trump praised Nunes as “honorable,” calling both him and Conaway “high-quality” people in comments to reporters traveling to Florida on Air Force One.

The ethics investigation stems from whether Nunes disclosed classified information while publicly discussing the contents of foreign intelligence reports.

Jane Harman, a former top House Intelligence Democrat who is now president of the Wilson Center think tank, said she hoped the committee could “overcome the paralysis” gripping the investigation. “Most people recognize that the House as an institution needs to do serious oversight here and that the House is on trial,” she said.

“He’s just making sure that as he works through this other [ethics] process and makes sure that people understand he didn’t do anything wrong. He’s fully cooperating, and I believe he will be cleared,” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who leads the House Republican Conference, told reporters.

“But until that happens, it protects the integrity of the Russia investigation,” she said.

Trump sparked a controversy in March when he tweeted, without giving evidence, that Obama had wiretapped him as he competed with Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Two and a half weeks later, Nunes held the news conference saying an unidentified source had shown him intelligence reports containing “unmasked” names of Trump associates incidentally caught up in routine foreign surveillance.

Immediately afterward, critics said he had disclosed classified information in what many saw as an effort to provide cover to Trump’s wiretapping claim and distract from the wider Russia investigation, a day after FBI Director James Comey confirmed at a hearing that his agency was investigating the matter.

Nunes said surveillance of Trump associates appeared legal but expressed concern that Americans’ names may have been improperly revealed.

That allegation kicked off an evolving, unsubstantiated controversy about whether the Obama White House spied on the incoming Trump administration.

U.S. foreign intelligence activities are classified, but the president can authorize the release of information about them. It is not clear whether Trump authorized Nunes to discuss the foreign surveillance.
United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes recuses himself from the committee’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election; Rep. Mike Conaway will take the lead in this investigation.