Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday that his committee has not found definitive evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with foreign elements to influence the 2016 presidential election.
The absence of evidence notwithstanding, Warner expressed concern over allegations the president repeatedly asked leaders of the nation’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies to “downplay” the extent or severity of the ongoing Russia probe.
WATCH:
Former FBI Director James Comey will appear before Warner’s committee on Thursday to discuss his abrupt dismissal last month by President Donald Trump. Several White House officials, including Trump aide Kellyanne Conway and press secretary Sean Spicer, suggested that the administration might invoke executive privilege to prevent Comey from testifying. Executive privilege allows the president to block the disclosure of sensitive information in judicial settings.
Elsewhere in his interview with Tapper, Warner argued the president would be on “shaky legal ground” if he attempted to invoke executive privilege and hinder the former director’s appearance.
Unnamed sources have since indicated Trump is unlikely to block Comey’s testimony.
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