Republicans in Congress seem to be doing their best to use inactivity as a tool for stymying the ongoing investigation into alleged collusion between President Donald Trump and the Russian government.
Half a dozen Republican leaders, each in charge of major congressional committees, recently told CNN that they either don't wish to pursue or would not commit to looking into potential financial connections between the Trump family and Russia. Even though Democrats on the committees have urged Republicans to subpoena bank records that could be germane to the Trump-Russia probe, Republicans claim that the requests are nothing but a partisan fishing expedition.
"I don't see the link at this stage," Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, explained to CNN. "Deutsche Bank is a German bank — I don't see the nexus."
Conway, who is in charge of leading the investigation in the House of Representatives after an ethics investigation forced House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., to step aside, neglected to mention that special counsel Robert Mueller has already subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to find out about $300 million in debt that Trump allegedly owed them. Mueller's probe expanded to look into Trump's finances as far back ago as July.
Indeed, awareness of Mueller's probe has been cited by some of Trump's Republican allies in Congress as their reason for not investigating the president's finances.
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., has not issued a subpoena since assuming his position in June. When CNN asked him about looking into the Trump-Russia connection, he responded, "Isn't that what Bob Mueller is doing?" Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, has also refused to subpoena Deutsche Bank or further investigate Trump's finances, arguing that because of investigations in other House committees using his own panel for that would be "redundant."
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