There is 'significant evidence' of Trump campaign's collusion with Russia, top Democrat says

The ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence committee slams a report by the panel's Republicans

Adam Schiff has led calls for further investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election (AP)

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee has said he still believes there is “significant evidence” of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, sharply disagreeing with the panel’s Republicans who say there is no such proof.

The contradicting statements further reflect the partisanship in the House’s investigation into whether Donald Trump’s campaign advisers colluded with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election - a probe that was supposed to be bipartisan.

Republicans on the committee announced earlier this week that they’d completed a draft report and saw no evidence of collusion. But Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said the report “misleadingly characterizes events, and paints a portrait and tells a story that could not have been better written if it was written in the White House itself,” the Associated Press reported.

Mr Schiff said he couldn’t say if there was any criminal wrongdoing by members of the Trump campaign. But he said the committee’s Democrats would try to continue the inquiry where possible and would write their own report to lay out conclusions from the panel’s yearlong investigation into Russian meddling.

Mr Trump has enthusiastically praised the draft Republican report, telling reporters that the White House is “very, very happy” with the conclusions.

“It was a powerful decision that left no doubt and I want to thank the House intelligence committee,” Mr Trump said.

Democrats have suggested for months that they believed Republicans weren’t conducting a serious investigation.

“While the Majority members of our committee have indicated for some time that they have been under great pressure to end the investigation, it is nonetheless another tragic milestone for this Congress, and represents yet another capitulation to the executive branch,” Mr Schiff said in a statement.

Mr Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion. Multiple congressional committees as well as Special Counsel Robert Mueller, are looking into the Trump campaign and Russia’s interference in the election.

Even though House Republicans have begun to shut down their Russia probe, Mr Mueller appears to be ramping up his.

Last week, former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg spent six hours before a grand jury called by Mr Mueller, and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort again pleaded “not guilty” to criminal charges.