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’ 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. “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. 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. "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. 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. 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.
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.