Posted on 11/09/2019 3:08:26 PM PST by TomServo
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff rejected the GOP’s request that the panel summon Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, to testify at public impeachment hearings next week.
The California Democrat also signaled he will not agree to some of the other witnesses Republicans requested Saturday, including Alexandra Chalupa, a former Democratic National Committee staffer who Republicans said worked with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., “to try to get political dirt on then-candidate Trump’s campaign.”
Schiff, who will head public impeachment hearings beginning Wednesday, said in a Saturday statement that he will consider a list of witness requests provided by the GOP.
“This inquiry is not, and will not serve, however, as a vehicle to undertake the same sham investigations into the Bidens or 2016 that the President pressed Ukraine to conduct for his personal political benefit, or to facilitate the President’s effort to threaten, intimidate, and retaliate against the whistleblower who courageously raised the initial alarm," he said.
Democrats plan to open the public hearings on Wednesday with testimony from acting Ukraine Ambassador Bill Taylor, who said in a closed-door deposition that he believed President Trump was withholding critical security aid from Ukraine in order to get Ukrainian government officials to investigate Biden and the Democrats.
Democrats are building an impeachment case that accuses Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
California Rep. Devin Nunes, who is the top Republican on the intelligence panel, sent a witness list to Schiff that included Hunter Biden as well as the anonymous whistleblower, whose complaint about a July 25 phone call between President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky launched the impeachment proceedings.
Trump asked Zelensky on the call to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s effort to oust a Ukraine prosecutor who was targeting the Burisma Holdings gas company, which employed Hunter Biden for a hefty salary.
Trump also wanted Zelensky to investigate allegations the Democratic National Committee was working with Ukraine officials in 2016 to find information that would be damaging to the Trump presidential campaign.
Republicans want to showcase witnesses who would back up Trump’s concerns about Democratic election interference and Ukrainian corruption and, in particular, why Hunter Biden won a seat on the gas company board despite having no experience.
The GOP list includes Ambassador Kurt Volker, who served as a special envoy to Ukraine. Nunes has requested Volker to serve on the same panel as Taylor.
Republicans also want to hear from David Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, and Tim Morrison, senior director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council.
Morrison said in closed-door testimony that he did not believe Trump did anything wrong in his July 25 conversation with Zelensky.
Schiff is more likely to allow the GOP to call Volker, Hale, and Morrison.
Why in heaven’s name are the Republicans playing along with Shiff’s silly show-trial?
The mere act of requesting witnesses imparts far more legitimacy onto this Leftist P.R. stunt than it deserves. The entire Republican party should just refuse to acknowledge that these proceedings even exist.
So what else is new? What took him so long?
If the House votes to impeach (does a bear sh!t in the woods) and this goes to trial in the Senate, I can't wait for these wittnesses to be called and asked all the questions they should have been asked in the House.
He’s trying really hard to make your story as plausible as possible.
Maybe he should read it...
Beats me - hope they have a game plan - and they roll it out after New Years.
Democrat accusation is all based on “Trump broke the law asking Ukraine to investigate Biden” Both Bidens are directly involved in the accusation and MUST be part of the investigation for it to have any legal standing
Refusing to allow the GOP to call Biden is direct interference in the “investigation” and is adding to the proof this is a a Democrat Fascist Party coup attempt
5 posted on 11/9/2019, 6:21:30 PM by MNJohnnie (They would have to abandon leftism to achieve sanity. Freeper Olog-hai)
They think we’re stupid - that all American voters are stupid, and we’ll believe what they tell us, and od what they say.
Election night 2020 is going to be ten times as fun as 2016 was.
2. The Republican Party wants him[President Trump] gone as bad , if not worse than the Democrats.
I say let the Dems continue these underhanded tactics. The longer their protracted fishing expedition takes, the more everyday Americans recognize their sham and shameful stab at governance.
Adam “Sham Wow” Schiff weighs in.
One of my favorite stories - and the grandchildren love it. ;-)
Schiff is plainly obstructing justice.
Someone needs to spend 20 years in Leavenwoth for fraud
Trump should tell the whole DNC to go pound sand over the impeachment and won’t take part in the farce.
To consume as much media attention as it can. Otherwise Schiff gets 100% of it.
How come nobody has dirt on this POS?
Get the Senate to subpoena them under oath.
It’s not that hard.
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