Democrats launch new investigation into Trump's finances and Russia links
- by Ken Ortega
- in Worldwide
- — Feb 7, 2019
Trump called Schiff a "political hack who is just trying to build a name for himself" after the committee announced that it would be looking into his finances.
"The President's actions and posture towards Russian Federation during the campaign, transition, and administration have only heightened fears of foreign financial or other leverage over President Trump and underscore the need to determine whether he or those in his Administration have acted in service of foreign interests since taking office", Schiff said in a statement announcing the expanded investigation. Republicans ended that probe in March, concluding there was no evidence of conspiracy or collusion between Russian Federation and Trump's presidential campaign.
The House Intelligence Committee postponed the appearance of President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen until later this month - days before he's scheduled to report to federal prison.
"Our job involves making sure that the policy of the United States is being driven by the national interest - not by any financial entanglement, financial leverage or other form of compromise", he said told reporters on Wednesday. The committee did vote to release most of the transcripts to the public, but they are still being reviewed by the intelligence community for classified information.
The committee's decision to release the remaining transcripts to the special counsel will allow Mueller to comb them for inconsistencies, or answers that may not match up with evidence the special counsel has amassed through documents and interviews with the same people.
Cohen is due back in front of the House committee on Friday for a closed-door testimony, his first time answering questions in front of a Democrat-controlled panel, as part of an agreement to cooperate with Mueller's investigation.
"For the last two years, the Republican majority has essentially been missing in action when it comes being a coequal branch of government", Schiff said today, promising that Democrats are "not going to be intimidated or threatened" by Trump's warnings against the Democrat-led investigations.
More news: New Zealand vs India on February 6Stone is accused of lying to Congress about the 2016 campaign's efforts to use stolen emails to undercut Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
Schiff has said Mueller should consider whether additional perjury charges are warranted.
It is unclear if Mueller has since requested any other transcripts, or if he has already seen any of them.
Among the transcripts are interviews with Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.; his son-in-law, Jared Kushner; his longtime spokeswoman, Hope Hicks; and his former bodyguard Keith Schiller.
Democrats also opposed a Republican motion at the meeting Wednesday to subpoena several witnesses.
Schiff also laid out five "interconnected lines of inquiry" that Democrats feel ranking member Devin Nunes of California did not adequately pursue when he was chairman last Congress.
