House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) reportedly suffered a “disappointing” “setback” on Thursday in his efforts leading the Democrats’ push to impeach President Donald Trump.
“Former U.S. Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker on Thursday spent hours testifying with congressional investigators who are seeking to discover if he played any role in Trump’s efforts to obtain from Ukrainian officials information on the son of 2020 presidential hopeful Joseph R. Biden Jr.,” Roll Call reported. “About two-and-a-half hours into Volker’s deposition, Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican and founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, emerged and told reporters that Schiff wanted to limit certain members from questioning Volker and that the California Democrat had barred State Department lawyers from participating in the closed briefing.”
Fox News reporter Brooke Singman tweeted: “NEW: per a source with knowledge of ongoing #Volker interview: ‘The information provided by Amb. Volker so far does nothing to advance @RepAdamSchiff theory of the case. Volker’s testimony seems to be a disappointing event –and likely a setback–for the #impeachment effort.'”
NEW: per a source with knowledge of ongoing #Volker interview:
“The information provided by Amb. Volker so far does nothing to advance @RepAdamSchiff theory of the case. Volker’s testimony seems to be a disappointing event –and likely a setback–for the #impeachment effort.”— Brooke Singman (@brookefoxnews) October 3, 2019
Fox News reporter Chad Pergram tweeted: “Schiff when he emerges from Volker interivew: I won’t have any comments about the interview so it’s concluded.”
Schiff when he emerges from Volker interivew: I won’t have any comments about the interview so it’s concluded.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 3, 2019
CNN reporter Manu Raju tweeted: “Schiff refused to comment about the whistleblower and whether any one on his staff knows whistleblower identity.”
Schiff refused to comment about the whistleblower and whether any one on his staff knows whistleblower identity
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 3, 2019
Following Volker’s testimony to lawmakers, Fox News reported on newly obtained text messages from U.S. officials about the situation involving Trump and Ukraine:
Meanwhile, new encrypted text messages obtained by Fox News show Volker and other U.S. officials battling internally last month over whether Trump was engaged in a “quid pro quo” with Ukraine as he pressed for the country to look into the Biden family, while holding back U.S. aid. The texts with Volker, U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland and Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine Bill Taylor indicate that the nature of a potential arrangement between the U.S. and Ukraine was a matter of dispute.
“As I said on the phone, I think it’s crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign,” Taylor said in a text exchange.
Sondland responded by saying that was not what was happening. “Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump’s intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo’s of any kind. The President is trying to evaluate whether Ukraine is truly going to adopt the transparency and reforms that President Zelensky promised during his campaign.”
President Donald Trump has taken aim at Schiff over the last few days over Schiff’s antics. The congressman’s antics have been widely condemned.
“Adam Schiff should only be so lucky to have the brains, honor and strength of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,” Trump tweeted. “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
“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 added. “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