House Intel Chair educates Devin Nunes on why the committee's Russia probe ‘never terminated’ — despite his efforts to quash it

A major turning point in Donald Trump’s presidency came on January 3, 2019, when a new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives was seated. That majority is planning a lot of Trump-related investigations, including a Russia probe led by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff—who stressed to Republican Rep. Devin Nunes that “the investigation never terminated.”

Schiff’s exchange with Nunes, according to NBC News’ Mike Memoli, occurred at a closed-door House Intelligence Committee meeting last week. Speaking to Schiff, Nunes asked the California congressman if the House Russia probe meets the Committee requirement to notify the minority party when a new investigation is being launched—and Schiff responded, “In our view, Mr. Nunes, the investigation never terminated.”

Schiff added, "The majority—then majority’s—participation in the investigation did conclude, but we continued."

In 2017, when Republicans still had a majority in the House under Speaker Paul Ryan, a House Intelligence Committee investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was launched. But the concerns of Democrats were marginalized in that probe, which was much more Trump-friendly than what Schiff has in mind in 2019. Schiff obviously has a much more comprehensive and in-depth investigation in mind, and he has made it abundantly clear that he is happy to help Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation in any way he can.

In an interview with CNN back in October—when the outcome of the 2018 midterms was still unknown—Schiff stressed that if Democrats did retake the House of Representatives, the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe would come back with a vengeance.

“We will be able to get answers the Republicans were unwilling to pursue—records that the Republicans wouldn’t ask for,” Schiff told CNN.

Democrats retook the House, enjoying a net gain of 40 seats. Schiff, as predicted, was appointed chairman of the House Intelligence Committee—and this time, its Russia probe will have a lot more Democratic input.