Rep. Devin Nunes is “quite likely” to face an ethics investigation after indicted Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas implicated him in the Ukraine scandal.
Last week, The Daily Beast reported that Parnas helped set up meetings for Nunes in Europe to help with his investigative work. Over the weekend, Parnas attorney Joseph Bondy told CNN that Parnas is willing to testify that Nunes met with disgraced former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin where the Republican pressed the prosecutor on “the urgent need to launch investigations into Burisma, Joe and Hunter Biden, and any purported Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.”
The Daily Beast report was cited by Rep. Eric Swalwell at last week’s impeachment hearings. Swalwell suggested that Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, may be a “fact witness” in the case.
Nunes may face ethics complaint:
Rep. Adam Smith, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC on Sunday that Nunes is “quite likely” to face an ethics investigation over the reports.
An ethics complaint alleged that Nunes spent nearly $60,000 in taxpayer funds to pursue the investigations at the behest of the Trump administration, in what a Democratic group called an “abuse of office.”
Bondy also told CNBC that Parnas is prepared to testify that Nunes scrapped a subsequent meeting to avoid alerting Intel Committee Chairman Adam Schiff.
Nunes threatens to sue outlets for reporting Parnas’ allegations:
Nunes refused to comment to CNN on the report, telling the network, "I don't talk to you in this lifetime or the next lifetime. At any time. On any question.”
He later refused to answer questions when pressed by Fox News host Maria Bartiromo and threatened to sue CNN and The Daily Beast for reporting the allegations.
“Look, Maria, I really want to answer all of these questions and I promise you I absolutely will come back on the show and answer these questions,” Nunes said. “But because there is criminal activity there, we’re working with the appropriate law enforcement agency.”
“You’re telling me that CNN committed criminal activity?” Bartiromo asked.
“Well, it’s very likely. Or they’re an accessory to it,” Nunes replied.
