House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, learned about the allegations that a CIA officer was wanting to make against President Donald Trump days before the officer filed an official whistleblower complaint.
“The early account by the future whistle-blower … explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it,” The New York Times reported. “Before going to Congress, the C.I.A. officer had a colleague convey his accusations to the agency’s top lawyer. Concerned about how that avenue for airing his allegations was unfolding, the officer then approached a House Intelligence Committee aide, alerting him to the accusation against Mr. Trump. ”
The Times notes that the House staff member, who advised the CIA officer to get a lawyer and to file an official whistleblower complaint, informed Schiff of what the whistleblower was alleging against the president.
“The whistle-blower’s decision to offer what amounted to an early warning to the intelligence committee’s Democrats is also sure to thrust Mr. Schiff even more forcefully into the center of the controversy,” the Times added. “By the time the whistle-blower filed his complaint, Mr. Schiff and his staff knew at least vaguely what it contained.”
“We don’t call him shifty Schiff for nothing,” Trump said on Wednesday. “He’s a shifty, dishonest guy.”
Trump slammed Schiff for fabricating quotes from the phone call with Ukraine during a committee hearing last week, which earned Schiff widespread criticism.
“Congressman Adam Schiff should resign for the Crime of, after reading a transcript of my conversation with the President of Ukraine (it was perfect), fraudulently fabricating a statement of the President of the United States and reading it to Congress, as though mine!” Trump tweeted. “He is sick!”
Congressman Adam Schiff should resign for the Crime of, after reading a transcript of my conversation with the President of Ukraine (it was perfect), fraudulently fabricating a statement of the President of the United States and reading it to Congress, as though mine! He is sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2019
“Adam Schiff should only be so lucky to have the brains, honor and strength of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” Trump added. “For a lowlife like Schiff, who completely fabricated my words and read them to Congress as though they were said by me, to demean a First in Class at West Point, is SAD!”
Adam Schiff should only be so lucky to have the brains, honor and strength of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. For a lowlife like Schiff, who completely fabricated my words and read them to Congress as though they were said by me, to demean a First in Class at West Point, is SAD!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2019
Schiff appeared on numerous Sunday morning news programs, where he repeatedly lied about the contents of the transcript of Trump’s phone call with Ukraine, saying that Trump tried “to try to coerce that leader to manufacture dirt on his opponent and interfere in our election” which happened “at a time when the president is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Trump tried “to try to coerce that leader to manufacture dirt on his opponent and interfere in our election” which happened “at a time when the president is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine”
Those are all lies
THREAD pic.twitter.com/sqmOg5iPJI
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 29, 2019
The president of Ukraine and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko have both stated that Trump did not pressure anyone on the phone call. Nowhere in the transcript did Trump ask Ukraine to “manufacture dirt” on Biden and Ukraine was not even aware that the U.S. was reviewing the aid package to Ukraine until over a month after the phone call transpired.
Reaction online to the Times’ bombshell report was intense, with many correctly noting that those on the political Right had suspected that Schiff had coordinated to some extent with the whistleblower prior to the complaint being filed.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted: “This is a stunning indictment of this impeachment charade. Schiff got a heads up on all this. His team then advised the ‘whistleblower’ how to proceed, like getting a Clinton/Schumer lawyer who donated to Biden. Who’s colluding now?”
This is a stunning indictment of this impeachment charade.
Schiff got a heads up on all this.
His team then advised the “whistleblower” how to proceed, like getting a Clinton/Schumer lawyer who donated to Biden.
Who’s colluding now?https://t.co/qLDM3AYHmO
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) October 2, 2019