The House Intelligence Committee has begun sending out witness invitations as part of its Russia probe, Texas Rep. Mike Conaway and California Rep. Adam Schiff said Thursday.
The lawmakers issued a statement announcing the development following a closed-door classified briefing with FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers.
“We are currently sending out invitations for witnesses to testify and requests for pertinent documents,” the lawmakers said.
They provided no names, though several former Trump campaign advisers have offered to testify in front of the panel. Campaign chairman Paul Manafort has offered to speak with the committee. Advisers Carter Page and Roger Stone have offered to testify in an open hearing.
Conaway and Schiff praised Thursday’s hearing, saying that it provided a “valuable opportunity” to follow up on testimony Comey and Rogers gave in an open hearing in March.
During that hearing, Comey acknowledged for the first time the the FBI is investigating Russia’s meddling in the election, including whether Trump campaign advisers colluded with Kremlin operatives.
The committee is also looking into whether the Obama administration illegally leaked classified information about Trump advisers.
Conaway and Schiff also said they hope to hold an open hearing with former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and former CIA Director John Brennan.
The three Obama appointees were scheduled to appear at a hearing last month. Those plans were scrapped at the last minute by committee chairman Devin Nunes. Nunes, a California Republican, has since recused himself from the investigation. Conaway is now overseeing the probe.
Yates and Clapper are slated to testify next week at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing. Yates, who was fired by President Trump at the end of January, reportedly plans to testify that she warned the White House about former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s inconsistent statements about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador.
Flynn has offered to talk to the committee in exchange for immunity.