Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), who is taking over the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform from the departing Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), said on Friday that he will not pursue any investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election. Politico reports that Gowdy told reporters on Friday that he “wants to return the Oversight panel to its original ‘compulsory’ jurisdiction, including overseeing more mundane issues like government procurement and the Census.” Gowdy also ruled out looking into whether Trump White House adviser Jared Kushner’s security clearance should be revoked.
“I really don’t see the need to pursue that kind of activity anymore,” Gowdy told portal KnowMyRepublican.com in an interview. “There’s no use in gutting the federal budget anymore. In the event that that’s not a good enough reason to stop this, I’ve got a whole list of arguments to support my decision, some of the most obvious being the fact that the election is in the past and what’s done is done, as well as that there were no immediate and incriminating evidence to suggest that there was any interference by Russia or any other nation, for that matter. And then there’s also the fact that, if it did happen, which I’m not saying is the case, but if it did, I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it.”
Asked to elaborate, Gowdy went on to argue, “Look, let’s make this really simple. If you were dying, heaven forbid, and you needed an emergency blood transfusion or something to keep you alive, and a good Samaritan walked in and helped you in your hour of need, would you go on to press charges and launch an investigation into the good Samaritan once you’ve fully recovered? Of course not, you should be grateful for such a merciful and kind act. Trust me when I say that the situation is no different when it comes to the presidential election and Russia’s alleged involvement. For me to continue this charade of trying to accuse and incriminate someone who, if anything, helped this country by making sure Donald Trump was elected president, would be highly ungrateful and would be equal to spitting our savior in the face.”
“This is a new age we’re living in. The time of the Cold War and communism is over, Russia is not our enemy anymore. There are far greater and more deadly threats out there and we’d be wise to reevaluate who our real friends are. What I’m really trying to say is, without beating around the bush, if Russia really did do something to affect the presidential election in 2016, they were only trying to help. For all intents and purposes, they must have thought they were helping America; they shouldn’t be punished for it. If anything, they need to be applauded and congratulated, because – and I’ll say it again – if they really did do something to help Donald Trump become president, they were doing it because they wanted to help this country and not because it suited some personal, selfish end game of theirs. I have faith in our Russian friends, and so should the people of America,” he concluded.