Democrats are denying Republican lawmakers access to a trove of documents surrounding the impeachment proceeding against President Donald Trump unless they are supervised by Democratic staffers, according to a letter sent by all 21 GOP members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Led by Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Tex.), the lawmakers protested a requirement by Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), the lead Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, that a Democratic staffer be present when Republicans view the classified documents.
“Your staff claims that the only way we will have access to the transcripts is in your offices, during designated hours, under the personal supervision and monitoring of a majority staffer,” the letter stated.
“It is outrageous and unjustifiable to deny us those basic documents, which are critical to our ability to meaningfully prepare for and participate in this investigation,” the lawmakers wrote to Schiff. “We require the same access to the same documents in the same format, as is enjoyed by you and your staff.”
The documents are being stored in a secure facility known as a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility). Under normal circumstances, all members of Congress are permitted to view classified documents at their will inside one of these rooms.
@Greg:
No, Comrade Goebbels, but not for the reason you think. I suggest you research the history of the worst hurricane on record, the 1900 hurricane that wiped out the entire island of Galveston. And read about the aftermath, and what everyday Americans did to rebuild in the days before FEMA and federal assistance. You see, Comrade Greggie, Texans are resilient. It is clear Puerto Ricans are not even though they have endured more than one hurricane.
Perhaps the leadership of Puerto Rico should have pointed out to the citizens that there is a contract with FEMA and that contract states clearly to expect up to 72 hours for any FEMA response, meaning “You’re on your own for three days. Prepare accordingly.”
Pre planning cuts down on the damage sustained in a hurricane, aided by good leadership which Puerto Rico did not have.
The claim was that the roads were impassable so the water could not be distributed. Oh, that goes back to the leadership. If you can’t get a truck loaded with pallets of water, load that water on ATVs or if necessary, pack it out on horse carts, tractors pulling trailers, what ever it takes. But standing in front of the press whining was the modus operandi of the Puerto Ricans leadership.
Puerto Rico is a land mass of 3,515 square miles. Here is a map of the Harvey damage.
https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4332
Just one of those counties, the one I live in, is over 900 square miles, 1/4th of Puerto Rico.
As you exhibit. You continue to prove that your TDS makes you an a-hole.
I concur with Trump. His Never-Trumper critics, like the despicable Bill Kristal, are scum, pond scum.
Actually, he does because he was duly, and legally elected, and that drives you nuts.
Only because you supported his Socialist predecessor. You being a far left Socialist yourself. People died needlessly under Obama, but hey, close your eyes to that one fact.
Bill Kristol understands that everything that chains itself to Donald Trump is going to go down with him.
@Greg: Actually it seems everyone that chained themselves to Barry and Stinky Inc. is obtaining an attorney.
John Hackett, the former Director for Information Programs and Services (IPS), which handles records management at the State Department, testified under oath that he had raised concerns that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s staff had “culled out 30,000” of the secretary’s “personal” emails without following strict National Archives standards.
huh? her staff? Thats not what I remember the lie as being.
Sep 11, 2017 · A Maryland judge ordered the state bar to open an investigation Monday into the three lawyers who helped former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delete her private emails, or sumthin like that.
Republicans say Trump impeachment probe is happening in ‘secret,’ but 47 GOP lawmakers have access
Between those 47, republican lawmakers have had access to every closed-door deposition and committee meeting related to the impeachment investigation that has taken place. In some cases they simply haven’t bothered to show up.
@kitt:
Hmm…. I guess they don’t have the confidence they’ve done nothing wrong Gen. Flynn had to sit down and talk with authorities without an attorney. Or, they know first hand what slimy, scummy, underhanded things investigators will do to get a conviction.
@Greg:
Well, like most things you parrot for the corrupt Democrat party, that is nothing but a goddamn lie. Just recently, Schitt stood up and left when Republicans showed up to sit in on the hearing. He kicked Gaetz out of a meeting. I guess Democrats are feeling the heat for having to conduct their witch hunt in secret and have begun lying about the proceedings. Why do you believe their lies when they have lied to you so many times in the past?
Why was it necessary for the FBI to alter the 302 of the interview of Gen. Flynn to show he was lying? Why did Mueller have to edit testimony in his report to make the testimony look more damaging? Why did the FBI hide evidence when they applied for FISA warrants? Why do Democrats lie so damn much?
@Greg: Only 47 members can read the depositions and transcripts with their monitor? It takes a much larger portion of members to impeach. If this evidence and testimony is so smoking hot it should be freely available to all the members who need to vote.
The press is so compliant why havent they sued? Right to know, freedom of the press, first ammendment stuff like when the CNN freakshow sued to get his whitehouse press card back.
@kitt: The only way to convince Republicans to vote for impeachment is for them to see actual evidence that Trump did something wrong. As we have seen, Democrats are easily convinced, needing only to hear from someone that someone told they heard from someone that someone else said Trump is a poopy-head to be totally convinced, but people actually thinking of the country ahead of party need some solid evidence before they disrupt the entire nation.
What Schitt has will only reinforce the notion that his inquisition is totally political and untainted with facts and evidence. THAT’S why it is secret and members are forbidden to reveal the facts (only bits that perpetrate the lies).
No one is so stupid as to not be able to see the facts. They only believe Schitt because they want to illegal remove Trump from office.
@Greg:
More evidence you are lying.
What are they hiding, Greg? Why don’t Democrats want the people to see what they are doing? In the absence of classified information, there is only ONE explanation.
@Deplorable Me, #58:
Sorry, but it’s true, and it’s also easily verifiable:
The House Intelligence Committee has 9 republican members, who have full access to every official committee function.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee has 21 republican members, who have access to every official committee function.
The House Oversight Committee has 17 republican members, who have access to every official committee function.
Your linked propaganda article is pitching horse manure. There has been a flagrant violation of NOTHING. Dan Crenshaw is serving on NONE of the committees involved in the impeachment investigation. Consequently he’s not supposed to have insider access. The same applies to non-member democrats.
Democrats aren’t focused on hiding, they’re focused on revealing. The Trump administration is doing everything in its power to keep things hidden. This is so obvious that an attentive child could figure it out.
@Greg: But the House rule says any House member can view documents. Members of related committees can sit in on hearings. Corrupt, lying Democrats forbid both. Thus the Republican protest. As I said, since there is no classified information involved, there is but ONE reason for this Democrat imposed secrecy: they are LYING and don’t want everyone to know about it.
Crenshaw is a House member; he IS an insider. Democrats want Republican support for impeachment but they want to lie their way to achieving it. Republicans are well aware of Democrat duplicity and will take their word on NOTHING.
@Deplorable Me: It is worse than we thought much worse …
Democrats will summarize all of the interviews conducted relating to this unofficial Trump impeachment into one page—which can only be read with a Democratic staffer present. Schiff, whom Strassel calls “Lord High Impeacher,” is withholding documents as well. It’s all part of the larger scheme: controlling the narrative. Strassel notes how Democrats learned from their lessons regarding Trump-Russia collusion, and how the various open hearings embarrassed them and tore huge holes into the narrative because it was trash to begin with. They’re not making the same mistake twice; optics be damned
No transcripts just democrat summeries,
lol now that will be stuck in your head all night evil of me!
@Deplorable Me, #60:
Republicans don’t have to take their Democratic colleagues’ word on anything going on in the committees. 47 republicans are committee members, who are able to fully participate in every committee function. Crenshaw doesn’t happen to be one of them.
There’s a valid reason for closed door Congressional functions. Allowing every member full, unrestricted access to all records of such would render any confidentiality impossible. Matters of the highest secrecy and greatest sensitivity would become fully accessible to those most likely to handle the information irresponsibly. Consequently, the rule Crenshaw is citing clearly requires a degree of interpretation. It can’t possibly be taken as an absolute, because the consequences of doing so make no sense.
In this case, there are republicans who would do everything in their power derail the impeachment investigation by attacking the process rather than by dealing with the information and evidence. The reason is growing concern that the information and evidence will lead to an inescapable conclusion they can’t tolerate. At some point there’s going to be more transparency than they want.
@Greg: No one can handle information more irresponsible than Schiff or none of the opening statement of one of the gossips Bill Taylor would not have leaked.
When these one page summeries are released no one will believe anything from the grand impeachment inquisition, with the exception of a few get Trumpers, like you.
9 committee members not 47, 47 can read a bullshit summery if supervised.
We would like transparency now through the entire inquisition.
All together now Tie me kangaroo down boys, tie me kangaroo down….
Bill Taylor is a true American patriot.
Compare his personal history with that of Donald Trump. I have grown weary of watching Trump destroying better people than himself one after the other in an effort to continue this farce.
@Greg: Fine he is a patriot wgaf not the point. No one is destroying him, he is telling what he heard from his perspective, he thinks there may have been a quid pro quo, I must assume it is because the last corrupt admins never did anything that didnt yield cash in the bank or political capitol.
This admin treats aid not as government freebies but as tax payer money, hard eared money. Dont pour it into corrupt regimes that only benefit crooked politicians and kick backs to our crooked politicians or their donors,( Soros fingerprints are everywhere) or family.
@Greg:
That’s good because a Democrat’s word is not worth the shit it is smeared in.
There’s a reason, but it isn’t valid. The entire case for impeachment is built on lies. NONE of the testimony Democrats have collected supports those lies; not even that of your “patriot” (Putin’s patriot, perhaps) Taylor. Secrecy is the Democrat’s primary weapon; ignorance is what they rely on and keeping people ignorant of the facts is their goal. I don’t think they’ve thought this through very well, though.
They attack the process because Democrats have made it illegitimate. Like everything they touch, they’ve turned it into a corrupt abomination. Democrats make everything filthy with socialism and fascism. I have no doubts; not only will this not stand, but it will ruin Democrats and ultimately reinforce the Constitution.
Where has Obama’s CIA bitch been? Trying to get his stories straight? Reviewing take of what he has said? Trouble brewing.
@kitt: If a single Democrat or Democrat sycophant thinks impeachment will win Republican support in the Senate based on Schitt’s summaries, they ARE crazed lunatics. They are creating their own problem; they only operate in the shadows and that creates the impression of illegitimacy. They operate in the shadows because they are peddling lies; fake Rolex’s and counterfeit DVD’s; you can’t let the mark get too good a look at the merchandise. The whole process looks illegitimate because it IS illegitimate.
But, they only want the IMAGE of impeachment, just as they wanted the image of investigations implying guilt. Democrats are nothing but degenerate, anti-constitutional, Putin-serving trash and they hate our Constitutional system; it is not bringing the socialist police state quite quickly enough.
@Deplorable Me: Giving Greg an infowars link? You know they dont write the articles just report. Better to simply link to the original
heres one from the ferderalist https://thefederalist.com/2019/10/25/sidney-powell-drops-bombshell-showing-how-the-fbi-trapped-michael-flynn/
important link from article
Not that Greg would accept any source that doesnt bash Trump consistently to be legitimate.
@kitt: Hell, it was the wrong link. I edited and corrected it on my post. Seems the usually prolifically vocal Brennan has gone radio silent.
Don’t you love Greg trying to convince adults that the Democrats are keeping all their shenanigans totally secret for our own good? I guess that’s believable… what do you think?
I don’t think Democrats will send impeachment to the Senate.
@Deplorable Me:
He is adorable,, he cant choose his own light bulbs and still tries to convince us of anything…He trusts the CIA that was going to kill Americans in an attack on Florida to get us in a war with Cuba and by proxy Russia, Operation Northwoods. Operation Mongoose should have been operation weasel zippers.
@kitt: Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the Right.
Here I am stuck in the middle
How bout some Steelers Wheel.
Dems will most definitely indict in The House Trial in Senate will be long and ugly with Trump AQUITTED along party lines –vote about 51-49 to convict.
2020 Dems hold House—Repubs barely hold Senate 51-49—-no prediction yet on Prez race though close again and again decided in Pa. and Mi.
Think Klobachar the current dark horse—Biden stumbling—think middle will hold off Warren and Bernie.
Tulsi will compete to the finish.
@Richard Wheeler: The actual impeachment vote wont pass this is simply a stunt, 3 strikes already. Dems may lose the house, People are sick and tired of the insanity House not working to make things better. Senate remains unchanged, White House unchanged due to economy.
Tulsi loses her seat cause she wont be on the ticket, the dems and press will continue to attack her she runs out of money, forced to drop out.
Union and blue nose votes hold nose and lean to Trump not everyone wants a new green socialist/commie unarmed death.
GOP will be able to back more candidates, they are raking $$$ it in, thanks to buggeye, pencil neck, weasel zipper Schiffy. Barry emptied the DNC coffers with his last run they havent recovered since.
Song for tonight is tie me kangaroo down.
Stealers Wheel? nearly a 1 hit wonderband.
@Richard Wheeler: Trump will be cleared by the evidence… or lack thereof. THAT’S what the Democrats are trying to hide: they are lying about EVERYTHING.
@Greg:
No, there is not and these closed door hearings are unprecedented along with the fact that Schiff, is chair of the Intelligence Committee, not the Judiciary Committee.
Schiff has stated, prior to each hearing, that the hearings are not “classified.” There is no reason that it is not an open door hearing save the fact that Schiff-for-brains is trying to stack the deck.
Schiff said the hearings were not “classified.” What about that confuses you?
House rules state:
“All committee hearings, records, data, charts, and files shall be kept separate and distinct from the congressional office records of the member serving as its chairman. Such records shall be the property of the House, and each Member, Delegate, and the Resident Commissioner shall have access thereto.”
Adam Schiff is NOT the House. He is only one member and every member of the House has rightful access to the transcripts of those hearings. But then, I guess you think you understand House rules sooooo much better than an actual House member. Let’s see, so far you represent yourself as an authority on the Constitution, on federal statutes and now House Rules. What a joke you are.
I personally know a member of each of the three Committees you listed and am friends with two of them. Not one of them are allowed to read the transcripts at the SCIF UNLESS they are monitored by a Schiff staffer. This is absolutely a violation of House rules, Comrade Greggie.
But you seem to have no problem with Schiff-for-brains leaking the opening statement of William Taylor. New flash, Comrade Greggie Goebbels, an opening statement IS PART OF A TESTIMONY. So Schiff is denying the House the rest of an opening statement which is the Q and A session (you seem to think that is to reduce leaks) while he leaks part of the testimony.
Oh, let’s do.
In August, prior to Schiff request that William Taylor testify before his witch trial committee, Taylor met with Thomas Eager, a Schiff staffer in the Ukraine. Eager is a “fellow” with the Atlantic Council which is funded by Burisma. Add to that Taylor’s long history with the Atlantic Council (which, again is funded by Burisma):
“Taylor himself has evidenced a close relationship with the Burisma-funded Atlantic Council, writing analysis pieces published on the Council’s website and serving as a featured speaker for the organization’s events. He also served for nine years as senior advisor to the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, which has co-hosted scores of events with the Atlantic Council.”
Where is the transcript of the meeting between Schiff staffer, Eager, and Bill Taylor? Why did Schiff find it necessary to send Eagar to speak with Taylor ALMOST TWO MONTHS PRIOR to Taylor’s testimony? You want transparency, Comrade Greggie? Then ask the right questions but it is clear you want another witch hunt.
If you really knew half of what you pretend to know, you might have some credibility but you don’t, and you remain ever the idiot.
@retire05: All having the testimony public would violate is the Democrat’s ability to totally misrepresent what is said in the hearings and to leak the tidbits that serve to prop up their lies. I am eternally grateful I don’t have to explain my allegiance to such garbage or reevaluate my belief system because of such despicable activities. It’s good to be on the right side of history.
Dems & liberals seem to think they can change the rules on the fly, to borrow a hockey phrase.
They can’t.
The executive branch is in charge of foreign policy, not the legislative branch.
Screaming a tantrum over “quid pro quo” doesn’t change that.
If these lefties had their way the only phone calls a President Trump could make to foreign leaders would involve “grandchildren and golf,” (to borrow a Clinton LIE.)
But crying, screaming, throwing tantrums and taking one’s toys and going home does not change the US Constitution.
What the Left in the House is doing is unconstitutional and the Senate will not respect anything that comes out of it.
@Nan G: If Trump had said they only discussed golf and grandkids or that they talked about weddings, funerals and yoga the left would have bought it?
Republicans force Pelosi to cave and call a vote. If impeachment proceedings are passed, Republicans can call witnesses and make the proceedings public. Nancy is a gutless failure.