WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday made the following statement after the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released its interim report on Joe Biden and Burisma:

“This ‘report’ is a campaign document based on a conspiracy theory promoted by Russian intelligence assets,” said Murphy. “It is a completely inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars and undermines U.S. national security. We are elected to the United States Senate to protect American democracy – not help foreign countries like Russia destroy it. There was nothing new revealed, no evidence of wrongdoing by Vice President Biden, and nothing that serves a legitimate public interest. Republican Senators have distanced themselves from this ‘investigation’ for a reason and this release further underscores the need to make public the intelligence on Russia’s ongoing election interference.”

Earlier this year, Murphy asked the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, and the U.S. National Archives, whether they are currently complying with Republican subpoena requests for documents related to Hunter Biden and Burisma after having previously stonewalled Congress on other requests related to the impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Murphy expressed serious concerns about the perceived politicization of federal agencies under the Trump administration, and stressed the importance of Congress’s oversight duties given the president’s decision to fire multiple inspectors general. Murphy also pressed State Department officials last year on whether it was their official policy to investigate Burisma using U.S. taxpayer dollars.

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