Key takeaways:
- The Senate Intelligence Committee held a closed-door briefing with National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, during which she declined to show them copies of the classified documents.
- Committee Chairman Mark Warner and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio expressed deep disappointment over the panel’s inability to access the documents.
- Sen. Tom Cotton threatened to block presidential nominees or funding for some federal agencies until the Biden administration shows key lawmakers the classified documents.
The Senate Intelligence Committee held a closed-door briefing Wednesday with National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, during which she declined to show them copies of the classified documents discovered at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and Joe Biden’s office and Delaware home.
Committee Chairman Mark Warner and Vice Chairman Marco Rubio expressed deep disappointment over the panel’s inability to access the documents, with Rubio noting that “every member” of the committee was “unanimous” that the Justice Department’s position to not allow them to see the documents until the special counsels approve it “is not acceptable.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was so frustrated after the briefing that he threatened to block presidential nominees or funding for some federal agencies until the Biden administration shows key lawmakers the classified documents.
Haines declined to discuss the sensitive material, citing ongoing special counsel investigations. It is unclear when the documents will be made available to the committee, or if they will be at all. The Biden administration has yet to comment on the issue.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is continuing to investigate the origins of the Russia probe and the Trump administration’s handling of intelligence. The committee is also looking into the intelligence community’s assessment of the 2020 election.
Be First to Comment