House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI)
House Speaker Paul Ryan does not believe a special prosecutor is needed to handle an investigation into possible ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russian interests.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have been calling for an independent probe, following the president’s decision this week to fire FBI Director James Comey, who was heading up that agency’s investigation into the issue. During a stop in Racine Thursday, Ryan said he does not think it’s a good idea because of the three investigations that are already underway by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, and by the FBI.
“This involves intelligence collection. This involves the methods and sources of our intelligence, which is deeply classified and very important for American and national security,” Ryan said, adding that the investigations should go wherever the facts may lead.
AUDIO: Speaker Ryan disagrees with calls for an independent federal investigation (:51)
Ryan declined to respond to comparisons between Trump’s decision to fire Comey and actions taken by former President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. “I’m not going to compare any of this to the past,” Ryan said. “The point I make is – it is the president’s prerogative, it’s his right to do this, and he believed there needed to be a change at the FBI.”
Affiliate WRJN contributed to this report.