A report from the Washington Examiner revealed that House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Adam Schiff (D-CA), who is leading the effort to impeach President Trump, reportedly “pushed” United States special representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker to say Ukrainian leaders felt “pressured” by President Trump.
Despite Republicans calling for the release of Volker’s transcribed testimony, Schiff has refused to release the transcript. He also defended holding testimony behind closed doors in the “impeachment inquiry”, and likened “this phase of the investigation” to a “grand jury.” Yet, he publicly leaked parts of Volker’s testimony.
“In a secret interview, Rep. Adam Schiff, leader of the House Democratic effort to impeach President Trump, pressed former United States special representative to Ukraine Kurt Volker to testify that Ukrainian officials felt pressured to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as a result of Trump withholding U.S. military aid to Ukraine,” reported the Washington Examiner.
“Volker denied that was the case, noting that Ukrainian leaders did not even know the aid was being withheld and that they believed their relationship with the U.S. was moving along satisfactorily, without them having done anything Trump mentioned in his notorious July 25 phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” as per the Washington Examiner.
“Ambassador, you’re making this much more complicated than it has to be,” Schiff allegedly told Volker.
President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. responded to the explosive report from the Washington Examiner and took to Twitter on Wednesday where he wrote, “Now we know why Adam #FullOfSchiff wants to do all of this behind closed doors and in the darkness where no Americans can see what’s actually happening. Schiff pushed Volker to say Ukraine felt pressure from Trump”. (Continued Below)
Donald Trump Jr.’s official tweet:
Now we know why Adam #FullOfSchiff wants to do all of this behind closed doors and in the darkness where no Americans can see what’s actually happening.
Schiff pushed Volker to say Ukraine felt pressure from Trump https://t.co/eqmIO11JYb
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 17, 2019
Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Andy Biggs (R-AZ) announced the pursuit of a motion to condemn and censure Schiff, with around 150 members in Congress who have signed it. The House will vote Thursday on the resolution.
This comes after Schiff misled the American people as he was caught lying and also made up a conversation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, during a congressional hearing, where he called it a “parody”.
President Trump tweeted on Wednesday, “Hope all House Republicans, and honest House Democrats will vote to CENSURE Rep. Adam Schiff tomorrow for his brazen and unlawful act of fabricating (making up) a totally phony conversation with the Ukraine President and U.S. President, me. Most have never seen such a thing!”
Hope all House Republicans, and honest House Democrats, will vote to CENSURE Rep. Adam Schiff tomorrow for his brazen and unlawful act of fabricating (making up) a totally phony conversation with the Ukraine President and U.S. President, me. Most have never seen such a thing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2019
We are calling up a resolution that condemns Chairman Adam Schiff and the way he has abused his power to mislead the American people. Read the complete censure resolution here: pic.twitter.com/sLDazCXRMz
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) October 16, 2019
