Bannon, Lewandowski asked to testify by House Intel panel: report

Former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and President Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski have received requests to testify before the House Intelligence Committee regarding the Russia probe early next year, according to Bloomberg News.

The request to appear before the panel is reportedly for early January. The panel did not issue subpoenas.

The letters were reportedly sent earlier this week, and the committee has not yet received responses from either of the men.

The committee is also set to interview Trump’s longtime assistant Rhona Graff at an undisclosed location in New York on Friday. 

{mosads}The letter does not reveal specific reasons why the committee would like interview Lewandowski and Bannon. However, it is clear the request is part of the committee’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, including any links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

Bannon and Lewandowski played major roles in the Trump campaign. 

Lewandowski served as Trump’s campaign manager until after the New Hampshire primary, while Bannon joined the campaign as its chief executive after the Republican National Convention. 

Bannon was also working as the president’s chief strategist when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in May. Comey was leading the Russia probe at the time, and the circumstances surrounding his exit are part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s separate investigation into Russian election meddling.

Bannon departed his White House post in August and is currently the chairman of Breitbart News. 

The report comes amid tensions between House Republicans and Democrats over the direction of the House panel’s investigation, with Democrats saying they believe the GOP wants to conclude it soon. 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) pressed for the probe to continue.

“The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation into Russia’s attack. Political haste must not cut short valid investigatory threads. Key questions about foreign interference in our elections remain, and must be thoroughly investigated,” Pelosi wrote. 

A spokeswoman for Ryan responded to the letter in a statement, saying the probe would be wrapped once the committee had reached a conclusion.