Congressman Devin Nunes, who is an oddly enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump’s personal legal interests and chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, unsuccessfully tried to meet the leaders of Britain’s three intelligence agencies on a recent trip to London, report multiple news agencies today citing sources familiar with Nunes’ travel schedule.
MI5, MI6, and GCHQ all declined to meet with him, we are told.
Did taxpayers pay for this trip?
Or did Putin?
Will we ever know?
New: Devin Nunes flew to the U.K. this month to gather intel on Chris Steele from MI5, MI6, & GCHQ. But the agencies—wary that he was “trying to stir up a controversy," per a source—didn't meet with him. https://t.co/KfTqc7Gmby
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) August 28, 2018
Natasha Bertrand first reported that Nunes flew to London to gather intel on Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence officer who compiled the dossier alleging Trump-campaign ties with Russia. But MI5, MI6, and GCHQ didn’t seem interested.
Reuters has confirmed Bertrand’s reporting.
The sources said representatives of the British agencies initially considered meeting with Nunes during the trip which took place in recent weeks, but that scheduling difficulties made it impossible.
Ultimately, the sources said, after consultation with the three agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, Prime Minister Theresa May’s deputy national security advisor, Madeline Alessandri, met Nunes. His London visit and his unsuccessful effort to meet British spy chiefs were originally reported by the Atlantic.
Nunes and staffers working for him have used Congressional powers to investigate persons and organizations Trump and his supporters view as enemies.
At one point last year, two Nunes aides unsuccessfully traveled to London to question former British spy Christopher Steele who compiled a controversial “dossier” on Trump.
Nunes’ House committee has sought testimony and business records from Fusion GPS, a Washington D.C. private investigations firm which was hired first by Republicans and then by Democratic Party lawyers to gather derogatory information on 2016 Republican presidential candidates.
[PHOTO: Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA) briefs reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst]
@DevinNunes & the @HouseIntelComm is radioactive to foreign intelligence. The reason is simple, they know he’s Trumps bootlick. They assume both work for Moscow. The Brits well remember every Benedict Arnold has a Major Andre. #TrumpsPersonalSnowden https://t.co/eG25yI8wa4
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) August 28, 2018
Nunes is really laser focused on the people of Fresno, Visalia, and Tulare. https://t.co/XpiaO6QqUl
— Jason Putorti (@putorti) August 28, 2018
"Your paper is a joke to even bring these issues up or raise these issues," @DevinNunes told the @sacbee_news. Meanwhile… He was doing this. https://t.co/UTfUJOuLKw
— Henry Williams (@digitalhen) August 28, 2018
While the idea of @DevinNunes on a secret mission to London is rich, it'd be nice if he spent his time meeting and representing his own constituents. https://t.co/RAFt5wjhAE
— Foon Rhee (@foonrhee) August 28, 2018
Devin Nunes is utterly shameless – and dangerous. Man is putting his personal power, profit and party above national security. https://t.co/hLK6M9p2eA
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) August 28, 2018