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So in this situation, this was all handled above board. The Committee is staffed with former military and other counterintelligence officials, and leadership at the top for Republicans and Democrats on the Committee were aware. They followed every requirement by reporting this immediately. Congress has much more leeway when it comes to counterintelligence things than your regular run-of-the-mill agency, because we have them built into our apparatus.
This is why all of the Committees have at least one former or current counter-intelligence person on staff. I can see how it might look weird, but it was reported right away in the correct procedure.
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Interesting that the committee would put those involved at risk of being charged themselves for continuing to engage versus reporting right away. As OP knows, federal criminal law doesn't care about intent; all that matters is the law broken and the act occurred. Even while engaged to find out more and help an investigation, committee staff could still be exposed to criminal charges for participating versus reporting right away. I'd have serious reservations if I was a staffer and my boss directed to keep talking and engaging without legal cover. And the statute of limitations on this sort of things goes well past the time limit of the current Administration.