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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

You mean like a tree? or a carrot? or rutabagas?

This is a sham. this is exactly like all impeachment inquiries have taken place in the past. the Repubs on the committee have access to all docs and transcripts. They have been asked not to share with the full House. If they choose to do so, they could... Gaetz is a fool and a liar, just like most politicians...

Did you eat paint chips as a kid? I watched the impeachment hearing on Nixon. I know impeachment hearings, this is no impeachment hearing...it is a #DemocratLynchParty.

And - you undoubtedly supported Nixon, right? LOL, LOL, LOL

Did you eat paint chips as a kid? I watched the impeachment hearing on Nixon. I know impeachment hearings, this is no impeachment hearing...it is a #DemocratLynchParty.

#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

Be patient. Once the preliminary inquiry (with all Republican members of the committee present), has gathered sufficient evidence to proceed, a public inquiry will commence with testimony, evidence and a vote on articles of impeachment. Articles of Impeachment if approved will then proceed for a vote before the full House. This will be very much like Nixon's, except it will involve obstruction of justice, extortion and self dealing, rather than burglary. What you and I watched on TV in 1973 was the public inquiry, headed by Rep Peter Rodino, and the start of senate proceedings with Sen Sam Ervin. Republican senators went to Nixon and let him know he would be convicted in the senate, so he got on the helicopter and left in disgrace and no senate vote took place. Current Republican senators are terrified of being primaried, they put party ahead of country unlike Howard Baker and others, so they will stick with Trump, and when the whole mess gets to the Senate, Sen McConnell will shut down the process with a quick party line vote after every senator gets a one minute speech. Trump to this day still has no clue that his effort to force an investigation of Biden's kid by using the suspension of military aid to a country on the front line with an active, low level war against Russian aggressors was wrong. He thinks it's perfect because he has no clue. He is about to learn the basics of our system of checks and balances. Your senators will acquit him with as little discussion as possible, and Trump will tell his rallies how he was cleared. The good news for all is that Guiliani has finally shut his mouth, and Trump has been behaving for almost a week. Use a good primer to eliminate resulting paint chips. Preparation is everything whether it is a painting job, or the job of impeaching a president.

Blah blah blah...

America has had enough of Adam's Schiff.

Another Russian Bot.

Given that the Russians are strongly on the side of the Democrat party, since their political philosophy is nearly identical, how did they post this stuff without Nancy Pelosi's permission?

Apparently Vladimir Putin has more pull in the Democrat party than Nasty Pelosi has!

Bassackwards, Becky!

Odd I think how Republicans wrote the rules for the impeachment inquiry process when they held the majority in the House. Now that Democrats hold the majority those rules aren’t good enough. Perhaps storming the hearing was their attempt to steal back control. Criminal acts like this are seen for what they are. As seen in game 5 of the World Series game recently. Many in attendance boos and chanted “Lock Them Up” when Trump, Gaetz and Scalise showed up.

Bullshìt

The Republicans wrote the rules, Ace, and if you look at a copy of them, you'll see the rules are signed by John Boehner, Republican speaker of the House at the time. They ARE Republican rules. Try to learn something sometime, Nony!

No, John Boehner Did NOT ‘Change Rules’ to Allow Democrat Impeachment Efforts. https://thewashingtonsentinel.com/no-john-boehner-did-not-change-rules-to-allow-democrat-impeachment-efforts/

The only change Boehner made to house rules was one allowing committee chairmen/women to issue subpoenas on their authority alone, without committee votes. He made no changes to impeachment rules.

You can say that again!

Try again, troll. Your effort to dissemble my name is noted for the record.

Stuff it, punk!

'Nony at his intellectual best! Ha, ha, ha!

The leftwinger troll got out-trolled!  :-)    :-)

Got a real name, "Anonymous"? Might give an atom's worth of credibility to your "comment".

Which is more than the credibility that the Democrat party has.

It's the Republican president who has spewed 12,347 verifiable lies over the past 33 months, Joycie!

...says a follower of the fascist democRAT party.

Republicans actually have seats on Committees with access to witness testimony. Gaetz is and always has been a common thug - and this is another Gaetz stunt aimed at deflection, witness tampering, and witness intimidation. The GOP controls the Senate, and will vote on whether to impeach Trump for fundamental violation of his oath of office. https://www.lawfareblog.com/what-happens-when-we-dont-believe-presidents-oath

Your first statement is very misleading. Yes, some Republicans have seats on committees, but they do not have access to the written transcripts of testimony given in the impeachment inquiry. They also have been forbidden to talk about anything they hear in those hearings. However, the MSM has been given "selective" bits of testimony with which they plant "reports" that are supposed to give the whole story of the testimony, but is only giving bits that insinuate bad things about the President.

57 Democrats and 48 Republicans on the three committees investigating potential impeachment. The Republicans have access to EVERYthing that the Democrats have access to.

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