Rep. Schiff: It’s ‘Deeply Troubling’ How Nunes Is Speaking Directly to Press

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Schiff In ░░░░░░░░ with the committee who ░░░░░░░░ share that information with ░░░░░░░░ White House The committee ░░░░░░░░ still not received the ░░░░░░░░ or other information that ░░░░░░░░ chairman was referring to ░░░░░░░░ therefore it is really ░░░░░░░░ for us to evaluate ░░░░░░░░ of the merits of ░░░░░░░░ the chairman has said ░░░░░░░░ I can say this ░░░░░░░░ chairman will need to ░░░░░░░░ whether he is the ░░░░░░░░ of an independent investigation ░░░░░░░░ conduct which includes allegations ░░░░░░░░ potential coordination between the ░░░░░░░░ campaign and the Russians ░░░░░░░░ he is going to ░░░░░░░░ as a surrogate of ░░░░░░░░ White House Because he ░░░░░░░░ do both And unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ think the actions of ░░░░░░░░ throw great doubt into ░░░░░░░░ ability of both the ░░░░░░░░ and the committee to ░░░░░░░░ the investigation the way ░░░░░░░░ ought to be conducted ░░░░░░░░ have expressed these grave ░░░░░░░░ with the chairman I ░░░░░░░░ learned about this the ░░░░░░░░ that all of you ░░░░░░░░ When the chairman briefed ░░░░░░░░ press in advance of ░░░░░░░░ his own committee members ░░░░░░░░ that is a deep ░░░░░░░░ problem I think it ░░░░░░░░ underscore the importance of ░░░░░░░░ an independent commission a ░░░░░░░░ that is fully independent ░░░░░░░░ any political considerations including ░░░░░░░░ that may emanate from ░░░░░░░░ White House That would ░░░░░░░░ give me a lot ░░░░░░░░ confidence that in addition ░░░░░░░░ whatever work our committee ░░░░░░░░ and the Senate intelligence ░░░░░░░░ does that there is ░░░░░░░░ an independent body that ░░░░░░░░ looking into the grave ░░░░░░░░ that had been raised ░░░░░░░░ with respect to the ░░░░░░░░ themselves that the chairman ░░░░░░░░ those have not been ░░░░░░░░ to the committee for ░░░░░░░░ But on the basis ░░░░░░░░ what the chairman has ░░░░░░░░ and on the basis ░░░░░░░░ my conversation with the ░░░░░░░░ I can say this ░░░░░░░░ is still no evidence ░░░░░░░░ the president was wiretapped ░░░░░░░░ his predecessor President Trump ░░░░░░░░ claims that he was ░░░░░░░░ remain as baseless today ░░░░░░░░ they were yesterday And ░░░░░░░░ were the day before ░░░░░░░░ the directors of the ░░░░░░░░ and NSA testified that ░░░░░░░░ were made without any ░░░░░░░░ in fact If the ░░░░░░░░ today is an indication ░░░░░░░░ after making the baseless ░░░░░░░░ the president then aggravated ░░░░░░░░ damage by implicating the ░░░░░░░░ in a potential plot ░░░░░░░░ have the British surveil ░░░░░░░░ on behalf of President ░░░░░░░░ and now is attempting ░░░░░░░░ interfere in the congressional ░░░░░░░░ again with the effort ░░░░░░░░ trying to provide some ░░░░░░░░ to a claim without ░░░░░░░░ then the damage the ░░░░░░░░ ball of this allegation ░░░░░░░░ just claimed another victim ░░░░░░░░ being our own committee ░░░░░░░░ I understand from the ░░░░░░░░ is that he has ░░░░░░░░ intercepts of foreign intelligence ░░░░░░░░ what I understand from ░░░░░░░░ chairman is there s ░░░░░░░░ indication that that surveillance ░░░░░░░░ anything but lawful And ░░░░░░░░ people need to understand ░░░░░░░░ foreign intelligence gathering and ░░░░░░░░ collection is if we ░░░░░░░░ listening to two foreign ░░░░░░░░ for example talking to ░░░░░░░░ other on foreign soil ░░░░░░░░ two representatives of a ░░░░░░░░ government and they mention ░░░░░░░░ U S Person that ░░░░░░░░ incidental collection It doesn ░░░░░░░░ necessarily mean there s ░░░░░░░░ call from a foreign ░░░░░░░░ to a U S ░░░░░░░░ Even the mention of ░░░░░░░░ U S Person is ░░░░░░░░ collection And that name ░░░░░░░░ be masked If there ░░░░░░░░ a call with a ░░░░░░░░ S Person or person ░░░░░░░░ are involved at all ░░░░░░░░ names are masked But ░░░░░░░░ are proper procedures for ░░░░░░░░ a name When it ░░░░░░░░ necessary for the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ to understand the significance ░░░░░░░░ the intercept and they ░░░░░░░░ do that when the ░░░░░░░░ are masked you can ░░░░░░░░ unmask the name The ░░░░░░░░ has provided no evidence ░░░░░░░░ any names that were ░░░░░░░░ were unmasked inproperly Of ░░░░░░░░ without the ability for ░░░░░░░░ committee to look at ░░░░░░░░ intercepts we re not ░░░░░░░░ a position to evaluate ░░░░░░░░ the procedures were followed ░░░░░░░░ not followed Moreover as ░░░░░░░░ understand from my conversation ░░░░░░░░ the chairman most of ░░░░░░░░ names in the intercepts ░░░░░░░░ in fact masked and ░░░░░░░░ chairman s concern was ░░░░░░░░ he could still figure ░░░░░░░░ the identities of some ░░░░░░░░ the parties even though ░░░░░░░░ names were masked Well ░░░░░░░░ doesn t mean that ░░░░░░░░ masking was improper And ░░░░░░░░ again it s impossible ░░░░░░░░ evaluate whether there s ░░░░░░░░ there of the intercepts ░░░░░░░░ the committee able to ░░░░░░░░ at them thus the ░░░░░░░░ has not provided this ░░░░░░░░ to the committee So ░░░░░░░░ is deeply troubling along ░░░░░░░░ levels But among the ░░░░░░░░ significant levels is it ░░░░░░░░ impedes our ability to ░░░░░░░░ this investigation the way ░░░░░░░░ should I ve been ░░░░░░░░ of investigations that were ░░░░░░░░ properly When the house ░░░░░░░░ committee investigated Benghazi and ░░░░░░░░ ve been part of ░░░░░░░░ that is were not ░░░░░░░░ as the Benghazi select ░░░░░░░░ It was my hope ░░░░░░░░ our investigation could be ░░░░░░░░ properly It s still ░░░░░░░░ hope that this investigation ░░░░░░░░ be conducted properly but ░░░░░░░░ the actions of the ░░░░░░░░ throw that very much ░░░░░░░░ doubt And I would ░░░░░░░░ happy to respond to ░░░░░░░░ questions.”