WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“As of late, right-wing media has claimed that the U.S. military strike on Syria—which increased tensions with Moscow—proves that the Trump Administration does not have close ties to Putin, and that Russia did not interfere in our election.

“Regardless of what the Administration claims about its relationship with Russia, the only way to understand the true scope and ties between the Trump White House and the Kremlin is an independent, 9/11-style commission.  If the President and his Administration have nothing to hide, then they should drop their opposition to such an inquiry, release his tax returns, and stop trying to use the recent military action as a defense.”

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