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Matt Gaetz Fact-Checks MSNBC and Shows the Sham by Adam Schiff

October 28, 2019 - 6:00am
Hallie Jackson, Matt Gaetz and Adam Schiff
Hallie Jackson, Matt Gaetz and Adam Schiff

Last week Washington D.C. and the media complex were in a collective uproar over events in the House of Representatives. A couple of dozen GOP members, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. held an impromptu press conference and then staged a sit-in where Adam Schiff was conducting a closed-door hearing.

As the expected voices of outrage and condemnation rained down, Gaetz did not waver in his stance that what has been taking place is Adam Schiff controlling the investigation and not allowing for full disclosure. The congressman sat in with MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson, and while the hostess challenged Gaetz on his actions, he did not allow her to control the narrative. It became a revealing exchange, in which Gaetz had to correct the record as it was being manipulated on air.

“I haven’t heard you say anything since Bill Taylor testified," challenged Jackson. “Yes or no, is it OK for any politician to trade military aid for political favors?” she asked. Gaetz did not equivocate. “Look, I’m not going to get into the specifics of the Taylor deposition because I wasn’t present for it,” he replied. 

This is a significant detail. Adam Schiff has not allowed the full House to have access to the deposition, yet here is a member of the press moving forward with details. It illustrates the manner in which Schiff has been limiting access to witnesses and controlling what information is leaked to the media.

Jackson worked the angle of that leaked intel, trying to pin down Gaetz on testimony supposedly received by Schiff on the committee. Gaetz was not playing along. “From the selective witnesses Adam Schiff provided who aren’t subject to cross-examination. Like you’re playing the game here. You’re playing the game where they selectively leak stuff that is not subject to cross-examination. Rigorous review. Check against documents and timelines.”

Hallie Jackson came back with the common spin heard on the Hill from Democrats and journalists: She commented how Republicans were on the panel and were permitted to ask cross-examination questions. Gaetz noted to her that while true, the results of those Republican queries are not made known.

“And that is all by design. It is not an accident that you and I are having this interview on terms that are very favorable to the Adam Schiff theory of the case,” said the Florida politician. “When John Ratcliffe asked questions that I think poked holes in the allegations that Taylor made, we don’t get the benefit of those. They weren’t leaked, and they weren’t in front of the American people -- and that’s the problem.”

This is the entire basis behind the group of GOP members who came into the hearing chambers last week. While the hearings are taking place according to practice, the results of those hearings and the questioning is not being made available, per Adam Schiff’s directive. This is a detail that was exposed after the sit-in that took place.

Matt Gaetz’s fellow House member Dan Crenshaw, R-Tex.  illustrated just how the information is being locked down. He first noted this section from the House Rules and Manual that details the accessibility of these impeachment inquiry hearings. As it reads: “Such records shall be the property of the House and each Member, Delegate, and the Resident Commissioner shall have access hereto.” 

Crenshaw then documented his attempt to actually gain access to the records. He was rebuffed from that attempt, and told “The Schiff Rule” was in place, which declares wrongly that only committee members will have access to that information.

Crenshaw has actually spoken with GOP members of the committee and had it explained how they too have attempted to obtain these documents, and even they have been prevented from gaining access. So Schiff is completely controlling the information flow from these hearings, and doing so in violation of House rules.

 “Where is the transparency?” Crenshaw asks rhetorically. “There’s none.”

At least there are a few Republicans on The Hill willing to cut through the gamesmanship and expose the sham that these impeachment meetings are becoming at the hands of Adam Schiff.

Brad Slager, a Fort Lauderdale freelance writer, wrote this story exclusively for Sunshine State News. He writes on politics and the industry and his stories appear in such publications as RedState and The Federalist.

Comments

Duhhh, MAGA, yeah, duhhhh, MAGA, duhhhh, the deep state did it...lmfao

Duhhh, OBOZO, yeah, duhhhh, OBOZO, duhhhh, I want a communist dictatorship run by Obozo...lmfao

Democrat leaders must get rid of Trump because they secretly realized he’s been absolutely correct about everything, and cannot admit that! For the sake of their careers in politics, fake news and the deep state. Once he’s impeached, they’ll steal credit for the economy and jobs. Women and minorities will be told what to think again like the robots they used to be under Dem rule, too. Foreign allies will be “emancipated” from American dominance, not “abandoned” like Trump did. The climate will be forgotten again, when Al Gore decides they were wrong. White Guilt will no longer be the deciding factor in all policy decisions, since it was the same patronizing outlook as white supremacy, with a different mask. George Soros knows illegal immigration really hurts poor countries and helps the rich, but can’t admit that with Trump in the way. Trump will be seen as a genius statesman in the history books, after universities are taken back by the People again, however.

BINGO!!!

Woah, get out much? deep state? man, turn off the star trek reruns...

Rep. Matt Gaetz is doing a great job and doing us all a great favor by challenging the inept and hate-filled Adam Schiff & Nancy Pelosi. Sadly, the Democrat's adopting the policies of fascism has made them incompatible with normal people. I always had hope that they could change, but at present it seems that they are content to hate everyone that disagrees with them.

Gaetz and Captain Crenshaw are at happy hour...again...

Gaetz is even more of a developmentally-challenged *** and incompetent than Humpty Trumpty. It's a true amazement that the Republican party has turned into this. Must be the result of the failure of American public education, failure of the family, and failure of religion. (???) Nothing else could possibly explain it.

I wonder if you would make these insipid comments if you were forced to reveal your true name. The cloak of anonymity has saved you for now. "Must be the result of the failure of a American public education, failure of the family, and faiure of religion" that prevents you from possessing the courage of your convictions. "Nothing else could possibly explain it..."

What are the Democrats hiding?

They're hiding the fact that their impeachment is just another dirty way to try to gain political power.

How "dirty" is it that Clinton got 3 million more votes than Trump - but he's president???

Trump won 30 states, Adolph Rodham Hitlary won 20. Checkmate and game over.

Two major events took place on Sunday that provide a spotlight onto the increasingly toxic culture of modern politics. Former Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) died, and Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) resigned from her seat over allegations of sexual misconduct. While these individuals share little in common other than their roles as public servants, both serve as examples of what happens when a political party portrays itself as a moral arbiter.

Really? moral arbiter, perhaps you should consider, Chris Collins, Dennis Bonnen, Val DiGiorgio, Mark Foley and Roy Moore before you start preaching there Sister Cathy.... Baahaahaa...

Contrary to the complaints, the impeachment proceedings have not been entirely irregular. Here are some facts and context behind the Republicans' complaints. Formal vote - One aspect of the House's current proceedings that Republican leaders have criticized is the lack of a full House vote to authorize the impeachment inquiry. In a letter, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said continuing the inquiry without a vote would render the process "devoid of any merit or legitimacy." While the House voted to launch a formal impeachment inquiry in the case of both Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, Democrats say the Constitution does not require any such vote to conduct an inquiry. Furthermore, recent changes to subpoena powers mean the Democratic-majority House committees leading the inquiry already have that tool at their disposal. - Location of the hearings - Rep. Jim Jordan criticized the secretive nature of the hearings, telling Fox News's Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith that "it's all being done in the basement of the Capitol where no one in the country can see." The hearings are taking place in the SCIF, a secure space on Capitol Hill often used for classified briefings, which is located in the basement of the Congressional Visitor's Center. The SCIF is where the House Intelligence Committee — which is leading the impeachment investigation — conducts its work. It's the same space where the Republican-led Intelligence Committee conducted interviews for the Russia investigation in the last Congress. Although normally committee hearings must be open, members can vote to close the hearing under specific circumstances. According to House rules, a hearing should be closed if the "disclosure" of the witnesses would defame or incriminate someone, endanger national security, compromise sensitive law enforcement info, or violate a House rule. Investigations into Nixon and Clinton also both featured closed door depositions before public hearings. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has said the committees will hold public hearings after the initial round of closed-door interviews. Schiff told reporters it was important the hearings were closed so as to prevent witnesses from overhearing and influencing each others' testimony, similar to the rationale used in criminal investigations. - Selective leaks - President Trump has also criticized the Democrats' impeachment hearings for "selective leaks," writing on Twitter that they were "allowing no transparency." It's not true that there has been "no transparency." The names of scheduled and subpoenaed witnesses are public. Additionally, the opening statements of several witnesses have been made available after their testimony. Schiff has said he plans to release transcripts but has not specified when. However, it is true that some information has been leaked, but both Republicans and Democrats have a long history of leaking information when convenient, as well as ridiculing leakers when the info is inconvenient. And some of the leaks, such as opening statements, have come from the witnesses themselves, including one that was issued as a press release. - Barring lawyers - On Fox, Jordan claimed, "In the interviews, no White House lawyers can be there, no agency lawyers can be there." It's true that White House lawyers are not participating, but barring them is not surprising nor unusual for hearings of this nature. To justify his decision, Schiff has said he is conducting these preliminary hearings like grand jury testimony. And Republicans will have their chance to allow White House lawyers to participate should the impeachment inquiry go to trial in the Senate. However, to Jordan's point, for the closed-door sessions during the Nixon impeachment investigation, the President's lawyer was allowed to participate and cross-examine witnesses. - Hearing procedure - On October 16, McCarthy accused the Democrats of preventing Republicans from cross-examining witnesses during these hearings. Schiff said this is inaccurate, and that he has been conscientious about "giving the GOP members every opportunity to ask questions."McCarthy's fellow Republican Rep. Mark Meadows told The Washington Post that each side alternates asking questions in set time blocks and that there has been no limit provided for the number of questions each side can ask the witnesses. Normal procedure dictates that the chair of the committee gets the first statement, then the ranking member or another member of the minority, followed by the witnesses opening statement. Thus far, staff attorneys for both parties have led the majority of the questioning, with members adding in their own questions, too. Lawmakers and aides have told the press the Democrats and Republicans have traded off hourlong and 45-minute rounds until all of their questions have been exhausted, meaning both sides have equal time. - Republicans calling witnesses - Jordan told Fox News the Republicans "can't get the witnesses we want to call." This is because the House Republicans are in the minority and as such, they do not have subpoena power. In both the Nixon and Clinton impeachment inquiries, language in the resolution granted the minority party this power, but with a caveat: subpoenas were voted upon by the committee, which meant the majority, in theory, had the power to block subpoenas proposed by the minority. Even in the Clinton investigation, witnesses for the defense were not called until several weeks of hearings had already been completed. Boom, mike drop...out

Blah blah blah...

Note the for years Adam Schiff was calling for complete and open transparency with the Russian probe -- now that he runs a similar investigation he has shut most access. He even suggested the whistleblower submit written testimony, in order to avoid cross-examinations. Then look at the interview in this article. Haylie Jackson is asking questions about a testimony she and her network were fed, that House members did not even have access to. This is all an utter sham.

You damned fools, Taylor's own attorney released most of his testimony to the media. Turn off FoxNews and OAN and think for yourself dufus...

"Grand Jury Proceedings"? WTF? If these were supposed to be on a par with grand jury proceedings, then why do we hear every night the selective leaked testimony of the witnesses. This is nothing more than the regular Democrat version of a #LynchParty.

#LynchPart? You dumbass, the idiot, orange manalishi admitted to treason in the transcripts you fools... You go ahead and ride those coattails into the ground. You dumbasses deserve the same fate as your reality TV, draft dogging phony... Buh Bye

Blah blah blah...

We are all so proud of you for your courageousness Rep. Matt Gaetz. The Democrat party has been screwing America for too long, and you are our voice!

BINGO!

Over the last 39 years, there's been a Democratic president for only 16 years. Any screw-job over the period has Republican fingerprints all over it, Yvette! (Mostly Reagan's and Trumps!)

The Democrat party has enlisted their mentor Vladimir Putin to help Adam Schiff at every step of the way.

Vlad sure wishes that he still had his puppet Obozo or his second favorite Hillary.

This is a Russian plant. No American is this stupid. It's the Democratic party, Moron. Is your vocabulary bigger than Trumps? (50 words) Very very very!

i dunno, Jack. Seems like there's some pretty stupid Americans at Trump pep rallies.

Not as stupid as the idiots wearing the female genital hats to democRAT party events.

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