Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee said two words about Trump’s behavior in relation to firing Comey that should terrify the White House. Schiff’s talked about the potentially corrupt intent behind the president’s actions.
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Schiff said, It is certainly appropriate, and I think even necessary, that we investigate this, and I do think that it is evidence that bears on the intent of the president in urging White House Counsel to urge Jeff Sessions to ignore the advice of the ethics lawyers at the Justice Department. It certainly appears consistent with what the President has said about his firing of James Comey – and that is, he had Russia on his mind. He wanted loyalty from James Comey, he wanted loyalty from Jeff Sessions, and the way the President interprets loyalty is not loyalty to country, not loyalty to justice, but rather loyalty to him and having his back when it concerns the Russia investigation. I think this could very well be evidence that goes to the President’s intent, and of course, one of the elements of obstruction is having a corrupt intent that accompanies these acts.â€
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Republicans have argued since Comey was fired that Trump didn’t know what he was doing, and didn’t understand politics. The GOP defense has been that Trump had no corrupt intent, but the evidence is piling up that Donald Trump knew exactly what he was doing. Trump was trying to kill the Russia investigation from the first moment that he took office. By wanting Jeff Sessions to stay in charge of the Russia investigation, Trump showed that he was trying to obstruct the investigation through the Attorney General.
Trump has been his own worst enemy. If he ends up being charged with obstruction of justice, he will only have himself to blame.
If Democrats take back the House in 2018, it may not matter what Robert Mueller finds, because Adam Schiff will be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and investigating Trump for obstruction of justice.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
