CSNbbs

Quote:The Senate Intelligence Committee is preparing to question top Obama administration intelligence officials behind closed doors on Wednesday on their explosive assessment that officially accused Russia of meddling in the 2016 presidential election to boost then-candidate Donald Trump.

The committee, led by Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., invited former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, former National Security Agenda Director Michael Rogers (who retired earlier this year) and former FBI Director James Comey.

Comey, though, plans to skip the closed-door session Wednesday due to a “previously scheduled engagement,” his attorney said.

Comey, who was fired last May, has been on a media blitz in recent weeks promoting his memoir, “A Higher Loyalty,” in which he is highly critical of now-President Trump.

Burr and Warner, who are leading the panel in investigating Russian meddling and coordination with Trump campaign associates in the 2016 presidential election, hope to wrap up their probe by the end of summer.

“This gives staff the month of August in all likelihood to wrap up our investigation and for staff to work intensely while we’re out of here and not getting in their hair,” Burr told reporters last week, referring to Senate members being on summer recess