Schiff: You Have To Be Looking Away To Say There’s No Evidence of Collusion

RUSH EXCERPT: 
TAPPER: "Does this report at all undermine the idea that the Russians had already established close contacted within the trump inner circle? This they have done that, why bother reaching out to hope hicks?"
SCHIFF: "They want to try to find as many influences as they can in foreign government. Even though they made contacts in the administration, probably none better than Mike Flynn, they were seeking other ways to exert influence. And I think we have seen that as part of a broad pattern, which I can’t get into here today, but that is very much consistent with the Russian tradecraft."
TAPPER: "You said earlier this week about the Russia investigation. You have to be trying to look away to say there’s no evidence of collusion here. As far as the public knows, we have seen the Russians dangling the damaging e-mails before contacts with the trump Administration team. And members of the trump team expressing willingness to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians. But we have not seen the actual connection. We haven’t seen an actual proof of cooperation and collusion. So what am I missing here?"
SVHIFF: "Well, you know, I think you have to look at the pattern and conology. In late April, the trump campaign says, we have stolen Hillary Clinton e-mails. Weeks later the Russians are making another approach to the campaign, this time at the highest level offering dirt to the Hillary Clinton campaign. We have information from campaign up to play. And the Russians themselves start publishing the e-mails through the cut-outs. Then you have trump Jr. In private secret communication with Wikileaks. So we have all these facts in chronology. You have to be believe these are all connected to each other. Can you prove beyond a reasonable doubt will be Mueller’s question to answer that the way they were going to deliver the help they offered. And that the campaign was not by trying to help out. That will be up to Mueller as we fill in the missing pieces. But we know the Russians accepted help, gave help, and the president made full use of the help. That’s pretty damming whether it is proof beyond a reasonable doubt conspiracy or not."