ELSE THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE NOW THAT WE KNOW WHERE THEY HAVE
BEEN STASHING EVERYTHING?
JOINING US NOW IS CONGRESSMAN
ADAM SCHIFF, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
AND HE HAS HAD A VERY LONG DAY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. >> MY PLEASURE.
>> I HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF
QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
BUT LET ME JUST ASK IF I SAID
ANYTHING IN THERE NOT IN KEEPING
OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE
WE ARE OR WHAT THE REVELATIONS
IN THIS SCANDAL HAVE BEEN THUS
FAR?
FAR? DID I SCREW ANYTHING UP THERE?
>> NO.
>> NO. I THINK YOU SUMMARIZED THE
ALLEGATIONS VERY ACCURATELY AND
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THEM AND ALSO
THE IRONY, THE DISINNOCENCE OFSO
HEARING REPUBLICANS TALK ABOUT
HOW THIS WHISTLEBLOWER WASN’T
EVEN LISTENING TO THE CALL
HIMSELF OR HERSELF SO THEY’RE
NOT CREDIBLE.
NOT CREDIBLE. WELL, ACTUALLY, THE ALLEGATIONS
ARE MORE CREDIBLE BECAUSE THEIR
SOURCES ARE SO GOOD.
IT WOULD BE ONE THING IF THE
RECORD OF THE CALL CAME OUT AND
IT COMPLETELY CONTRADICTED THE
WHISTLE BLOWBLOWER AND YOU COULD
ARGUE THEY WERE WRONG ABOUT THE
CALL AND SO THEY’RE WRONG ABOUT
EVERYTHING ELSE.
EVERYTHING ELSE. BUT IT WAS SO ACCURATE IT
FURTHER ENHANCES THE CREDIBILITY
OF THAT PERSON, WHICH MEANS, I
THINK, THAT IT IS FAR MORE
LIKELY THAT OTHER INFORMATION IN
THAT COMPLAINT IS ALSO ACCURATE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ONE
SPECIFIC THING FROM THE
WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT WHICH
HAS EARNED A FOLLOW-UP FROM
SENATOR
SENATOR SENATOR DIANENE FEINSTEIN TODAY.
IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING THE PHONE
CALL I LEARNED FROM OFFICIALS
THAT SENIOR WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS INTERVENED TO LOCK
DOWN ALL RECORDS OF THE PHONE
CALL, ESPECIALLY THE OFFICIAL
WORD FOR WORD TRANSCRIPT OF THAT
CALL THAT WAS PRODUCED AS IS
CUSTOMARY BY THE WHITE HOUSE
SITUATION ROOM.
SITUATION ROOM. IS IT YOUR UNDERSTANDING THAT
WHAT THE WHISTLEBLOWER IS
DESCRIBING THERE IS BASICALLY
THE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE SEEN,
THOSE SORT OF CLOSE NOTES FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE ON WHAT HAPPENED
OVER THAT CALL, OR IS THE
WHISTLEBLOWER TALKING ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT’S EVEN MORE
SPECIFIC AS A TRANSCRIPT?
>> WELL, THE SHORT ANSWER IS I
DON’T KNOW FOR SURE.
BUT THE WHISTLEBLOWER MAY VERY
WELL BE DESCRIBING THE CALL
RECORD THAT WE HAVE NOW SEEN.
IT CERTAINLY IS AN ACCURATE
DESCRIPTION OF THAT CALL RECORD.
BUT ALSO IT’S NOT ALWAYS THE
CASE THAT THERE IS A RECORDING
OF A CALL OR A WORD FOR WORD --
I MEAN NOT IN THE SORT OF TERM
OF ART SENSE BUT ACTUALLY A
VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT.
VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT. IT’S MORE OFTEN I THINK A
SUMMARY, AS THIS IS.
SO I DON’T KNOW THAT THAT
INDICATES THAT THERE IS IN FACT
A SEPARATE RECORDING OR
TRANSCRIPT OF THAT RECORDING.
BUT OF COURSE THAT’S ONE OF THE
THINGS WE WANT TO FIND OUT.
>> THE COMPLAINT ALSO SAYS THAT
ALL RECORDS OF THAT CALL
INCLUDING WHAT WE THINK IS THIS
DOCUMENT THAT’S NOW BEEN
RELEASED AS NOTES TO THAT CALL
WERE LOCKED DOWN IN THE WORDS OF
THE WHISTLEBLOWER, THAT THEY
WERE ESSENTIALLY MIGRATED ON TO
A SPECIAL SERVER SYSTEM THAT IS
USUALLY RESERVED FOR THE MOST
HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
INSIDE THE NATIONAL SECURITY
COUNCIL.
COUNCIL. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT
AND DOES YOUR COMMITTEE HAVE THE
AUTHORITY, HAVE THE JURISDICTION
TO INVESTIGATE THAT FURTHER?
>> WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE
AUTHORITY.
AUTHORITY. AND WE HAVE THE JURISDICTION TO
INVESTIGATE THAT.
INVESTIGATE THAT. HERE IS ANOTHER IRONY TODAY.
THAT IS THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE OPINIONS SAYS THAT THE
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE DOESN’T HAVE
JURISDICTION HERE BECAUSE THIS
DOESN’T INVOLVE AN INTELLIGENCE
ISSUE.
ISSUE. THIS INVOLVES FOREIGN
INTERFERENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS.
THAT SHOULD COME AS A REVELATION
TO THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE THAT HE DOESN’T
HAVE JURISDICTION.
HAVE JURISDICTION. THAT IS A CENTRAL PART OF HIS
MISSION.
MISSION. IN FACT, THAT’S WHAT THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL MEANT WHEN HE
SAID THAT THIS IS WHAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD UNDERSTAND
AS CORE TO THE FUNCTION OF THE
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. BUT MORE THAN THAT, WHERE DO
THEY HIDE THIS STUFF?
THEY HIDE IT WITH A COVERT
INFORMATION FILES IN THIS SUPER
SECRET COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT’S
MARKED FOR CLASSIFIED
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION.
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION. SO BUT APART FROM THAT, THE IDEA
THAT THIS SYSTEM IS BEING
ACCUSED TO CONCEAL INTERACTIONS
OF THE PRESIDENT WITH OTHER
LEADERS THAT MAY REVEAL
IMPROPRIETY OR ILL LEGALITY OR
BETRAYAL OF OATH OF OFFICE IS
ONE OF, I THINK, THE TWO SERIOUS
ALLEGATIONS, CORE ALLEGATIONS IN
THE WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT.
THERE IS OF COURSE THE MOST
SERIOUS ALLEGATION THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS USING HIS OFFICE,
ABUSING HIS AUTHORITY TO
LEVERAGE UKRAINE WHILE HOLDING
UP MILITARY AID FOR THAT COUNTRY
TO MANUFACTURE DIRT ON HIS
OPPONENT.
OPPONENT. THERE IS THAT WHOLE
CONSTELLATION OF ISSUES IN WHICH
YOU HAVE GOT RUDY GIULIANI
REVOLVING THAT CONSTELLATION AND
LAYING THE GROUND WORK FOR THAT
CALL AND DOING WHO KNOWS WHAT
ELSE.
ELSE. YOU HAVE GOT BILL BARR WHOSE
ROLE IS STILL UNDETERMINED.
THE SAME BILL BARR ON A MISSION
TO TRY TO GIVE CREDENCE TO THIS
CONSPIRACY THEORY THAT, NO, IT
WAS UKRAINE THAT WAS INTERFERING
IN OUR ELECTION, NOT RUSSIA.
BY THE WAY, THAT THEORY THAT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS BEEN
PROMOTING WITH HIS INVESTIGATOR
RESOURCES AND THE PRESIDENT WAS
INTERESTED IN GETTING UKRAINE TO
PROMOTE WITH ITS INVESTIGATIVE
RESOURCES, THAT NARRATIVE COMES
FROM RUSSIA.
FROM RUSSIA. AND THAT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE
INSIDIOUS.
INSIDIOUS. >> MEANING RUSSIA HAS BEEN
PROMOTING THAT AS A COUNTER
NARRATIVE TO EXCUSE THEIR OWN
BEHAVIOR IN 2016 AND BLAME
SOMEBODY ELSE.
SOMEBODY ELSE. THAT’S WHERE THAT STARTED.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. >> CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF, I JUST
WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS SORT
OF SURPRISE REVELATION TODAY
ABOUT, AS YOU SAY, HIDING THE
MATERIAL THAT PROVED THE
PRESIDENT’S BEHAVIOR, THE
EVIDENCE OF THE PRESIDENT’S
BEHAVIOR IN WITH THE COVERT
ACTION FILES.
ACTION FILES. I KNOW THAT THE GANG OF EIGHT,
OF WHICH YOU ARE A MEMBER, IS
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN.
CHAIRMAN. I KNOW YOUR COMMITTEE, THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, HAS
ACCESS TO WHAT THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE DOES, EVEN THE MOST
SECRET STUFF.
SECRET STUFF. WHEN THE WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS THAT
HE OR SHE HAS INFORMATION THAT
THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THAT
THAT SECRET SERVER HAS BEEN USED
TO BASICALLY STASH INFORMATION
THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE
POLITICALLY INCRIMINATING OF THE
PRESIDENT BUT OTHERWISE DIDN’T
BELONG THERE, CAN YOU GO LOOK AT
THAT SERVER AND IF THEY HAVE NOW
TAKEN THAT STUFF OFF THE SERVER
AFTER STASHING THAT THERE
BEFORE, WOULD THERE BE TRACES
LEFT?
LEFT? WOULD THERE BE EVIDENCE THAT
STUFF WAS PUT THERE AND THEN
REMOVED?
REMOVED? >> I THINK IT IS CERTAINLY VERY
RELEVANT TO OUR INVESTIGATION.
THERE IS NO LIMITATION IN TERMS
OF WHAT WE CAN SEE WHEN IT COMES
TO INTELLIGENCE.
TO INTELLIGENCE. THERE IS NO CLASSIFICATION SO
HIGH THAT IT CANNOT BE SHARED
WITH CONGRESS.
WITH CONGRESS. BUT THE IDEA HERE THAT THIS
SYSTEM IS BEING ABUSED TO
CONCEAL WRONGDOING IS SO
PRENISHS, THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNCIL DOESN’T EXIST TO BE THE
PRESIDENT’S CRIMINAL DEFENSE
LAWYER.
LAWYER. THAT IS RUDY GIULIANI’S SOME
TIME JOB.
TIME JOB. I GUESS THE OTHER PART OF HIS
JOB IS TO GET THE PRESIDENT OUT
OF CRIMINAL TROUBLE.
BUT THE WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL IS
SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE OFFICE
OF THE PRESIDENCY.
IT DOESN’T REPRESENT THE OFFICE
OF THE PRESIDENCY WHEN IT IS
HELPING THE PRESIDENT CONCEAL
WRONGDOING.
WRONGDOING. BUT HERE WE HAVE SUCH A BLURRING
OF THE LINES BETWEEN WHAT RUDY
GIULIANI DOES AS PERSONAL
LAWYER, WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNCIL DOES IN ITS CAPACITY,
WHAT BILL BARR DOES.
THEY’RE BASICALLY ALL PART OF
THE SAME LEGAL TEAM.
THERE SEEMS TO BE LITTLE
DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I THINK THAT’S A PERVERSION
OF HOW THE SYSTEM WAS INTENDED
TO WORK.
TO WORK. WE ARE CERTAINLY GOING TO TRY TO
FIND OUT WHAT’S IN THAT SAFE.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT
WE DID, RACHEL, WAS SEND
EVERYONE CONCERNED A
PRESERVATION ORDER TO PRESERVE
THE EVIDENCE.
THE EVIDENCE. AND PART OF THAT EVIDENCE IS
WHERE THAT EVIDENCE IS LOCATED.
SO IF THERE IS AN EFFORT TO TAKE
THAT INFORMATION OUT OF THE SAFE
AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND
HIDE THE DIGITAL DUST THAT WOULD
SHOW THAT IT WAS THERE, THAT IS
A VERY CLEAR ACT OF OBSTRUCTION
OF CONGRESS WITH ITS OWN SET OF
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. >> CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF, THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, BUSY MAN
THESE DAYS.
THESE DAYS. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO BE
HERE TONIGHT, SIR.
I REALLY APPRECIATE.
IMPORTANT NEWS THERE ACTUALLY
FROM CHAIRMAN SCHIFF THAT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE HAS SENT
PRESERVATION ORDERS TELLING ALL
THE RELEVANT ENTITIES INVOLVED
HERE, INCLUDING PRESUMABLY THE
WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL’S OFFICE AND
OTHERS THAT THEY CAN’T THROW
ANYTHING OUT, THEY NEED TO
RETAIN ALL RECORDS.
OBVIOUSLY THE MANTRA FROM THE
WATER
WATER WATERGATE ERA IS THAT IT IS THE
COVER-UP NOT SO MUCH THE CRIME.
THE DESTRUCTION OF EVIDENCE ENDS
UP BEING ONE OF THE WAYS THAT
YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? DESTRUCTION OF EVIDENCE NOT ONLY
SHOWS CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT BUT
THAT SHOWS YOU WHO IS INVOLVED,
SHOWS YOU WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE
COVER-UP.
COVER-UP. AT THIS POINT THERE IS A LOT OF
LEADS POINTS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
AND SPECIFICALLY AT THE WHITE
HOUSE COUNCIL’S OFFICE IN TERMS
OF HOW THIS BAD BEHAVIOR HAS
BEEN TRYING -- HAS BEEN COVERED
UP SO FAR.
IF THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO STOP