Nunes mocks furor over 'secret tape' comments as 'left-wing media spin'

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Devin Nunes updates investigation into FISA abuse scandal

Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee tells Sean Hannity that his investigators are getting 'closer and closer' to having all the information they need from the Department of Justice.

A spokesman for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes fired back Thursday at reports playing up a "secret tape" revealing his warning to donors that a GOP majority in Congress may be necessary to protect President Trump.

The comments, which aired on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Wednesday, were from a fundraiser for a GOP colleague.

On the tape, Nunes, R-Calif., suggests congressional Republicans must prevail in the midterms to protect Trump from the consequences of the Russia meddling probe.

“If Sessions won’t unrecuse and Mueller won’t clear the president, we’re the only ones, which is really the danger,” Nunes was recorded as saying.

He added: “We have to keep the majority. If we do not keep the majority, all of this goes away.”

Nunes spokesman Jack Langer, in a statement Thursday to Fox News, suggested the response to those remarks has been overblown.

“It’s unsurprising to see the left-wing media spin Chairman Nunes’ routine observations as some nefarious plot, since these same media outlets spent the last year and a half touting a non-existent Russia collusion conspiracy,” Langer said.

House Democrats indeed seized on the "secret tape."

“Under our Constitution, the duty of Congress is not to clear the President. The duty of Congress is to be a check and balance on the Executive Branch, and to pursue the facts wherever they may lead,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., tweeted. “Devin Nunes should resign for perverting the oath he took.”