♪ ♪
>> Chris: NEXT WEEK, THE
HOUSE, THE FULL HOUSE, WILL VOTE
ON WHETHER PRESIDENT TRUMP ABUSE
THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE AND
OBSTRUCTED CONGRESS.
CHARGES THAT AROSE FROM A HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
INVESTIGATION LED BY OUR NEXT
GUEST, CHAIRMAN ADAM SCHIFF, WHO
IS A FREQUENT TARGET OF THE
PRESIDENT.
CONGRESSMAN, PRESIDENT TRUMP
SAYS THAT THIS IS THE WEAKEST
IMPEACHMENT OF A PRESIDENT IN
HISTORY.
HE CALLS IT IMPEACHMENT LIGHT.
HERE'S WHAT HE SAID -- ACTUALLY,
EXCUSE ME, HERE'S WHAT YOU SAID
DURING THE HEARINGS ABOUT THE
CRIMES HE COMMITTED.
>> IT WAS A FAILED EFFORT TO
BRIBE UKRAINE.
A FAILED EFFORT TO EXTORT
UKRAINE.
>> Chris: BUT THE PRESIDENT
NOTES THAT NONE OF THAT,
BRIBERY, EXTORTION, IS IN THE
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT.
WHY NOT?
>> Chairman Schiff: WE CHARGE
THE PRESIDENT WITH ABUSING HIS
POWER, OF BRIBERY AND EXTORTION
ARE A SUBSET OF AN ABUSE OF
POWER.
AND FRANKLY, ABUSE OF POWER
BETTER CONNOTES THE FULL RANGE
OF THE PRESIDENT'S MISCONDUCT,
THE PATTERN OF HIS MISCONDUCT,
HIS EFFORTS TO INVITE RUSSIAN
INTERFERENCE, HIS EFFORTS TO
OBSTRUCT THE INQUIRY INTO THAT
INVITATION TO RUSSIA TO
INTERVENE BUT THE MOST
PERNICIOUS, HIS ABUSE OF HIS
POWER TO ATTEMPT TO GET AN ALLY
TO HELP THEM CHEAT IN THE NEXT
ELECTION.
SACRIFICING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY, UNDERMINING THE
INTEGRITY OF OUR ELECTIONS.
WE THINK THAT ABUSE OF POWER
MOST ACCURATELY CHARACTERIZES
THE SWEEP OF THE PRESIDENT'S
MISCONDUCT.
>> Chris: YOU ALSO ACCUSE THEM
IN THE OTHER ARTICLE OF
IMPEACHMENT OBSTRUCTING CONGRESS
BY REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH
SUBPOENAS.
BUT ON FRIDAY, THE SUPREME COURT
AGREED TO HEAR CASES WHERE THE
HOUSE HAD SUBPOENAED THE
PRESIDENT'S FINANCIAL RECORDS
AND SAYS THAT WANTS TO HEAR AND
DELIBERATE THAT CASE, SO WHY IS
GOING TO COURT AND IMPEACHABLE
OFFENSE?
>> Chairman Schiff: GOING TO
COURT IS NOT AN IMPEACHABLE
OFFENSE.
STONEWALLING COMPLETELY,
REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH THE
OVERSIGHT OF CONGRESS,
PARTICULARLY DURING AN
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY, IS AN
IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.
INDEED RICHARD NIXON WAS ABOUT
TO BE IMPEACHED FOR A FAR LESS
COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO
STONEWALL THE CONGRESS OF HIS
DAY.
IF I WOULD JUST SAY TO MY
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WHO APPEAR
TO BE ON THE VERGE OF SHIRKING
THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY, IF
THEY'RE PREPARED TO SAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
CAN SIMPLY SAY NO -- TIE UP THE
CONGRESS FOR YEARS IN
LITIGATION, IT WAS GOING TO HAVE
TO ACCEPT CORRUPTION,
MALFEASANCE, NEGLIGENCE,
MISCONDUCT IN ANY FUTURE
DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.
ARE WE REALLY PREPARED TO GO
DOWN THAT ROAD?
IN MANY RESPECTS I THINK THIS
MIGHT BE THE MOST SERIOUS OF THE
ARTICLES BECAUSE IT WOULD
FUNDAMENTALLY ALTER THE BALANCE
OF POWER AND ALLOW FOR MUCH
GREATER MISCONDUCT IN THE CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNTRY.
THE LAST POINT I CAN MAKE,
CHRIS, ALONG WITH THE ACTUAL
STONEWALLING IS THE UTTER
REFUSAL TO TURN OVER -- TO TURN
OVER THE NOTES FOR EXAMPLE OF
AMBASSADOR TAYLOR OR HIS CABLE
TO SECRETARY POMPEO, ALL OF
THESE THINGS ARE BEING WITHHELD.
THERE IS NO LEGAL BASIS TO DO SO
AND SO YES, THE PRESIDENT CAN
SUE ALL HIM ONCE AND DELAY
TACTICS AND HE'S REPEATEDLY LOST
IN COURT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE
IT ANY LESS AN ACT OF
OBSTRUCTION.
>> Chris: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS
THAT IF THE HOUSE, AS EXPECTED,
VOTES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT
THIS WEEK AND IT GOES TO A
SENATE TRIAL, THAT HE WOULD LIKE
TO CALL YOU AS A WITNESS.
HERE HE IS ON YOU.
>> I THINK ADAM SCHIFF IS A
DERANGED HUMAN BEING.
I THINK YOU GREW UP WITH A
COMPLEX FOR LOTS OF REASONS THAT
ARE OBVIOUS.
I THINK IS A VERY SICK MAN.
>> Chris: FIRST OF ALL, WHAT
YOU THINK OF THE PRESIDENT'S
PSYCHOANALYSIS AND IF LAWYERS
CALL YOU TO TESTIFY AS A WITNESS
ON THE SENATE FLOOR, WILL YOU
COMPLY?
>> Chairman Schiff: IN TERMS
OF THE PRESIDENT OF FOSTER'S
COMMENTS, I GUESS ALI WOULD SAY
IS THIS PRESIDENT DOES NOTHING
IF NOT PROJECT ONTO OTHERS HIS
OWN MISCONDUCT.
IN TERMS OF WHETHER I'M A
WITNESS, I'M NOT A FACT WITNESS
IN ANY WAY, CHRIS, AND THE
PRESIDENT KNOWS THAT.
HE ALSO WANTS TO CALL THE
SPEAKER AS A WITNESS.
THIS IS MERELY HIS COMMON
TACTIC, AND THAT IS HE CAN'T
DEFEND HIS GROSS MISCONDUCT.
HE CAN'T DEFEND HIS ABUSE OF
POWER.
WITHHOLDING 400 MILLION MILITARY
AID.
>> Chris: I JUST WANT TO PICK
UP ON THE ONE POINT OF THE FACT
WITNESS BECAUSE HE WOULD SAY
THAT THE CONTACT TO YOU OR IF
THE MEMBER OF THE STAFF AT WITH
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER DOES MAKE YOU
A FACT WITNESS.
>> Chairman Schiff: THE FACT
THAT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER DID HAVE
CONTACT WITH MY STAFF DOESN'T
MAKE ME A FACT WITNESS.
BUT ON THE LESS, NOR DOES IT
MAKE THIS SPEAKER A FACT
WITNESS.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT FACT WITNESSES.
THERE ARE IN FACT MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, SENATOR JOHNSON HAD A
DISCUSSION WITH THE PRESIDENT,
SENATOR GRAHAM HAD THE
DISCUSSION WITH THE PRESIDENT
ABOUT THE WITHHOLDING OF AID.
THEY'D BE FACT WITNESSES.
WE DIDN'T SEEK TO CALL THEM, WE
ARE NOT SEEKING TO MAKE A CIRCUS
OUT OF THIS BUT THE PRESIDENT
IS, BECAUSE HE CAN'T DEFEND HIS
GROSS ABUSE OF HIS OFFICE.
HE CAN'T DEFEND WITHHOLDING
MILITARY AID FROM AN ALLY AT
WAR.
THE DAMAGES DONE TO OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY, ALL HE CAN DO IS
ATTACK AND SADLY TOO MANY OF THE
REPUBLICAN MEMBERS ARE WILLING
TO DEBASE THEMSELVES BY DOING
WHATEVER THE PRESIDENT ASKS.
>> Chris: FINALLY, I WANT TO
SWITCH TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
REPORT BECAUSE YOU HAVE WAITING
ON THAT.
IN 2018 THAT YOU WERE THE
RANKING MEMBER, THE TOP DEMOCRAT
IN THE MINORITY IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
DEVIN NUNES THE THEN-REPUBLICAN
CHAIR ISSUED A REPORT TALK ABOUT
ALL THE PROBLEMS WITH THE FISA
WARRANTS AND THE FBI CASE.
YOU DEFENDED THE FBI'S USE OF
PFIZER WARNS TO SURVEILLED
CARTER PAGE IN A LENGTHY MEMO.
ARE YOU ARE DISCUSSING THEM.
>> IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC
TO SEE THE FACTS THAT THE FBI
ACTED APPROPRIATELY IN SEEKING A
WARRANT ON CARTER PAGE.
THEY ARE NOT PART OF SOME
DEEP STATE IS THE PRESIDENT
APPARENTLY WOULD LIKE THE PUBLIC
TO BELIEVE.
>> Chris: AFTER READING THE IG
REPORT, WHICH DISCUSSES 17
SERIOUS ERRORS OF OMISSION, SOME
WOULD SAY MISCONDUCT, ON THE
PART OF THE FBI, DO YOU STILL
THINK THAT THE FBI ACTED
APPROPRIATELY AS YOU SAID THERE?
>> Chairman Schiff: I THINK
THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE IG
REPORT THAT THEY WERE RIGHT TO
SEEK A FISA ON CARTER PAGE AND
THERE WASN'T SOME DEEP STATE
CONSPIRACY.
THERE WAS NO SPYING ON THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, THERE WAS NO EFFORT
TO, BASED ON POLITICAL BIAS,
OPEN INVESTIGATION.
IT WAS PROPERLY PREDICATED BUT
THERE WERE THERE WERE NONE THE
ABUSES OF FISA, WHICH WERE NOT
APPARENT TWO YEARS AGO.
IT WHICH HAVE BECOME APPARENT
NOW WITH 170 WITNESSES
INTERVIEWED AND 2 MILLION
DOCUMENTS WERE VIEWED BY THE IG.
AND I AM GLAD THAT THE IG MADE
THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HE HAS
MADE IN THE FBI IS GOING TO
FOLLOW THEM, BUT THAT WASN'T
APPARENT TO US TWO YEARS AGO,
BUT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS
I THINK ARE THAT CORRECTIVE
STEPS WILL BE TAKEN IN TERMS OF
THE PFIZER PROCESS AND THAT THE
IG DEBUNK THESE CLAIMS BY THE
PRESIDENT, BY MR. DEVIN NUNES
AND OTHERS AND THIS DEEP STATE
CONSPIRACY, IMPROPER
INVESTIGATION, IT WOULD'VE BEEN
NEGLIGENT FOR THEM NOT TO
CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION.
>> Chris: I JUST GOT A MINUTE
LEFT BUT AT THAT TIME IN 2018 IS
THAT THE FBI AND DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE DID NOT, "OMIT MATERIAL
INFORMATION."
APPARENTLY YOU DID NOT KNOW AT
THE TIME THAT IN FACT STEELE'S
MAIN RUSSIAN SOURCES HAVE TOLD
THE FBI THAT HE MISREPRESENTED
WHAT THAT RUSSIAN SOURCE OF SAID
AND THAT THE FBI KNEW AT THE
TIME THAT CARTER PAGE IN FACT
WAS ACTING AS A CONTACT, AS AN
UNOFFICIAL SOURCE FOR THE CIA.
GIVEN WHAT YOU KNOW NOW, WE
TALKED EARLIER TO DIRECTOR COMEY
AND HE BASICALLY SAID I WAS
WRONG IN WHAT I REPRESENTED BACK
IN 2018.
ARE YOU WILLING TO ADMIT THAT
YOU WERE WRONG IN YOUR DEFENSE
OF THE FBI'S FISA PROCESS?
>> Chairman Schiff: I'M
CERTAINLY WILLING TO ADMIT THAT
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FOUND
SERIOUS ABUSES OF FISA THAT I
WAS UNAWARE OF.
HAD I KNOWN OF THEM, CHRIS, YES,
I WOULD HAVE CALLED OUT THE FBI
AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR TO
JUDGE WHAT WE KNOW AT THE TIME,
NOT WHAT WOULD BE REVEALED TWO
YEARS LATER, BUT YES, THERE WERE
VERY SERIOUS ABUSES OF THE FISA