WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Three leading Republican Senators sent a letter to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein expressing interest in attending a meeting related to claims a government informant was implanted within President Donald Trump's campaign.
The letter was sent Tuesday by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Tex.
The Senators pointed to reports Kelly is arranging a meeting with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., FBI Director Chris Wray, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Edward O'Callaghan to review certain classified information.
'We write to express our interest in attending such a meeting and in support of providing Congress with documents necessary to conduct oversight of these issues,' the Senators wrote.
The meeting comes as Trump has suggested a spy was placed in his campaign for political reasons, which he has declared would be one of the biggest political scandals in history.
A recent report from the New York Times said at least one government informant met several times with Trump campaign aides, although officials have told CNN the confidential source was not planted inside the campaign.
Meanwhile, House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has criticized the White House for failing to invite Democrats to participate in the meeting scheduled for Thursday.
'It's inconceivable that the White House could expect that they can brief only Republicans on anything related to the Russia investigation. That can't happen,' Schiff told CNN.
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