Sen. Mark Warner, the lead Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, indicated that there’s no end in sight for the probe into Russian interference and collusion with President Donald Trump’s campaign in the 2016 presidential election.
During a live Yahoo News videocast Friday at Washington D.C.’s Newseum, Warner explained, “I would love to give you a timeline. But more important is we get it right.”
Warner’s statement came as the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, heralded the conclusion of its review of possible electoral intrusion. That examination found Russian agents did in fact disrupt the election process via social media and hacking, but said there was no coordination with the Trump team. Some panel Democrats decried the results as premature, insisting that more witnesses should have been questioned.
Despite the Senate investigation approaching its fourteenth month, Warner — who alongside chairman Sen. Richard Burr presides as vice chair of the council — marveled at “literally more lines of inquiry today than there were eight or nine months ago.”
“We’ve still got a series of witnesses to see,” he revealed. “We got thousands of additional documents just within the last two weeks.”
As for the possibility of impeachment, Warner avoided conjecture, though he did note “a strategy that will take place” if the president moves to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — who is overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s inquest — or Mueller himself. Furthermore, Warner admitted he is “constantly concerned” that Trump will attempt to thwart the DOJ’s efforts.
Concerning the significance and legacy of the investigation, Warner was clear: “I think history will judge all of us in the aftermath of this president’s interference… If people are not willing to stand up and protect [it], and to protect trying to get the truth… then we are in a very, very frightening position.”
Warner’s proclamation of no timetable for the Senate’s review starkly contrasts with Burr’s assessment at the end of December, which indicated the probe would spill into 2018 but “[wasn’t] going to carry over far.”