Washington -Republican representative mike turner Ohioans were removed from the top post on the powerful House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, telling CBS News that House Speaker Mike Johnson fired him citing “Mar-a-Lago concerns.” Turner also confirmed Friday night that he had been removed from the committee entirely.
Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, denied that the decision came from President-elect Donald Trump.
“This is the decision of the House,” he said, “It is not a trivial matter for our outgoing Speaker.”
Johnson said he was a “fan of Mike Turner” and that he had “done a great job” leading the committee overseeing the intelligence community, but he said the panel “needs a fresh start.”
“That's what it's about, nothing else,” he said.
Johnson said he would announce Turner's replacement on Thursday.
The committee's top Democrat, Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, said the decision “sends a shiver down my spine.” He praised Turner's leadership, saying he had confidence in her abilities to conduct independent oversight of the intelligence agencies.
“He was not quick to bend the knee,” he said, calling Turner's removal “a major blow to our ability to conduct oversight.”
Turner did not mention his removal in a statement released by his office.
He said, “I am very proud to serve on the House Intelligence Committee and as its Chairman. There are great members on the Committee and I am honored to serve with them.” “Under my leadership, we restored the integrity of the committee and returned its mission to its original focus on national security. The threat from our adversaries is real and requires serious consideration.”
Turner previously received criticism from members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus over his defense of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. section 702 is an important but controversial national security monitoring equipment It has been in effect since 2008, which was extended by Congress and signed into law by President Biden last April for another two years.
Turner had also been supportive of U.S. support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, which put him at odds with the emerging MAGA wing of his party.
Last year, Johnson nominated two Trump loyalists to the committee, Representative Scott Perry of California and Representative Ronny Jackson of Texas. At that time, Perry was under FBI investigation.
