House Judiciary Committee Democrats killed a motion to call House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff (D-CA) to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry, given his office’s central role in the whistleblower complaint that triggered inquiry.
Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) made the motion to require the attendance and testimony of Schiff before the House Judiciary Committee, transmitting a letter requesting the same.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) then recognized a Democrat who made a motion to table — or postpone — consideration of Collins’ motion. Democrats voted to table the motion, while Republicans voted against tabling it. The vote fell along party lines at 24-17.
House Intelligence Committee Republicans had requested Schiff testify during the initial phases of the impeachment inquiry, due to revelations the whistleblower who kickstarted the House Democrats’ launch of an impeachment inquiry went to Schiff’s committee before filing his complaint.
The New York Times reported the whistleblower went to a Schiff’s aide before filing a complaint, and that the aide instructed the whistleblower to obtain legal counsel and then file a formal complaint with the intelligence community inspector general. The Times also reported that the aide passed on the “outlines” of the whistleblower’s complaint to Schiff.
Schiff then later disclosed the existence of the whistleblower complaint, and demanded for the ICIG to hand the complaint over to Congress. He also denied he or his office ever communicated with the whistleblower before he filed the complaint. His staff later walked back Schiff’s comments, claiming he meant that they never formally interviewed them, and that Schiff has never met with the whistleblower himself.
Schiff has denied knowing who the whistleblower is, but has stopped Republicans questioning witnesses on who they spoke with in the intelligence community about concerns that the president was withholding aid from Ukraine.
Schiff first said he would bring the whistleblower in to testify, then later said it was not necessary. So far, he has refused to call the whistleblower in to testify despite Republican requests.
If the House votes on articles of impeachment on Trump and it heads to the Senate, Republicans would be able to request that Schiff testify.
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