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Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee want the Justice Department to appoint a second special counsel to investigate actions taken by Hillary Clinton, James Comey and Loretta Lynch during the 2016 presidential election.

Twenty Republicans, led by Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, who is Judiciary Committee chairman, wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein requesting the appointment of a new special counsel.

"Democrats and the mainstream media called for a special counsel to be appointed to investigate any Russian influence on President Trump's campaign," the Republican lawmakers wrote. "Their pleas were answered, but there are many questions that may be outside the scope of Special Counsel Mueller's investigation."

Republicans say the mandate of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russia's election interference, is too narrow, and that the Justice Department should focus on other issues related to the Obama administration by appointing another special counsel, in addition to Mueller.

Mueller is also investigating whether the Trump campaign worked with the Kremlin.

"The unbalanced, uncertain, and seemingly unlimited focus of the special counsel's investigation has led many of our constituents to see a dual standard of justice that benefits only the powerful and politically well-connected," the Republican lawmakers wrote.

The letter comes after the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved an amendment demanding from the Justice Department information related to Comey's handling of the Clinton email case. Comey is the former FBI director fired by President Trump in May.

The amendment demands information on "leaks" by Comey on "the propriety and consequence of immunity deals given to possible Hillary Clinton co-conspirators" and Comey's decision to "usurp the authority of then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch in his unusual announcement that criminal charges would not be brought against" Clinton.

The amendment, passed on a party-line vote, replaced a resolution from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that requests the Justice Department provide documents related to Comey's firing.

In addition to Clinton and Comey, the amendment targets Susan Rice, former President Barack Obama's national security adviser.

Some Republicans argue she inappropriately sought the identities of people close to Trump -- in a process known as "unmasking" -- whose communications were captured after the election in surveillance of foreigners by U.S. spy agencies.

The Judiciary Committee Republicans want a special counsel to probe whether Comey had advance knowledge of Rice's unmasking request.

Other information sought includes communication between Comey and Mueller before the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last month in which the former FBI director described his interactions with Trump, and evidence of "any or all" leaks by Comey to New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt dating back to 1993.

Schmidt broke the story detailing memos that Comey wrote about his conversations with Trump.

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Group of Republicans want separate special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton and James Comey - Washington Examiner