There are growing calls for a full examination of the Democrats’ failed attempt to take down President Donald Trump via endless Russia investigations.
But one of the key players is working overtime to keep some of the most important information away from the public he serves.
And that has longtime Washington insiders wondering: Just what is Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., hiding?
Or as The Wall Street Journal editorial board put it in a recent highly critical op-ed piece: “Why is he sitting on declassified interviews in the collusion probe?”
In 2018, the House Intelligence Committee – then led by the GOP – investigated the collusion allegations and cleared Trump and his campaign, much as special counsel Robert Mueller would the following year.
When Democrats griped over the outcome, the committee voted unanimously to have its transcripts declassification and released.
Now, The Journal said 43 of those transcripts have been declassified – but Schiff has refused to release them despite the bipartisan vote.
In addition, Schiff is allegedly blocking the declassification of the 10 other transcripts from the probe.
“Mr. Schiff isn’t explaining his new opposition to transparency, though it seems likely he wants to shield promoters of the collusion theory from scrutiny,” the editorial board wrote. “Is he worried that the transcripts will highlight how little substance there was to his collusion claims?”
The paper said the transcripts include lengthy interviews with key Obama administration officials including then-National Security Adviser Susan Rice and former Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power as well as Trump insiders such as Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Corey Lewandowski, and Steve Bannon.
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told The Washington Examiner that Democrats on the committee blocked every GOP attempt to request documents and subpoenas in the Russia probe.
He accused Democrats of “blatantly continuing to hide documents that expose their own mistruths” and said there’s no reason to keep the documents secret “except that they want to hide what’s in them.”
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, took to Twitter this week to ask why Schiff was still hiding the transcripts.
Trump shared the message – and added a sentiment of his own:
Because Shifty is a crooked politician! https://t.co/bYkaJmy4Yj
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2020
At least one of the witnesses questioned behind closed doors wants the transcripts released.
Donald Trump Jr. – the president’s eldest son – accused Schiff of trying to hide important information from the public to protect witnesses on the left.
“Adam Schiff is desperately trying to hide these transcripts (including mine) from the American people,” he wrote on Twitter. “Who do you think he’s trying to protect? Me or Susan Rice, Samantha Power, Sally Yates and Andy McCabe?”
The Journal asked a similar question.
“Mr. Schiff spent years shouting cover-up only to be exposed for making things up. Now that the evidence is ready for public release, he’s defying the unanimous vote of a bipartisan committee to make them public,” the newspaper wrote. “What doesn’t Mr. Schiff want America to see?”
But this level of secrecy appears to be how Schiff operates; last year, many of his hearings into alleged Ukraine “quid pro quo” were also held in secret.
“If Adam Schiff and House Democrats were so proud of their work, they would be willing to show it,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said last year as he argued against secret hearings and “selective leaks” from Schiff and his team.
Under pressure, he eventually released those transcripts – and public opinion swung in favor of the president.
In an election year, that could be what Schiff fears most.
FLASHBACK: Behind-the-scenes, Adam Schiff gets some bad news
— Walter W. Murray is a reporter for The Horn News. He is an outspoken conservative and a survival expert, and is the author of “America’s Final Warning.”