Page 11 - HOH UPDATED

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 25 February 2019
Rep. Schiff warns of subpoenas, lawsuit over Mueller report
By MARY CLARE JALONICK "a tarnished legacy."
and HOPE YEN Schiff's comments come as
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Democrats have made it
House Democrat threat- clear that they are ready
ened on Sunday to call for an aggressive, public
special counsel Robert fight with the Justice De-
Mueller to Capitol Hill, sub- partment if they are not
poena documents and sue satisfied with the level of
the Trump administration if access they have to Muel-
the full report on Mueller's ler's findings.
Russia investigation is not Mueller is showing signs
made public. of wrapping up his nearly
Rep. Adam Schiff, chair- 2-year-old investigation
man of the House Intelli- into possible coordination
gence Committee, said his between Trump associates
committee will keep close and Russia's efforts to sway
watch on new Attorney the 2016 election. The re-
General William Barr to see port isn't expected to be
ers after his panel voted in a closed session to send more than
if he were "to try to bury any delivered to the Justice
part of this report." Schiff, D- Department this coming
Calif., also pledged to "take week.
it to court if necessary." Barr has said he wants to
He said anything less than release as much informa- clear that he will decide Schiff, in a television inter- withholding information on
complete disclosure would tion as he can. But dur- what the public sees, and view, suggested that any- Trump on the basis of de-
leave Barr, who now over- ing his confirmation hear- that any report will be in his thing short of Mueller's full partment opinions that the
sees the investigation, with ing last month, Barr made words, not Mueller's.
part of their own inquiries.
Schiff said he told depart-
ment officials after they re-
leased information related
to the Clinton investigation
that "this was a new prece-
dent they were setting and
they were going to have
to live by this precedent
whether it was a Congress
controlled by the Demo-
crats or Republicans."
Beyond that, however, is
"the intense public need
to know here, which I think
overrides any other consid-
In a Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 file photo, House Intelligence eration," he said.
Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., speaks with report- Democrats could use Muel-
50 interview transcripts from its now-closed Russia investigation ler's findings as the basis of
to special counsel Robert Mueller, on Capitol Hill in Washington. impeachment proceed-
Associated Press ings. In a letter Friday,
Democrats warned against
report would not satisfy president can't be indicted.
Democrats. He pointed to "We are going to get to the
a public interest in seeing bottom of this," Schiff said.
some of the underlying evi- "If the president is serious
dence, such as information about all of his claims of ex-
gathered from searches oneration, then he should
conducted on longtime welcome the publication
Trump adviser Roger Stone of this report."
and Paul Manafort, a for- Many Republicans have
mer Trump campaign also argued that the full
chairman. report should be released,
With Democrats taking con- though most have stopped
trol of the House in January short of saying it should be
and Schiff now the com- subpoenaed.
mittee chairman, he has "We need to get the facts
undertaken his own inves- out there, get this behind
tigation. That means re-ex- us in a way that people
amining issues covered by thought that anybody that
a now-closed GOP probe should have been talked
that concluded there was to was talked to any ques-
no evidence Trump's cam- tion that should have been
paign conspired with Rus- asked, was asked," said
sia. Schiff has said the com- Sen. Roy Blunt, a member
mittee also will pursue new of the Senate Intelligence
matters, including whether Committee.
foreign governments have But asked if he thought
leverage over Trump, his there could be a subpoe-
relatives or associates. na, Blunt, R-Mo., said, "I
Some Democrats are point- don't know that you can."
ing to documents that Jus- The Senate committee
tice Department officials also has been investigating
provided to Congress in the whether Trump's campaign
wake of the investigation conspired with Russia. Blunt
of Hillary Clinton's emails, suggested a conclusion in
as well as information that that probe might wait until
Republicans demanded as after Mueller's report.q