WASHINGTON _ Members of Congress involved in the several investigations into Russian meddling in last year's presidential election pledged Wednesday to continue their work despite the firing of FBI Director James Comey, though they worried how the dismissal might delay probes already plagued by too few resources.
"We were negotiating with him for access to some intelligence," Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said of Comey. "I worry that will be put on the back burner. It could very well slow down the investigation."
At the very least, she noted that the search for a new director likely would take months and that until then the committee will be turning to a caretaker for evidence. She called Comey's firing "tantamount to tampering with evidence."
Others foresaw little impact on what are now at least eight congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. In addition to the House Intelligence Committee, investigating committees include the Senate Intelligence Committee, the House Government Oversight Committee, a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
"Multiple federal entities are currently and independently conducting Russia investigations, working together to uncover all of the facts," said Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. "I have no reason to believe they won't. I also do not believe that the director's dismissal will affect how the FBI carries out its investigations."
On Wednesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena to Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, demanding that he deliver documents "relevant to the committee's investigation." He refused to surrender the documents, which the committee did not describe, voluntarily last month. It was the first subpoena the committee had issued since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
According to news reports, a federal grand jury in Virginia also has issued subpoenas for documents from Flynn business associates.
Flynn has become the center of the investigations, with former acting Attorney General Sally Yates testifying this week that she had met twice with White House counsel Donald McGahn in late January to warn the Trump administration that Flynn was lying about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Flynn was fired 18 days later, after Yates' meeting with McGahn was reported by The Washington Post.
Yates also was supposed to testify before the House Intelligence Committee March 28, but that hearing was canceled by the committee's chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., days after Comey stunned the nation by announcing that a probe was opened last July into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Her appearance has yet to be rescheduled.
Whether Comey's firing will knock those plans off kilter remains to be seen. Comey had been scheduled to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, but his position will now be taken by the FBI's acting director, Andrew McCabe.
But Comey is expected to make an appearance before the panel, perhaps as soon as Tuesday, and members of Congress and aides tried to convey that little will change in their investigations.
"This is a White House that is deeply, deeply worried about the Russia investigation," said Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat who was Hillary Clinton's running mate last year. "Certainly, there's an effort to obstruct the investigation."
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a member of his chamber's Judiciary Committee, said he expected his committee to try to determine what precisely happened before Trump fired Comey after first requesting a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
"We need to know where this move to fire Comey began," Whitehouse said.
Also likely to come up in congressional probes is whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions had violated his pledge to remain disengaged from the Russia probes by joining Rosenstein in an Oval Office meeting with Trump on Monday to discuss Comey's future.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that he spent Tuesday night re-examining the letter Sessions had signed when he removed himself from the Russia investigation. He said he believed Sessions had violated the intent of the letter.
He called for Comey to appear soon before the intelligence committee in a public session.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said she also believed Sessions had violated his pledge to stay out of the Russia probe.
"An attorney general who has recused himself from an investigation has now recommended that the head of that investigation be removed," she said in an email.
