GOP ready to launch probe of Russia, despite collision course with Trump

Leading Senate Republicans are preparing to launch a coordinated and wide-ranging probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the U.S. elections and its potential cyberthreats to the military, digging deep into what they view as corrosive interference in the nation's institutions.

Such an aggressive approach puts them on a direct collision course with President-elect Donald Trump, who plays down the possibility that Russia had any role in the November elections – arguing that a hack of Democratic National Committee emails may have been perpetrated by "some guy in his home in New Jersey." The fracture could become more prominent after Trump is inaugurated and begins setting foreign policy. He already has indicated the country should "get along" with Russia since the two nations have many common strategic goals.

But some of Trump's would-be Republican allies on Capitol Hill disagree. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, is readying a probe of possible Russian cyber-incursions into U.S. weapons systems. McCain said he has been discussing the issue with Select Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., with whom he will be "working closely" to investigate Russia's suspected interference in the U.S. elections and its alleged cyberthreats to the military and other institutions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been apprised of the discussions. Burr did not respond to requests for comment.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., also said he intends to hold hearings next year into alleged Russian hacking. Corker is on Trump's short list for secretary of state, according to the Trump transition team.

Trump transition officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

[Trump's newest secretary of state option has close ties to Vladimir Putin]

The loudest GOP calls for a Russia probe are coming from McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (South Carolina). Both have taken a hard line on Russia and have been highly critical of Trump, particularly his praise of President Vladimir Putin.

"They'll keep doing more here until they pay a price," Graham said of Russia. He plans to spearhead legislation and hold a series of investigative hearings next year into "Russia's misadventures throughout the world," including suspected Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

"I'm going after Russia in every way you can go after Russia. I think they're one of the most destabilizing influences on the world stage. I think they did interfere with our elections and I want Putin personally to pay the price," Graham said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday.

McCain said his Armed Services Committee will launch a probe in the 115th Congress into Russia's cyber-capabilities against the U.S. military and weapons systems, "because the real threat is cyber," he said.

But McCain said he expects the investigation will also dovetail with the topic of Russia's suspected hacking of the DNC and state-based election systems – which include a hack that took place in McCain's home state of Arizona.

"See, the problem with hacking is that if they're able to disrupt elections, then it's a national security issue, obviously," McCain said Thursday.

He added that the Armed Services Committee was "still formulating" exactly how to address the issue. But despite Trump's dismissal, McCain said that "there's very little doubt" Russia interfered in the U.S. elections, which he called "very worthy of examination."

In October, the U.S. government officially accused Russia of hacking the DNC's emails during the presidential campaign. The emails were posted on websites such as WikiLeaks and caused embarrassment for the party, including forcing the resignation of the DNC chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida).

U.S. military officials also are concerned about Russia's capacity to steal military secrets and to corrupt operations: Officials suspect Russian hackers are behind a major email breach at the Pentagon last year. The military could be a target for backlash, after an NBC News report widely circulated by Russian media stated that U.S. military hackers were ready to launch cyberattacks against Russia in the event of an obvious election hack.

Trump continued to play down Russian involvement in the elections in an interview released this week for Time magazine's "Person of the Year" feature. In the interview, the president-elect disputed President Barack Obama's administration's accusation that Russia interfered in the election.

"I don't believe they interfered," Trump said of Russia. "It could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey. I believe that it could have been Russia and it could have been any one of many other people. Sources or even individuals."

Some Republicans delicately demurred while still defending Trump's ability to negotiate with Putin.

"The Democratic National Committee . . . the intelligence community is of pretty much one mind that Russia was involved in that, was behind that," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said in an MSNBC interview. King is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and chairman of the Homeland Security subcommittee on intelligence and counter-terrorism.

King added that he was "confident" Trump "will not be taken in by Putin."

Democrats have also taken issue with Trump's desire to pursue more friendly relations with Moscow, as well as with his affinity for Putin.

"The primary area of discomfort for the Republicans here and the Trump administration, in foreign policy and national security, is over Russia," said Rep. Adam Schiff (California), the Intelligence Committee's ranking Democrat, who accused Trump of becoming "a propaganda piece for the Kremlin" on MSNBC this week. "They may be giving him breathing space right now, but I don't expect that to last."

Since the election, Republican lawmakers voted to reestablish a U.S. hard line against Russia's global ventures, with a House-passed measure to sanction anyone who supports the Syrian government in its ongoing civil war – a category that primarily includes Russia and Iran. There is also language in the annual defense policy bill to provide millions of dollars in lethal aid to Ukraine, where the government in Kiev is engaged in open hostilities against Russian-backed separatists.

But many Democrats are impatient with Republicans for not taking faster and more concrete steps against Russia after the Obama administration officially accused Moscow of meddling in the elections.

Corker expressed early interest in holding hearings on Russia. But months later, those hearings have not been held.

"We're getting no pressure from anyone – we just feel like it's something we should do," Corker said in an interview Wednesday, when asked if the president-elect had pressured him not to raise the topic. "As a matter of fact we attempted to set a classified briefing up this week."

A spokeswoman for Corker said the hearing was postponed because State Department officials were unavailable because of previous travel commitments. She added that Corker and Sen. Benjamin Cardin (Maryland), the Foreign Relations Committee's ranking Democrat, received a classified briefing on cyberthreats before the election.

Obama administration officials maintain that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other officials were ready to brief senators about Russia's suspected role in the DNC hack on Thursday. Administration officials said that at the last minute, the committee dramatically broadened the scope of the hearing, forcing them to cancel.

Corker pledged on Wednesday that hearings investigating Russia's role in the elections would be forthcoming next year.

"We're definitely going to look at it," Corker said.

An aggressive probe of Russia's activities may not extend to the House, where leading Republicans say they already have been investigating Russia and will continue their efforts regardless of Trump's stance.

Russia has "always been a priority for me, and it will remain a priority for me," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the Intelligence Committee chairman.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, stressed that his committee has been looking at suspected Russian cyberthreats to the military for the past two years.

"We're going to have to all pay more attention to cyber and to Russian activities to influence things through cyber," Thornberry said.