House Speaker Kevin McCarthy threw conservative media outlets into disarray on Tuesday, with many suggesting Representative Adam Schiff should be removed from Congress.
McCarthy’s comments came in response to a reporter asking what accountability looks like following the release of the Durham Report.
Durham’s report, details of which were released earlier this week, found that the FBI did not have enough “factual evidence” to investigate allegations of Trump-Russia collusion and revealed that they and the Department of Justice “failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law.”
“You have pledged, if the GOP takes the majority in the House, that you would investigate the findings of the Durham investigation. Now that the report has been released, what does accountability look like?” a reporter asked.
McCarthy replied that House Republicans are looking to have Durham testify “so we can look at it more” and made the following comments about Democrat Adam Schiff:
“You remember when he told the American people he had proof? Remember when he told him he didn’t know the whistleblower and what he put America through and openly lied to us? And now it’s proven in this as well,” he continued.
“It raises a lot of questions about his character, his standing inside of Congress, or whether he should even be in Congress.”
.@SpeakerMcCarthy calls out Adam Schiff after the Durham Report: “Remember when he told the American people he had proof? … openly lied to us?
“It raises a lot of questions about his character, his standing inside of Congress, or whether he should even be in Congress.” pic.twitter.com/8T5HtnBPav
— GOP (@GOP) May 17, 2023
Will McCarthy Kick Schiff Out of Congress?
Apologies for being a Debbie Downer here, but does anyone in their right mind think Kevin McCarthy has the intestinal fortitude to expel Adam Schiff from Congress? Or that he could whip up the two-thirds necessary to do so?
Even in the above video clip alone, there is some hedging.
Why does anybody have to “look at it more” with Durham’s testimony as McCarthy states, even as the report itself has “proven” Schiff “openly lied”?
The report has been released to the public. His lies have been on record for years. His leaks have been readily transparent during that time. We’ve all seen it. It is “proven,” as McCarthy states.
Wow! Harsh language – you’re such a tough guy, Kev.
— Brett R. Smith (@BrettRSmith76) May 16, 2023
Representative Schiff (D-CA) had repeatedly stated for years through friendly media outlets that there was “direct evidence” of collusion.
“I think there is direct evidence in the emails from the Russians through their intermediary offering dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of what is described in writing as the Russian government effort to help elect Donald Trump,” Schiff said during a CBS interview in March of 2019.
Direct evidence. He knew there was no such thing but he fed it to the media regardless.
Schiff would also claim that he had “more than circumstantial evidence” of collusion. He still hasn’t shown that alleged evidence.
I’m still waiting for Adam Schiff’s Direct Evidence!? https://t.co/emn3HfOFiT pic.twitter.com/dUxkb4ULxW
— Lawyerforlaws (@lawyer4laws) May 6, 2020
Back in 2020, The Political Insider reported on transcripts of the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia probe showing Obama officials testifying time and again that they had no evidence of collusion.
Now, according to Durham, “The FBI had no information in its holding indicating that any time during the campaign anyone in the Trump campaign had been in contact with any Russian intelligence officials.”
But don’t you worry, the Speaker of the House and his fellow Republicans are going to “look at it more.”
And to show he’s super-serious about holding Schiff accountable, McCarthy has issued a strongly worded … tweet. A tweet showing a letter from the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government inviting Durham to testify next week.
“If you’re concerned about threats to our democracy, you are right to be angry over the coordinated campaign to lie to the American public for years about Russia collusion—peddled at the highest levels of government, from Adam Schiff to the DOJ—to try to influence an election,” McCarthy wrote.
“This is why Republicans created a @Weaponization Committee—to get to the bottom of this abuse of power and bring accountability.”
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHO ARE YOU IMPEACHING? FOR GOD’S SAKE DO SOMETHING BESIDES WRITE LETTERS!!!
— Larry Schweikart (@LarrySchweikart) May 16, 2023
RELATED: Transcripts Show Obama Officials Admitting Time After Time They Had No Evidence Of Russia Collusion
If You Can Dodge a Wrench, You Can Dodge Accountability
It would appear Kevin McCarthy’s big plan to deal with one of the biggest peddlers of Russian collusion misinformation – misinformation that would dog President Trump for years and undermine the entirety of his administration – is to have Durham testify about his already published report, hold committee hearings, tweet about them, and of course, “look at it more.”
Willing to bet he’ll even send out some fundraising emails. That’ll put Schiff in his place.
In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, McCarthy continued to dodge on what accountability looks like.
“Will there be accountability here?” she asked.
“There has to be,” McCarthy replied, but failing to note what form that would take.
“Maria, it’s not just me who knew. You knew it. And you got criticized for speaking the truth. And that’s what’s wrong. Is CNN talking about this? Is the White House talking about this?”
Kevin McCarthy:
“They took America through an impeachment, over a lie that they knew.
You had Adam Schiff who Chairman of the Intel committee, lying day after day to the American public, that he had proof…when you look at Hillary Clinton, she created this.” pic.twitter.com/HSqHdL7Jcj
— Hank (R) Deplorable (@DeplorableHank1) May 17, 2023
Why would they talk about it? They know Republicans will kick the can down the road with letters and hearings but with ultimately nobody being held accountable for their actions.
“Why is this individual still in Congress?” McCarthy asked, seemingly unaware that he, as Speaker of the House, is obviously the most powerful person in a position to do something about it.
Do you know who might want to look into that? Somebody with the ability to call into action Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution which states “each House may … punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.”
Prove you mean what you say, Speaker McCarthy. Call a vote. Even if it fails … do something. Force the media to talk about the vote, to talk about Schiff’s lies.
Oh, and as luck would have it, Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) on Wednesday introduced a resolution to have Schiff expelled from Congress.
Schiff lied to the American people. He used his position on House Intel to push a lie that cost American taxpayers millions of dollars.
He is a dishonor to the House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/mg1005S8B6
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) May 17, 2023
“The Durham Report makes clear that the Russian Collusion was a lie from day one and Schiff knowingly used his position in an attempt to divide our country,” Paulina said in a statement.
She added that Schiff “is a dishonor to the House of Representatives.”
Paulina is taking appropriate action. Will McCarthy back her up?
To his credit, the Speaker did remove Schiff from the House Intelligence Committee earlier this year for leaking classified information in order to propagate the Russia collusion hoax.
“Schiff has lied to the American public,” he succinctly stated.
Now he’s got even more proof. Perhaps we’ve moved past the ‘let’s look into it more’ phase, Mr. Speaker.
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