House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff has been accused of witness tampering by directing those who are testifying in the impeachment inquiry that they are not to answer any questions asked of them by certain Republicans under any circumstances.
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise told reporters on Capitol Hill that the secretive process of the ‘Soviet-Style’ impeachment inquiry of the Democrats is unacceptable. This continued sham of an inquiry where Schiff gets to choose all the witnesses and is also “directing witnesses not to answer questions that he doesn’t want the witness to answer if they’re asked by Republicans,” would be almost laughable if it weren’t taking up so much valuable time and money that could be used so much better elsewhere.
According to U.S. Code § 1512, anyone who “knowingly uses intimidation, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to cause or induce any person to withhold testimony” is considered to be guilty of witness tampering. If Schiff is indeed instructing witnesses in the impeachment inquiry of President Trump not to answer questions from Republicans; he is directly making an attempt to get them to withhold testimony.
In order for this to be a fair and transparent process for everyone, including the American people, both Democrats, as well as Republicans, should be allowed to call witnesses to testify and ask questions of all of the witnesses in the inquiry.
Schiff should in no way, shape, or form be preventing or attempting to prevent any witnesses from answering questions during the inquiry, nor should he be allowed to continue to keep Republicans from asking questions of any witness presented to testify.
Scalise had harsh criticism for the ‘witch hunt’ conductors and their elusive behavior. “What happened today confirms even worse just how poorly Adam Schiff is handling this process, denying the ability for Republicans to even ask basic questions that are critical to the heart of whether or not a President of the United States is impeached.”
In response to this continued mockery of the constitution by Dems, the White House sent a defiant 8-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemning her announcement of the impeachment inquiry and giving her warning that the Trump administration will not comply with the “illegitimate and unconstitutional” efforts.
“President Trump and his administration reject your baseless, unconstitutional efforts to overturn the democratic process,” states the letter. “Your unprecedented actions have left the president with no choice. In order to fulfill his duties to the American people, the Constitution, the Executive Branch, and all future occupants of the Office of the Presidency, President Trump and his administration cannot participate in your partisan and unconstitutional inquiry under these circumstances.”
It seems legitimate to say that the impeachment inquiry held by the Democrats is obviously not a fair or just process at all. In fact, according to Scalise, “This has been a tainted process from the start.”
