Press Release Chairman Schiff Statement on House Intelligence Committee Investigation Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement following the Committee’s organizational meeting: “Consistent with its jurisdiction, investigative responsibilities, and building on substantial work undertaken during the last Congress, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“Committee”) will conduct a rigorous investigation into efforts by Russia and other foreign entities to influence the U.S. political process during and since the 2016 U.S. election. In addition, the Committee will investigate the counterintelligence threat arising from any links or coordination between U.S. persons and the Russian government and/or other foreign entities, including any financial or other leverage such foreign actors may possess. “In the more than two years since the Intelligence Community released its assessment of Russia’s malign influence operation targeting the 2016 U.S. elections, much has been learned about the scope and scale of Russia’s attack on our democracy, including how covert and overt Russian activities intersected with individuals associated with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, transition, administration, and business interests, including the Trump Organization. It is now known that, from late 2015 through early 2017, individuals close to Donald Trump engaged in a significant number of contacts with an array of individuals connected to, or working on behalf of, the Russian government, and that several of these contacts involved efforts to acquire and disseminate damaging information about Hillary Clinton and her campaign, or related to Russia’s desired relief from U.S. sanctions. “While Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation into whether there were “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the [Trump] campaign,” and whether any crimes were committed in connection with, or arising from, that investigation, the Committee must fulfill its responsibility to provide the American people with a comprehensive accounting of what happened, and what the United States must do to protect itself from future interference and malign influence operations. “During the prior Congress, the Committee began to pursue credible reports of money laundering and financial compromise related to the business interests of President Trump, his family, and his associates. The President’s actions and posture towards Russia during the campaign, transition, and administration have only heightened fears of foreign financial or other leverage over President Trump and underscore the need to determine whether he or those in his Administration have acted in service of foreign interests since taking office. “Unfortunately, these and numerous other avenues of inquiry were not completed during the last Congress. Now, in the 116th Congress, the Committee’s investigation will focus principally on five interconnected lines of inquiry, beginning with these incomplete or unexamined investigative threads: (1) The scope and scale of the Russian government’s operations to influence the U.S. political process, and the U.S. government’s response, during and since the 2016 election; (2) The extent of any links and/or coordination between the Russian government, or related foreign actors, and individuals associated with Donald Trump’s campaign, transition, administration, or business interests, in furtherance of the Russian government’s interests; (3) Whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates; (4) Whether President Trump, his family, or his associates are or were at any time at heightened risk of, or vulnerable to, foreign exploitation, inducement, manipulation, pressure, or coercion, or have sought to influence U.S. government policy in service of foreign interests; and (5) Whether any actors – foreign or domestic – sought or are seeking to impede, obstruct, and/or mislead authorized investigations into these matters, including those in the Congress. “The Committee may pursue additional lines of inquiry regarding matters that arise from the investigation, and it intends to cooperate with other congressional committees, as needed, on matters of overlapping interest. The Committee also plans to develop legislation and policy reforms to ensure the U.S. government is better positioned to counter future efforts to undermine our political process and national security. “As its first act, the Committee has voted to release to the Department of Justice and its components, including the Special Counsel’s Office, transcripts of testimony taken before the Committee during the 115th Congress, with no restrictions on their use. “The Committee also plans to release to the public all investigation transcripts, as it is committed to providing the American public with greater transparency and insight into Russia’s operations and the U.S. government’s response. To protect ongoing investigative interests and information that remains classified, the Committee will release transcripts in a manner and according to a timetable that allows continued pursuit of important leads and testimony, while ensuring that the American people have faith in the process and can assess for themselves the evidence that has been uncovered, while legitimate national security interests continue to be protected. “As Chairman of the Committee, I am committed to leading a thorough and impartial investigation that will follow the facts, and I hope that our Minority counterparts will join us in that effort. Congress has a duty to expose foreign interference, hold Russia to account, ensure that U.S. officials – including the President – are serving the national interest and, if not, are held accountable.” https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=447
Yeah! Then hold a short press meeting, stating the reason is, not needed now with Schiff on the trail Then just don't talk to the dummy for about 10 months. Then give in, tell him to GFY. See if he can figure out what to do next.
Yeah, it's not like his investigation has uncovered anything, unless you consider 90 indictments as something and that's before Mueller has even released anything.
I sort of think @SlyPokerDog is lending a bit too much importance to Schiffty. Instead of being a gastroenterologist, he more likely will just turn out to be gas snuffer.
Press Release Intel Committee Republicans Call for Immediate Release of Witness Transcripts Republicans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence issued the following statement today on sending the transcripts of interviews from the committee’s Russia investigation to the Special Counsel’s office. Republicans are happy the Democrats are joining us in reiterating what the Republican-led committee already voted to do in September 2018—make all the transcripts available to the executive branch, including the Special Counsel’s office, as part of the process of publishing them for the American people to see. In light of the unacceptable delay in the Director of National Intelligence’s declassification review, we hope the Democrats will now join us in further increasing transparency by voting to immediately publish all the unclassified transcripts that we previously sent to the executive branch. Additionally, we call on our Democratic colleagues to grant our request to subpoena numerous witnesses whose testimony the Democrats had previously sought in connection with the committee’s Russia investigation. https://republicans-intelligence.ho...bwEXeekxy0D7yBq22RuMfUHKS33cK0LZrQRr-Ku6g9mJk
I'm torn on this. The first part is: I think there are things about America's dealings in foreign countries that are not for public consumption. The second: I want to see every single unclassified thing come to light. If it could cause damage to the US, it should be classified. That's literally the definition of classification... ...but if not? Burn it down and scatter the cockroaches. However, I also don't love the precedents we've been setting with politics. Biden's SC policies were cool until Paulsen doesn't get in. Harry Reid's nuclear option was cool until McConnell used it. Obama's "legislate through EOs" was uncool for me not b/c it was Obama, but b/c it opens it up for Trump or someone I really don't like to do similarly. Shutting down the government as a bargaining chip wasn't cool leading to sequester, and isn't cool now. Using a flimsy accusation to tear someone's life down to the studs hoping to find something is cool, until it's used against you. Not directed against anyone here, but if there's almost anyone in DC/politics in general that you're looking at as a hero for working-class normal Joe and Jane, you're probably going to be disappointed. I, for one, would think Schiff would be one of the ones who's careful about what he tries to dig up and how he does it. Then again, I didn't think Spartacus would go hard after Kavanaugh when he had penned an auto-biographical article about committing sexual assault, sooo...
Whitaker says he won’t testify unless Democrats drop their subpoena threat https://www.washingtonpost.com/powe...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.17fe6339ca48
Is this not the same BS we have been subjected to in the last Congress. I guess we are going to be encountered with this shit storm under a completely democrat house until 2020.
