On Sunday’s broadcast of CNN’s “State of the Union,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) refused to say he would testify in an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the Senate.
When asked if he would be willing to testify in the Senate, Schiff said, “There is nothing to testify about. I think if the president or his allies in the Senate persist, it means they are not serious about what they are doing.”
Host Jake Tapper said, “Sorry for interrupting. They would cite David Kendall, President Clinton’s attorney, got to cross-examine Ken Starr. I understand you are not an independent council, but you did lead the investigation.”
Schiff said, “I’m not a special counsel. I don’t work for a separate branch of government. I’m not in the Justice Department. I am more in a position that Henry Hyde was during the impeachment or Peter Rodino or Sam Ervin. They were not fact witnesses. What would I offer in terms of testimony that I heard Dr. Hill in open hearing say such and such? That is not pertinent. The only reason for them to go through with this is to mollify the president, and that is not a good reason to try to call a member of Congress as a witness.”
Tapper asked, “But there are questions you could answer about your staff having been approached by the whistleblower before he filed his complaint and other matters, things that you could shed light on our explain. Would you refuse to go if the Senate wanted you to come as a witness?”
Schiff added, “I don’t want to comment on it except to say that if they go down this road, it shows a fundamental lack of seriousness, a willingness to try to turn this into a circus-like the president would like, and I hope they don’t go there. There are others who are fact witnesses. We didn’t call in Senator Johnson. We’re not calling in Devin Nunes. We didn’t call in Senator Graham. There is a far stronger case for people like Senator Graham than the chairman doing the investigative committee work in the House.”
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