Trump-Putin phone calls in U.S. Democrats' sights - Schiff

[webfact]

Trump-Putin phone calls in U.S. Democrats' sights - Schiff

By Doina Chiacu and David Morgan

 

FILE PHOTO - U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (R-CA) talks to reporters after testimony from Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire about the handling of the whistleblower complaint on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress is determined to get access to Donald Trump's calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, the chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said on Sunday, citing concerns the Republican president may have jeopardized national security.

 

"I think the paramount need here is to protect the national security of the United States and see whether in the conversations with other world leaders and in particular with Putin that the president was also undermining our security in a way that he thought would personally benefit his campaign," Democrat Adam Schiff said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

 

Congress is investigating a whistleblower complaint that said Trump solicited a political favour from Ukraine's president that could help him get re-elected to a second term next year. Democrats say Trump's actions jeopardized national security and the integrity of U.S. elections.

 

The whistleblower's complaint cited a telephone call in which Trump asked President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leader among Democrats seeking to challenge Trump in 2020, and his son Hunter. Hunter Biden sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company.

 

The July 25 phone call came shortly after the United States froze nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine, prompting concern that Trump was using the taxpayer money already approved by Congress as leverage for his personal political gain.

 

The complaint said White House lawyers directed that an electronic summary of the call be moved from the place where such things are usually kept to a secret server reserved for covert matters.

 

"If those conversations with Putin or with other world leaders are sequestered in that same electronic file that is meant for covert action, not meant for this, if there's an effort to hide those and cover those up, yes we're determined to find out," Schiff said on NBC.

 

Schiff did not say whether he plans to subpoena that information. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Schiff's statement that he wanted access to the call summaries."

 

The Ukraine scandal cast a shadow over Trump's presidency just months after the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of whether the Trump campaign worked with Russia to help him win the 2016 presidential election.

 

That investigation concluded that Moscow waged a social media and propaganda campaign aimed at putting Trump in the White House. The Mueller report, released in April, laid out numerous contacts between Russian officials and Trump’s campaign, but found no evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

 

The Ukraine matter prompted Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to launch an impeachment inquiry against Trump on Tuesday.

 

"DEEP STATE OPERATIVE"

Polls show an increase in support for Trump's impeachment last week, and Democrats say they think voters are turning their way. Republican leaders maintain the inquiry will backfire.

 

Trump says there was nothing wrong with his phone call with the Ukrainian leader and denounced the whistleblower as a "political hack."

 

White House adviser Stephen Miller took up the attack on Sunday, accusing the whistleblower of being part of a "deep state" government conspiracy to foment opposition to Trump.

 

"I know the difference between a whistleblower and a 'deep state' operative. This is a 'deep state' operative pure and simple," he told "Fox News Sunday."

 

Trump's Republican supporters in Congress defended the president's actions on Sunday TV news shows. "I have zero problems with this phone call,” Senator Lindsey Graham said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

 

The whistleblower's complaint was deemed credible by the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community and the acting director of national intelligence told lawmakers the person "acted in good faith" and "did the right thing."

 

The intelligence committee has reached an agreement with the whistleblower to appear before the panel, Schiff told ABC's "This Week." Schiff said he hoped it would be very soon.

 

Lawmakers were working out logistics to protect the person's identity and get security clearance for lawyers who represent the whistleblower. A person close to the whistleblower said on Sunday many issues remained to be worked out.

 

House committees on Friday issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for documents concerning contact with the Ukrainian government. They also scheduled depositions for five State Department officials.

 

Schiff said Trump's personal lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appeared to lay the foundation for Trump’s call to Zelenskiy through his efforts to encourage Ukrainian authorities to investigate the Biden family.

 

Schiff told ABC his committee would decide whether to have Giuliani testify after the investigation fleshes out details of his involvement.

 

Giuliani said on Sunday he would testify with Trump's approval.

 

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and David Morgan; Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-30

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[Boon Mee]

Unbelievable! 

These people never stop! 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Unbelievable! 

These people never stop! 

Not should they.

 

They have a duty to hold the executive in check.

 

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

[DoctorG]

If leader-to-leader conversations are made public, nobody will talk with any POTUS, current and future.

[OneMoreFarang]

22 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

If leader-to-leader conversations are made public, nobody will talk with any POTUS, current and future.

Hey Putin, what can I do for you so that you keep that annoying kompromat out of the media?

[riclag]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

White House adviser Stephen Miller took up the attack on Sunday, accusing the whistleblower of being part of a "deep state" government conspiracy to foment opposition to Trump.

 

"I know the difference between a whistleblower and a 'deep state' operative. This is a 'deep state' operative pure and simple," he told "Fox News Sunday."

  My opinion is, It appears you and Chuck Shummer have issues with Intel operatives working for our government! 

Edited September 30, 2019 by riclag

[grumbleweed]

36 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

If leader-to-leader conversations are made public, nobody will talk with any POTUS, current and future.

Although to some this may seem like a great idea, it only concerns occasions when the POTUS is engaged in skulduggery. Many conversations between past POTUS and other world leaders have never been revealed without the need for them to be hidden away

 

[riclag]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Lawmakers were working out logistics to protect the person's identity and get security clearance for lawyers who represent the whistleblower. A person close to the whistleblower said on Sunday many issues remained to be worked out

They must expose this person in the senate! Get some questions answered, like who helped you with your second hand info. Very serious allegation! What level of hatred  and political bias does this person have?

Edited September 30, 2019 by riclag

[Tug]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

Unbelievable! 

These people never stop! 

Sir when the president Is derelict in his duty to protect our national security is willing to give up our sovereignty to rigg our elections is derelict in protecting our constitution what would you expect we the Americans people need to know how much damage he has done 

[cmarshall]

Actually, I think there is some truth to the theory that the intelligence community is out to get Trump.  Since I loathe Trump myself, I welcome their help, but it is ominous.  Where did the leak suddenly come from that Trump told Lavrov and Kislyak that he didn't mind Russia's interference in the 2016 election?  Mueller never knew that.  Also, since the whistleblower is CIA why would we suppose that he was acting entirely on his own initiative?

 

It's well to remember that none of the presidents who fired a director of CIA had second terms, i.e. Kennedy, Nixon, and Ford.  While Carter did not fire a DCI, he did appoint an outsider, Stansfield Turner, to the position who then cleaned house by firing a large number of CIA personnel.  Carter didn't get a second term either.

Edited September 30, 2019 by cmarshall

[Sujo]

17 minutes ago, riclag said:

They must expose this person in the senate! Get some questions answered, like who helped you with your second hand info. Very serious allegation! What level of hatred  and political bias does this person have?

So your only issue is with the whistleblower. Not the misdeeds of trump.

[Thainesss]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Not should they.

 

They have a duty to hold the executive in check.

 

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

 

Just be ready for it in return when the left eventually wins a presidential election. Seems this is now the standard. One party attacking the other using the very institution that was made for the citizens. 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

If leader-to-leader conversations are made public, nobody will talk with any POTUS, current and future.

Well they’ll not conspire to commit crimes against the US by phone.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

They must expose this person in the senate! Get some questions answered, like who helped you with your second hand info. Very serious allegation! What level of hatred  and political bias does this person have?

You need to read the whistleblower act.

 

The US is not yet the police state you seem to want it to be.

[scottiejohn]

56 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

It's well to remember that none of the presidents who fired a director of CIA had second terms, i.e. Kennedy

Why name Kennedy in that list?  I have some vague recollection that he was killed during his first term and was therefore unable to run for a second term.  I don't think the firing of a CIA director has any bearing unless you are saying the CIA killed him.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, cmarshall said:

Actually, I think there is some truth to the theory that the intelligence community is out to get Trump.  Since I loathe Trump myself, I welcome their help, but it is ominous.  Where did the leak suddenly come from that Trump told Lavrov and Kislyak that he didn't mind Russia's interference in the 2016 election?  Mueller never knew that.  Also, since the whistleblower is CIA why would we suppose that he was acting entirely on his own initiative?

 

It's well to remember that none of the presidents who fired a director of CIA had second terms, i.e. Kennedy, Nixon, and Ford.  While Carter did not fire a DCI, he did appoint an outsider, Stansfield Turner, to the position who then cleaned house by firing a large number of CIA personnel.  Carter didn't get a second term either.

Given it was Moscow Mitch who talked Trump into releasing the extremely incriminating phone call transcripts it is a much more credible argument that it is the GOP that want rid of Trump.

[Chomper Higgot]

It was reported on ‘60 Minutes’ that the Whistleblower is now in a Federal Protection Program.

 

In Trump’s America telling the truth has become a life threatening pastime.

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Unbelievable! 

These people never stop! 

 

Yeah, what they ought to do instead is have a new Benghazi investigation.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

  My opinion is, It appears you and Chuck Shummer have issues with Intel operatives working for our government! 

 

My opinion is that you "forgot" the President's issues with the intelligence community.

[Eric Loh]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

White House adviser Stephen Miller took up the attack on Sunday, accusing the whistleblower of being part of a "deep state" government conspiracy to foment opposition to Trump.

Stephen Miller just like Jim Jordan only know how to be discursive and obfuscate. Never had a direct answers to any questions by Chris Wallace (FOX) and Jake Tapper (CNN). 

[bendejo]

1 hour ago, cmarshall said:

Actually, I think there is some truth to the theory that the intelligence community is out to get Trump.  Since I loathe Trump myself, I welcome their help, but it is ominous.  Where did the leak suddenly come from that Trump told Lavrov and Kislyak that he didn't mind Russia's interference in the 2016 election?  Mueller never knew that.  Also, since the whistleblower is CIA why would we suppose that he was acting entirely on his own initiative?

 

It's well to remember that none of the presidents who fired a director of CIA had second terms, i.e. Kennedy, Nixon, and Ford.  While Carter did not fire a DCI, he did appoint an outsider, Stansfield Turner, to the position who then cleaned house by firing a large number of CIA personnel.  Carter didn't get a second term either.

A curious post.

 

Nixon was elected in 1968, then re-elected in 1972.  Mentioning Kennedy like that is a sick joke.  Carter was betrayed by a CIA loyal to former director HW Bush.  Ask Ollie North how that worked.

 

A lot of the stuff being focused on now was reported back when it happened, but the Dems seemed to have better things to do at the time and the press was too caught up with "hey!  did you see his latest tweets?"

If you want to ask a question try "why wasn't his leak to the Russians in that private Oval Office meeting acted upon back then?"  They knew he had done it within hours of the meeting.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by bendejo

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Not should they.

 

They have a duty to hold the executive in check.

 

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear.

 

Pity no one held Obama in check when he blatantly interfered with the UK EU referendum!

 

Perhaps someone should have asked to check all Hilary's emails and phone call transcripts about Libya? Or maybe Bill's calls to all female interns and WH employees?

 

Ah no, the left never do anything wrong do they?

[Baerboxer]

57 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It was reported on ‘60 Minutes’ that the Whistleblower is now in a Federal Protection Program.

 

In Trump’s America telling the truth has become a life threatening pastime.

 

Have you ever read about the number of people connected with the Clinton's who met sudden strange deaths?

 

You should.

 

Now, who is claiming their life is being threatened apart from this whistleblower assuming 60 Minutes reporting is correct?

[quandow]

Earlier someone wrote "These people never stop." This post is relative to the topic as it shows a history of the buildup of how we got here, and why we should NEVER stop until this blight on the American political scene is removed. If people respond as trolls, that's not my problem:

 

That when you saw a man ridicule an American war hero, you said "Meh."

 

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine."

 

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay."

 

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem."

 

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue."

 

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you chirped, "He sure knows me."

 

That when you heard him illustrate his own character by telling that cute story about the elderly guest bleeding on the floor at his country club, the story about how he turned his back and how it was all an imposition on him, you said, "That's cool!"

 

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw.

 

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?"

 

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense."

 

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!"

 

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!"

 

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!"

 

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be."

 

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!"

 

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!"

 

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense."

 

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!"

 

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids and actually releasing some to sexual predators, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “well, OK then.”

 

That when you saw a man use the power of his office to strong arm another desperate country for his own political gain, you used every possible deflection within your grasp to deny actual treason.

 

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise.

 

THIS is why we must never stop until this man is removed from office.

[Tug]

Thanks quandow

[Becker]

16 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Have you ever read about the number of people connected with the Clinton's who met sudden strange deaths?

 

You should.

 

Now, who is claiming their life is being threatened apart from this whistleblower assuming 60 Minutes reporting is correct?

Tinfoil hat time...

[bendejo]

It's time to do the Clinton Pivot!

and a one and a two...

30 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Have you ever read about the number of people connected with the Clinton's who met sudden strange deaths?

 

 

Trump-Putin phone calls in U.S. Democrats' sights - Schiff

Is the topic at hand.  No Clintons here.

You need to make up some new stuff.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by bendejo

[Sujo]

30 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Pity no one held Obama in check when he blatantly interfered with the UK EU referendum!

 

Perhaps someone should have asked to check all Hilary's emails and phone call transcripts about Libya? Or maybe Bill's calls to all female interns and WH employees?

 

Ah no, the left never do anything wrong do they?

Obama didnt ask the UK to interfere in US politics.

 

Hilary didnt ask Libya to interfere in US politics.

 

Monica was not a foreign govt official being asked to interfere in US politics.

 

You may think its ok for foreign govts to interfere in elections but its not, and to ask them to help is illegal.

[Mac98]

4 hours ago, DoctorG said:

If leader-to-leader conversations are made public, nobody will talk with any POTUS, current and future.

The Intelligence Committee will review the conversations. They would only be made public if they contain criminal content and it is in the public interest to know. Most likely they would use it to get Trump's resignation and keep the conversations secret. Somebody must look at this information. He could have sold suitcase nukes. He is the only president to toss his interpreter out of the room and rely on Putin's man, just so theree would be no American witness to the conversation when they met in Iceland.

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by Mac98
clarification

[jany123]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Republican leaders maintain the inquiry will backfire.

Then, logically.... the republicans should support the inquiry. Oh... wait... logic... ????

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"I have zero problems with this phone call,” Senator Lindsey Graham said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

When the trump is impeached, his lackies that say “stuff” like this should also go down, as it is proof that they don’t serve in the people’s interests

 

surely their is a decent republican who can run in the 2020.