North Carolina Democratic Congressman David Price said that Monday’s arrest of two associates of President Donald Trump reiterates the need for an “independent, uninterrupted investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election.”

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election revealed its first targets Monday, with a former campaign adviser to Trump admitting he lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. Separately, Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and a former Manafort business associate were indicted on felony charges of conspiracy against the United States and other counts.

Both individuals entered not guilty pleas to all charges on Monday afternoon.

Price said the investigations into the “alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian entities” should continue.

“The Special Counsel investigation, as well as separate Congressional investigations already underway, should continue unimpeded by the Trump administration or the President’s allies in Congress,” Price said in a release. “The American people deserve all of the facts about what may have happened, and Congress should take immediate steps to prevent future attacks on our democratic institutions.”

The guilty plea by former adviser George Papadopoulos marked the first criminal count that cites interactions between Trump campaign associates and Russian intermediaries during the campaign. The developments ushered Mueller’s sprawling investigation into a new phase with felony charges and possible prison sentences for key members of the Trump team.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report

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