FEBRUARY 17, 2019
“You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion,” said Rep. Adam Schiff. – J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo
Rep. Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, said Sunday that there is ample evidence Donald Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russians.
In an interview on CNN, Schiff rejected Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr’s statements from earlier this month that evidence to date shows no collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia.
“Chairman Burr must have a different word for it,” Schiff told Dana Bash on “State of the Union” and pointed to communications involving Russia and Trump aides Donald Trump Jr., George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn.
“You can see evidence in plain sight on the issue of collusion, pretty compelling evidence,” Schiff said, but added that “there is a difference between seeing evidence of collusion and being able to prove a criminal conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Schiff also said special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on potential Russian government influence in the 2016 election might not be the final word on the matter.
“We may also need to see the evidence behind that report,” he said.
And Schiff said that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should be held accountable if he indeed lied to investigators — something he also said should be true of any former Trump staffers who did so.
Last year, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog found that McCabe inappropriately authorized the disclosure of sensitive information about the Clinton investigation to a reporter and repeatedly lied about it to investigators. The Justice Department on Thursday referenced McCabe’s dismissal from the bureau for his dishonesty with federal authorities in its statement disputing his claims.
“He should be held to the same standard anyone else that the Justice Department has looked at in this investigation or any other,” Schiff said.
Courtesy/Source: Politico
