Dem Rep. Adam Schiff’s involvement with the so-called whistleblower at the center of the Ukraine controversy becomes more suspect by the day.
Criticism of Schiff, who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, ramped up on Thursday after a closed-door testimony of US special envoy for Ukraine Kurt Volker.
Schiff, who is already suspected of setting up the “whistleblower” in an effort to nail Trump with impeachment, ran the hearing and was promptly slammed by Republican Rep Jim Jordan hours after it began.
Jordan accused Schiff of wanting to limit certain members from questioning on Volker, he also said the House Intel chair didn’t allow State Department counsel to participate.
“We have never, ever had an occasion where agency counsel was not allowed to participate…. And we’ve never seen a chairman suggest that members aren’t allowed to ask questions.”
“So, if this is how Mr. Schiff is going to conduct these types of interviews in the future,” Jordan said, “that’s a concern, as well.”
Hearing from two sources with knowledge of the Volker deposition that Schiff at one point took over questioning from his counsel. One source described that as "unusual" given that staff was supposed to lead, and indicates Dems are "nervous" about how it's going.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) October 3, 2019
Unsurprisingly, Democrats and Republicans came away from the closed-door hearing with different takes, but new text messages obtained by Fox News between Volker, William Taylor, temporary ambassador to Ukraine, and Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union suggested “no quid pro quo’s of any kind.”
Jordan spoke to reporters after leaving the hearing and complimented Volker for being an exemplary witness. He said that his testimony did not in any way implicate Trump in a quid pro quo before slamming Schiff.
Republicans argue that if a quid pro quo was delivered to Ukraine, it was from former Vice President Joe Biden.
GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin believed Volker’s testimony all but exonerated Trump.
“The allegations of a quid pro quo, basically today just blew a massive hole throughout the entirety of that argument,” Zeldin said.
“The administration is in an even stronger place today than they were this morning as a product of Ambassador Volker coming to testify.”
Both congressmen took to Twitter to deliver their conclusions:
The facts we learned today from Ambassador Volker undercut the salacious narrative that @RepAdamSchiff is using to sell his impeachment ambitions.
We hope the American people get to read the transcript of today’s testimony and see the truth.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 4, 2019
“Solid witness!” Zeldin wrote as he called Volker “candid, genuine, informed.”
Participated in Amb Volker’s “impeachment inquiry” interview today. He was candid, genuine, informed & blew huge holes through the middle of false claims @POTUS asked Ukraine to “manufacture dirt” on Bidens, that there was quid pro quo, etc. Solid witness! pic.twitter.com/hnfB2ugcxf
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 3, 2019
Republicans slammed House Dems for their tight grip on the process, saying Volker’s texts need to be released full-out, not “drip by drip.”
Instead of House Dems releasing Ambassador Volker's texts drip by drip, just release all of his texts in Congress' possession right now as well as today's transcribed interview. Just give the media & public EVERYTHING so Americans can form their own independent conclusions.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 4, 2019
Schiff lied to the American people last week during an opening statement regarding President Trump’s phone call to Ukraine President Zelensky to make it appear as though Trump delivered a quid pro quo. Why wouldn’t Schiff pull the same kind of dirty tricks with the texts?
https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1179983266738298880
Despite mounting evidence against Democrats’ impeachment inquiry and their unethical behavior to get it done, Dem Rep. Eric Swalwell came away from the testimony selling the following take:
“We saw further evidence that there was a shadow shakedown going on,” Swalwell said.
Regardless of Democrat-spin, Republicans appeared much more energized and vocal after the testimony. Jordan even received a shout-out from the man at the center of it all, President Trump.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1179931284900122625
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