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Democrats ratchet up impeachment secrecy
Washington Examiner ^ | October 12, 2019 11:12 PM | Byron York

Posted on 10/13/2019 10:53:26 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

A week ago, House Republicans complained that Democrats imposed excessive secrecy on interviews conducted as part of the drive to impeach President Trump. Now, the situation appears to have gotten worse.

Friday's interview of Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, marked a new point — a low point, as Republicans see it — in Democratic efforts to keep impeachment information out of public view.

In this way: The two previous impeachment interviews, with former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker and Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, were conducted in the format of what is known as a transcribed interview. Rep. Adam Schiff, who is running the Democratic impeachment effort, decreed that transcripts not be released to the public. At the same time, there were no heavily restrictive rules on what would happen should any member of Congress, acting from memory, reveal things that were said in the interview.

The Yovanovitch session was different. Democrats conducted the interview in the format of a deposition, which is different from a transcribed interview. One key difference is that there are serious penalties for lawmakers who reveal the contents of a deposition. Doing so would almost surely subject the offending member to a House ethics investigation.

All Republicans remember the price paid by Rep. Devin Nunes, who in 2017, as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, faced an ethics investigation based on a complaint from a Democratic-allied outside group alleging he leaked classified information. Nunes was later cleared of all the charges, but he had to distance himself from some committee activities as the investigation slowly proceeded.

Now, some Republican lawmakers express fear of Democrats siccing an ethics investigation on them if they reveal what took place in the Yovanovitch interview, even though none of what was discussed was classified...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: byronyork; coup; couppeachment; democrats; fakeimpeachment; impeachment; impeachmentfarce; trumpimpeachment
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1 posted on 10/13/2019 10:53:26 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Democracy dies in.darkness.


2 posted on 10/13/2019 10:57:33 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Any impeachment shortcircuiting minority rights and due process are illegitimate.

Democrats have the prerogative to run it as a Star Chamber proceeding.

The Eternal Court Of History will smile and tear their verdict into tatters,

Democrats can’t say they haven’t been warned.


3 posted on 10/13/2019 11:01:28 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Helping their friends in the MSM sell fish wrappers and TV ads.


4 posted on 10/13/2019 11:03:05 AM PDT by Don Corleone (nothing upsets the left more than the truth)
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The Democrat Thug Party


5 posted on 10/13/2019 11:13:46 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Where’s the impeachment vote? They have had the inquiry for three weeks plus and the whistleblower for the same amount of time. When are we going to see some action, not just talk, and talk, and talk, and talk. The democrats are letting us know, albeit unintentionally, that they never intended to impeach Trump, just talk about it. What a bunch of blowhards! The idea is just to implicate Trump in some wrongdoing without any evidence. Remember this when voting.


6 posted on 10/13/2019 11:19:51 AM PDT by maxwellsmart_agent
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To: Gene Eric

“The Democrat Thug Party”

I really believe that they would rival Stalin, Hitler and Mao if they are allowed to do so.


7 posted on 10/13/2019 11:26:46 AM PDT by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Where’s a whistle blower when you need one? What is being said in those meetings?


8 posted on 10/13/2019 11:27:20 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Much of the story of this Ambassador has been reported, so why don’t we tell what we know. Let’s all get the info about her out in open space.

I read that she was a holdover Ambassador, loyal to Pres Obama and when Donald Trump became president she began to voice of dislike and even hatred for the new president.

Then I read that she presented to the old regime, the corrupt regime, a list of names that officials were

NOT TO PROSECUTE.

Now, after knowing all this about this woman who is expecting to be treated like a victim, will be treated like the American hating person she is.

If we all get the truth out in the social media, it will be hard to hide as the Democrats want to do.


9 posted on 10/13/2019 11:30:42 AM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder how it is the secret unnamed whistle blower has been receiving death threats.


10 posted on 10/13/2019 11:32:46 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is more of the same sh—. “He broke the law but we can’t tell you what law, it’s secret and we have lots of evidence but we can’t name one piece of evidence, we have witnesses but we can’t name any witnesses or show you any witnesses.” Freakin Kabuki theater all over again.


11 posted on 10/13/2019 11:52:59 AM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary walks free, equal justice under the law will never exist in the USA)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Skulduggery = Democrats


12 posted on 10/13/2019 12:47:42 PM PDT by Amish with an attitude
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To: goldstategop

The Democratic Congress is engaged in coup plotting—treason and RICO.

Time for the Justice Department to stop being Just Us and do something about it.


13 posted on 10/13/2019 12:57:16 PM PDT by cgbg (Vote Trump or you will _be_ Trump)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Not a deal-buster. The dims may have datapoints gleaned from these interrogations but they can’t do anything with them (same as the pubbies). At the point they try to do anything the pubbies are safe to regard that as “secret-mode off”.

My bet is that they have handfuls o nuttin...


14 posted on 10/13/2019 12:59:32 PM PDT by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: goldstategop

It depends on who writes the history. As the left has controlled most institutions for decades, I am not so sure the truth will be heralded.


15 posted on 10/13/2019 1:44:03 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Schiff was on TV explaining that the hearings have to be held in secret so that one witness won't know what another one has said, so that the Republicans can't co-ordinate with one another. In other words, he assumes that they will lie under oath.

Silly rabbit. Only Democrats are allowed to lie under oath without consequences.

16 posted on 10/13/2019 3:12:34 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: BenLurkin

Secret trials that lack due process - where you’re not allowed question your accusers or hire a lawyer - are common in the kind of countries democrats want to create here...


17 posted on 10/13/2019 3:18:22 PM PDT by GOPJ (Elizabeth Warren Is Jussie Smollett - - Kevin D. Williamson)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is not an “Impeachment Inquiry”. This is a Stalinist Star Chamber.


18 posted on 10/13/2019 3:18:55 PM PDT by motor_racer (If you don't read the news, you are uninformed. If you read the news, you are misinformed.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

These “whistleblowers” are nothing but activists/terrorists coming in from the dark and going active. They are the lefts new heroes.


19 posted on 10/13/2019 3:22:26 PM PDT by Toespi
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Youthey-Are-After
20 posted on 10/13/2019 3:25:41 PM PDT by timestax
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