The Senate Intelligence Committee will gain access this week to the “raw intelligence” relevant to Congress’ probe of Russia’s role in the presidential election, Sen. Chris Coons said Monday.
The Delaware Democrat told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day” that he did not expect the information to become public but that it is a welcome step for members who had asked more than a dozen agencies, organizations and individuals to preserve communications related to the investigation into Russian interference.
“I’m encouraged that this week, the Senate Intelligence Committee is getting access to the raw intelligence that is directly relevant to this Russia investigation,” Coons said. “There is a significant body of data — they will begin the process of accessing it, and I don’t think anything is going to be made public. Nothing is going to come out publicly, and the intelligence committee has a very important, very sensitive job to do here. I am encouraged they’re not being prevented from getting access to the information so far.”
Coons is not a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, but that panel had sent letters asking for the materials to be retained last month. Russia’s cyberintrusions and the Kremlin’s support for President Donald Trump when he was a candidate and President-elect are the subject of multiple federal inquiries, both on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.