WASHINGTON — Although it boosted his visibility, Rep. Jim Himes says the House Intelligence Committee’s newly concluded Russia probe has left him disappointed and left the important oversight panel “relatively toothless” to tackle similar missions. Nevertheless, the five-term Democrat says he’s sticking with the job of overseeing the nation’s spy agencies, whose actions are sometimes “scary.”
House Intelligence Committee
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Himes defends FBI use of controversial dossier
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday blocked the release of a rebuttal memo written by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee concerning its investigation into Russian meddling in U.S. election. In a closed door meeting of the panel this week concerning that memo, Rep. Jim Himes defended the FBI against GOP attacks.
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CT Dems scorch memo charging FBI, DOJ abuses
WASHINGTON — House Intelligence Committee Republicans on Friday released a controversial, once-classified memo critical of the way top FBI and Justice Department officials sought court permission to wiretap Carter Page, an adviser to the Trump campaign. Connecticut Democrats scorched the memo as a partisan attempt to discredit a probe into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
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Himes sole CT lawmaker to vote for NSA surveillance bill
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Himes was the only House member from Connecticut on Thursday to vote for a bill that would allow the National Security Agency to intercept without warrants calls or emails from suspected foreign terrorists outside the United States.
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Stone tells congressional panel he was not involved in Russian hacking
WASHINGTON — Roger Stone, a longtime confidant of President Donald Trump, told the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday that he had no contact with Russian operatives during the 2016 presidential election. In a written opening statement, Norwalk native Stone said he viewed the panel’s investigation “as a political proceeding,” and dismissed allegations he colluded with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to release damaging, hacked emails from the Clinton campaign.
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CT sought federal help to prevent Russian hacking of electoral system
WASHINGTON — A Department of Homeland Security official on Wednesday said 21 state electoral systems were targeted by the Russians for hacking. Although Connecticut’s system was not among them, the state asked for federal help in shoring up its cybersecurity defenses before last year’s election.
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Himes: Trump ‘is not acting like an innocent party’
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes’ job as a minority member of the House Intelligence Committee usually wasn’t a path to the political spotlight – but all that changed with the election of Donald Trump and allegations his campaign may have colluded with the Russians to influence U.S. elections.
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Himes: GOP wants to keep Congress’ Russian probe from public
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Himes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said the GOP head of the panel wants to hide its probe of any ties between the Trump campaign and Russia behind closed door. “It’s a naked attempt to shut down an open hearing,” Himes said.
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Himes: Manafort, Stone likely witnesses in Congress’ Russia probe
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Himes on Monday said Connecticut natives Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager, and Roger Stone, a self-described Trump campaign consultant, are likely to be key witnesses as the House Intelligence Committee continues its investigation of Russian hacking and the U.S. elections.
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Himes: Ukraine wants U.S. to provide ‘defensive’ weapons
WASHINGTON – Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, said Ukrainian officials told him and other members of a visiting congressional delegation that the country could use more help from the United States — in the form of “defensive” weapons — to help defeat Russian-backed rebels.