Remember, Nancy Pelosi has made Adam Schiff the point person for this impeachment inquisition. How will this work when people see that this is beyond partisan?
Adam Schiff Hid CIA Whistleblower Concerns from Republicans on Intelligence Committee
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) did not notify Republicans on the committee of an intelligence official who came to one of his aides with concerns about President Trump before filing an official whistleblower complaint, according to the top Republican on the committee.
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) said in a statement:
We learn from the press today that Chm Schiff had prior knowledge and involvement in the [whistleblower] complaint. He withheld this info from the American people and even from the Intel Cmte. In light of this news, it’s hard to view impeachment as anything aside from an orchestrated farce. (snip)
Fred Fleitz, former CIA analyst and chief of staff to the National Security Council, said Schiff broke committee rules in hiding that information from Republicans.
“Under @HouseIntelComm rules, any classified info brought to the committee from outside sources MUST BE SHARED WITH BOTH SIDES. Schiff broke committee rules by not telling committee GOP members about this,†tweeted Fleitz, who once worked as a staffer on the House Intelligence Committee.
Of course he broke the rules, and of course this is a farce. The call was utterly normal. You can bet Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, and so on have all had similar calls. You can bet Schiff and Pelosi have made similar calls. But, this is the derangement that goes back to before Trump was even elected.
The New York Times on Wednesday reported that the so-called whistleblower, a CIA official, went with concerns about Trump to one of Schiff’s aides before he went to the inspector general to file a whistleblower complaint.
Indeed, the Times report revealed that Schiff’s aide had informed Schiff about the official’s concerns, and advised the whistleblower to get legal help and file an official whistleblower complaint with the intelligence community inspector general.
Schiff had claimed previously that the committee did not speak to the whistleblower before the complaint was filed. His spokesperson later said he meant that he personally did not speak to the whistleblower.
It’s starting to sound like a conspiracy, the same one we’ve heard in various forms since Trump was elected and Dems yammered about impeaching him.
GOP demands ‘equal playing field’ ahead of former Ukraine envoy Volker’s scheduled testimony
House Republicans are demanding an “equal playing field†in the Democrat-led impeachment probe against President Trump after Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said ahead of Thursday’s scheduled testimony from former U.S. envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker that GOP members of the Foreign Affairs Committee will not be permitted to ask questions or have equal representation during the hearing.
Volker is scheduled to be the first key witness to testify as part of a probe into an anonymous whistleblower’s complaint about a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s family’s dealings in the country. The interview will be behind closed doors.
What are Democrats attempting to hide? They should remember that, much like setting a precedent of “impeachment inquiry” for tiny things because they don’t like the president, Republicans can now lock out Democrats during committee hearings.
In the letter addressed to Chairman Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., McCaul further argued that despite statements made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Democrats, “there is not a “House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry†because the entire House has not voted on the matter.
Citing House Rules X and XI, McCaul said that until Congress members from both parties vote to create a special impeachment task force to carry out proceedings, “Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff lacks the jurisdiction to investigate the Department of State’s conduct of United States foreign policy toward Ukraine. That prerogative belongs to our Members.â€
Dems want to have their little investigation, but they aren’t will to actually go full bore. This is as legitimate as John Conyers’ basement hearings during the Bush years on the Downing Street Memo. Which failed as bigly as this phone call thing will.
