JASON CHAFFETZ, UTAH ONE HUNDRED CONGRESS ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, MARYLAND @ungreza at the written ?tatta 32301152 of Representatives ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM 2157 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20515?6143 MAJORITY {202] 225?50714 MINORITY {202] 225-5051 htt33:!vaersighlhousagov February 13, 2017 The Honorable Jason Chaffetz Chairman Committee on Oversight and Government Reform US. House of Representatives Washington, DC. 20515 Dear Mr. Chairman: Last week, Ranking Member Cummings made his most recent in a series of requests over the past several months to launch an investigation of Lt. General Michael and his ties to Russia. Speci?cally, Ranking Member Cummings asked that you send letters to the Department of Defense, National Security Council, and Federal Bureau of Investigation to obtain copies of General security clearance applications and any updates he submitted listing his contacts with foreign of?cials and any sources of foreign ?nancial payments. As with every previous request relating to General you declined yet again. Today, all Democratic Members of the Committee write to you jointly to request that you either reconsider your decision and initiate this investigation, or step aside and allow the Committee to vote on conducting basic oversight going forward. Grave questions have been raised about the ?tness of the General to serve as National Security Adviser and to continue having access to classi?ed information. It has now been reported that General took payments of an undisclosed amount to travel to Moscow to dine with Vladimir Putin and celebrate RT, which US. intelligence of?cials warn is the ?Kremlin?s principal international propaganda outlet?; that he potentially failed to obtain the consent of Congress to receive those funds in violation of the Constitution; that he communicated repeatedly with Russian of?cials While that nation was engaged in an attack on our democracy and our presidential election; that he secretly discussed with the Russian ambassador, in possible violation of the Logan Act, sanctions imposed by President Obama in response to these Russian attacks; and that he may have lied about these discussions not only to the American people, but to his own White House colleagues, including the Vice President. It is dif?cult to imagine a more serious list of allegations for our Committee to investigate. They demand a robust, immediate, and bipartisan investigation rather than partisan stonewalling and the transparent excuses for inaction. If you are not willing to take action, then we ask that you allow us to do our job by scheduling a vote on proposals from other Members of the Committee about the investigative steps we should take on this matter. The Honorable Jason Chaffetz Page 2 Repeated Requests to Investigate General Ties to Russia Over the past several months, Democrats on the Oversight Committee have raised serious concerns aboth General actions, his ties to Russia, and the payments he has reportedly received from foreign sources. During this same time period, you have declined to join any requests relating to General and you have refused to request a single document relating to the troubling allegations against him. On August 30, 2016, Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the Ranking Members of the Committees on the Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, and Homeland Security raising concerns about connections between Russian officials and individuals advising then?candidate Trump.l They warned that General traveled to Moscow in December 2015 to join Vladimir Putin at the head table during a dinner honoring the Kremlin?backed media network RT. During the event, General gave a speech that was highly critical of the United States, stating, ?The United States can?t sit there and say, ?Russia, you?re bad.?2 The following week, Putin praised Donald Trump as ?an outstanding and talented personality.?3 General declined to answer media inquiries about whether he traveled to Moscow on Donald Trump?s behalf.4 On November 17, 2016, Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter to you following up on a meeting you had a day earlier during which he proposed a bipartisan investigation into Russia?s interference with the election. Despite the fact that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement weeks earlier on behalf of our nation?s 17 federal intelligence agencies, you asked Ranking Member Cummings to ?show the evidence? that Russia meddled in our election.5 Ranking Member Cummings provided this information one day later, but you never responded to his request. On November 18, 2016, Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter to Mike Pence in his capacity on the Trump Transition Team raising questions about General apparent conflicts of interest. The letter explained that General was reportedly receiving classified brie?ngs during the presidential campaign while his consulting firm, Intel Group, Inc., - was being paid to lobby the US. Government on behalf of foreign government interests. The letter asked whether General actions violated the Trump for America, Inc. Code of Letter from Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, et al. to James Comey, Director, Federal Bureau oflnvestigation (Aug. 30, 106) (online at trump-connections-to-cyber). 3 Tz-?mnp Embraces Ere?Top Obama Intel Of?cial, Daily Beast (Mar. 9, 2016) (online at lybeast.com/aiticles/20 3 Putin Praises ?Bright and Taiemed? Trump, CNN (Dec. 17, 2015) (online at 4 Trump Embraces Etc-Top Obam?a Intel Of?ciai, Daily Beast (Mar. 9, 20l6) (online at 5 Letter from Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings to Chairman Jason Chaffetz, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Nov. I6, 2016) (online at The Honorable Jason Chaffetz Page 3 Ethical Conduct, which stated: will disqualify myself from involvement in any particular transition matter which to my knowledge may directly conflict with a financial interest of mine.? General admitted that he was paid to travel to the gala with Vladimir Putin in December 2015, but he refused to disclose how much he received. Seven days after the gala, Putin praised Donald Trump publicly, and then candidate-Trump responded by calling Putin ?a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond.?6 On January 31, 2017, the Committee adopted your proposed Oversight Plan for the 1 15th Congress after rejecting an amendment from Rep. .Jamie Raskin that would have set forth the Committee?s intention to investigate General You led Republican opposition to the amendment, which read: The Committee will also examine multiple reports of communications between Russian officials or entities and the President?s advisors and his associates, including but not limited to his National Security Advisor.7 On February 1, 2017, Ranking Member Cummings sent a letter with the Rankng Members of the Committees on Armed Services, Judiciary, Homeland Security, intelligence, and Foreign Affairs requesting that the Department of Defense review a potentially serious violation of the Emoluments Clause by General The Department of Defense warns its retired officers against accepting any direct or indirect payments from foreign governments because retired officers continue to hold of?ces of trust under the Constitution. The Ranking Members explained that it remains unclear how much General was paid for his dinner with Vladimir Putin in 2015, whether he received additional payments from Russian or other foreign sources on separate occasions, or whether he sought the approval of the Department of Defense or Congress to accept these payments.8 On February 2, 2017, during a hearing on security clearances, Rep. Brenda Lawrence asked Charles S. Phalen, the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, to confirm that U.S. officials are required to report all contacts with foreign officials and all payments from foreign sources, and he testified that these in fact are basic requirements to maintain a security clearance. As a result, Rep. Lawrence asked that the Committee obtain a copy of General lynn?s security clearance application forms, as well as any updates he may have submitted. In response, you stated, ?send me the request.? Yet, you again seemed to question the conclusions of 17 US. intelligence agencies that Russia tried to influence our ?3 Letter from Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to Vice. President-Elect Mike Pence (Nov. 17, 2016) (online at presidential). 7 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Business Meeting, Vote on Amendment to the Authorization and Oversight Plan, Offered by Rep. Raskin (Jan. 31, 2017) (13 yeas, 2011ays) (online at 8 Letter from Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, et al., to Secretary James Mattis, Department of Defense (Feb. 1, 2017) (online at 1 7-02? Cit). The Honorable Jason Chaffetz Page 4 election, claiming that it could have been ?a guy in a van down by the river.?9 On February 10, 2017, as you requested, Ranking Member Cummings sent you three draft letters requesting documents relating to General security clearance information from the Department of Defense, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Security Council. This past weekend, you declined to join any of these letters. Your decision was particularly dif?cult to understand given that one day earlier, the Washington Post reported that General may have deceived both Vice President Mike Pence and the American people by claiming falsely that he never discussed sanctions with the Russian Ambassador. The Post also reported that General may be under ongoing FBI investigation for those same communications. 0 Trump Administration?s Inaccurate Public Statements Regarding Russia It is unclear whether the President or other White House of?cials knew about the content of General communications with the Russians, or when they became aware. The President has not made any public statements regarding the matter. On December 29, 2016, President Barack Obama announced the expulsion of several Russian diplomats and sanctions against Russia for its interference with the U.S. election.ll On the very same day, General reportedly had five separate calls with Russia Ambassador, Sergei Kislyak.12 This exchange was part of a series of phone calls, text messages, and in-person meetings between the two men reportedly beginning during the presidential campaign.13 General repeatedly denied that he discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador on December 29, 2016. Vice President Mike Pence repeated those denials on Face the Nation, where he reported that he spoke directly with General who told him that he and the Russian Ambassador ?did not discuss anything having to do with the United States? decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia.?14 Vice President Pence also denied that 9 House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Improving Security and E?iciency at 0PM and 2, 2017). '0 National Security Adviser Discussed Sanctions with Russian Ambassador, Despite Deniais, O?ciats Say, Washington Post (Feb. 9, 2017) (online at say/2017/02/09/t85b29d6-eel1-1 1' Trump Adviser Had ive Cat/s i-viin Russian Envoy on Day ofSanciions: Sources, Reuters (Jan. 23, 2017) (online at ll 1d 13 National Security Adviser iynn Discussed Sanctions wit/7 Russian Ambassador, Despite Deniais, O?icia/s Say, Washington Post (Feb. 9, 2017) (online at '4 Face the Nation, CBS News (Jan. 15, 2017) (online at transCript-j anuary-l 5-20 1 The Honorable Jason Chaffetz Page 5 anyone on the Trump campaign had been in contact with the Russian government during the campaign. He stated: ?Of course not. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy?? Request for Reconsideration or Vote The Oversight Committee has been widely condemned for not conductng adequate oversight of the Trump Administration, particularly in light of the numerous and sometimes abusive investigations launched against President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. We were somewhat encouraged last week when you agreed to the Ranking Member?s request to ask the Office of Government Ethics to recommend a penalty for Kellyanne Conway after she engaged in what appeared to be a textbook violation of ethics rules by pitching Ivanka Trump?s clothing line on national television. That was a small step in the right direction. However, General potential violations of the US. Constitution and federal law are far more grave, and they certainly deserve to be investigated by this Committee more urgently than the President?s daughter?s clothing line. We implore you to join us in a bipartisan effort to investigate these issues, beginning with obtaining copies of General security clearance applications, and any updates he filed, in order to verify his foreign contacts and payments, as well as the truthfulness and accuracy of his self-reporting. Given the numerous troubling incidents relating to General the prior inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information to foreign military officers?this Committee should evaluate this matter thoroughly.l6 If you are not willing to initiate this investigation or make these requests, then we ask that you not prevent us from calling up this matter at the next business meeting so we may request a vote on this and other proposals going forward on this matter. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, 7% ?l ?Id. 16 Trump ?5 National Security Adviser Shared Secrets Without Permission, Fries Show, Washington Post (Dec. 14, 2016) (online at 67). 050320 ammos Grumm?m wmma am Axum in. .. . Cog am Va.? . IEFJMAV @323: