The House Intelligence Committee will hold its first public hearing on the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, committee chairman Devin Nunes announced Tuesday.

The Republican congressman from California told reporters that the hearing will be held on March 20, adding that it is his intention to hold more public hearings on the matter, given the interest it has aroused and with the aim of being transparent.

Called before the hearings as witnesses are FBI Director James Comey, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper. Nunes has said he hopes, among other things, that these witnesses will explain the events leading to National Security Advisor Flynn’s recent resignation when his Russian contacts were leaked by the media.

The U.S. intelligence community concluded that the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin took measures to influence the November 8 presidential election to favor current President Donald Trump and harm the election chances of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, Trump has denied any connections with the Kremlin and has called the accusations about his contacts with the Russians a “witch hunt.”

Tensions regarding the matter have been rising in recent days after last week’s revelations by The Washington Post that Attorney General Jeff Sessions held meetings with the Russian ambassador to Washington that he later hid from the Senate during his confirmation hearings.

When those meetings became known, Sessions recused himself from the investigation into the Russian links with the Trump campaign, but he reiterated that his meetings with the diplomat were in keeping with his duties as senator, the position he held at the time, and not in connection with his advisory role to the mogul’s campaign.

In January, former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, the closure of two Russian diplomatic compounds, and new sanctions against six Russian individuals and five entities over Moscow’s alleged interference in the 2016 election. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Obama’s punitive measures were provocations aimed at further undermining U.S.-Russian relations and later said he would not expel U.S. diplomats from Russia. President-elect Donald Trump  praised Putin’s call as a “great move” in a Twitter message.

Meanwhile, Democrats are calling for Sessions’ resignation and continue to insist on the need to open a special and independent investigation into the issue of Russian election interference. — EFE