CNN: Nunes Temporarily Steps Aside from Russia Probe

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
BERMAN: "All right. Major breaking news just into CNN. The chairman of the house intelligence committee, Devin Nunes stepping aside from the investigation into any contacts between trump associates and Russia. Let's go to right to Manu Raju.
RAJU: "He had been saying for some time he's not going to step aside, despite those calls from Democrats to step aside and recuse himself from the Russian probe. They believe he was too cozy with the White House, something he and his allies rejected. But in a statement he just released, he says this, several activist groups have filed accusations against me that charges are entirely false and politically motivated and being levelled just as the American people are beginning to learn the truth of improper unmasking. He goes on to say he's going to step aside just from the Russia probe and continue as chairman of the committee. The people that are going to lead this probe is congressman Mike Conway with the assistance he says of tray Goudy, two Republican members of the committee. Now, there was a meeting, actually that happened right now, a closed door private meeting. Devin Nunes did, I'm told from a source of the room that he stepped out of the meeting early. A statement just came out. Real change. We were not expecting this at all. Devin Nunes has been digging in. But a lot of questions about whether or not this investigation could have moved forward in a credible manner given his decision to brief the president of the United States in about surveillance information that he said showed a collection of trump officials during the time of the presidential transition now briefing the Democrats before then but also by canceling a public hearing that was supposed to take place. The Democrats wanted that public hearing to take place. We have heard from a number of people that presumably would have raised concerns about any of these contacts that occurred between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. But a big shift here and a sign that perhaps this investigation may be able to get back on track after Democrats have been calling for nunes to step aside. Notable to say also, nunes had been tired of answering questions about all of this is last couple of days I have been asking him a number of questions. Not answering any of those questions, clearly tired of the accusations against him. So a big change here and a sign of how this investigation may be going forward now without Deven nunes running it."