A day after the House Intelligence Committee held its first public hearing exploring allegations that Russia manipulated the 2016 election, the panel’s top Democrat questioned whether America’s current political climate can stomach a full investigation into what he called an “unprecedented act.”
“There is a seeming hesitancy to dig too deeply into possible collusion between the Trump organization and the Russians,” Rep. Adam Schiff, California Democrat, told a Tuesday morning briefing at the Washington-based Brookings Institute, adding, “I hope our committee can transcend partisan divisions and come together in the coming months to produce a report to which we can all attach our names.”
As the leading minority party member of the committee, Mr. Schiff has limited power. However, in the back and forth of yesterday’s committee testimony at the Capitol, he pressed FBI director James Comey to confirm what had been been widely reported but never directly addressed by the FBI — that the agency is investigating whether President Trump’s campaign staff colluded with Russia to influence the election.
On Tuesday, Mr. Schiff lamented that the Russian hacking investigation is unfolding amidst today’s “toxic” political environment and recalled a different nation when he first arrived in Washington as a member of Congress just after 9/11. “There was a unity of purpose and a resolve that together as Americans we could confront the scourge of al Qaeda and prevail.”
In today’s America, he added, “it’s a 24/7 brawl where truth is the first casually.”
Both Russia and the Trump administration have denied that they colluded during last year’s election.
• Dan Boylan can be reached at dboylan@washingtontimes.com.
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