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Intelligence committee, accusing the gop of trying to discredit special counsel robert mueller's russian investigation into the trump campaign. take a listen to this. >> this is an effort to tear at the very idea that there is an objective truth. and i think this president in astonishing speed has remade the republican party in his own deeply flawed image. and that will be ruinous to the republican party. the discrediting of our institutions, the justice system, the judiciary, the press, is enormously destructive. >> the let's bring in michael conway who served as counsel to the house judiciar...

Evidence to file charges in that investigation. meanwhile, trump commerce secretary wilbur ross faces scrutiny after leaked documents reviewed in part by nbc news show he failed to disclose shared business interests with people linked to vladimir putin. ross denies he concealed any russian ties. >> there's nothing wrong with it at all. i think it's just an example of the press trying to find anything they can, however remote or silly, to attack the president and somehow link him to russia. this is nonsense. >> joining me now is nbc's carol lee, part of the team that broke that nbc exclusive on...

Interest as tied to their well being. >> is that a problem? >> i want to know whether he has touched u.s. sanctions policy toward russia. >> the thing about the story, it isn't about partisan politics. it's about ethical standards of our government officials. we spoke to president bush's chief ethics lawyer, he saw the document and was more scathing than anyone else we spoke to. >> secret ross cannot participate in any discussion, decision making or recommendation about sanctions. that would be a criminal offense for him to participate in any such matter. >> you're saying it's not only unethic...

About this administration is the volume of the scandals, not only at the very top having to do with russia collusion, but also affecting cabinet members. we've had one major resignation with tom price. and i think in trump's case, it really is a matter of somebody coming from the business world where the ethical standards are more fast and loose and you don't pay a price, or you can settle a lawsuit. and the government is very different. and i think mr. trump is coming up against now armies of lawyers that he never would have had to confront in the private sector. >> going off of sort of the a...

The 25th amendment says that whenever the vice president and a majority of the cabinet submit their written declaration that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the vice president shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office of acting president. joining us now richard painter, former chief ethics lawyer for former president george w. bush. in your oped today you insist that the time has come, that it is the obligation of the vice president and the cabinet to act on the 25th amendment. >> it is. i believe it is time to act. and the 25th amen...