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Washington D.C. –Today, all 21 House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Republicans rebuked Adam Schiff in a letter after being denied access to impeachment related documents unless supervised by a House Intelligence Committee Democrat. The letter, led by Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX), demanded Schiff turn over key impeachment related documents to HFAC or face further action.

In the letter, HFAC Republicans wrote: “To date, your Ukraine “joint investigation” has operated almost exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. So I was shocked to be informed yesterday that you will not be providing deposition and interview transcripts from this supposed “joint inquiry” to the Foreign Affairs Committee. It is outrageous and unjustifiable to deny us those basic documents, which are critical to our ability to meaningfully prepare for and participate in this investigation.  We require the same access to the same documents in the same format, as is enjoyed by you and your staff.

“Foreign Affairs is an intelligence-receiving committee with a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a classified computer system, and a full-time non-partisan Security Officer.  There is no legitimate reason to deny us the transcripts.”

 

Full text of the letter and a list of signatories is available here or below:

October 22, 2019

Hon. Adam Schiff, Chairman

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Capitol Visitor Center HVC-304

Washington, DC 20515

 

Mister Chairman:

To date, your Ukraine “joint investigation” has operated almost exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

So I was shocked to be informed yesterday that you will not be providing deposition and interview transcripts from this supposed “joint inquiry” to the Foreign Affairs Committee.  Your staff claims that the only way we will have access to the transcripts is in your offices, during designated hours, under the personal supervision and monitoring of a majority staffer.

It is outrageous and unjustifiable to deny us those basic documents, which are critical to our ability to meaningfully prepare for and participate in this investigation. We require the same access to the same documents in the same format, as is enjoyed by you and your staff.

Foreign Affairs is an intelligence-receiving committee with a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a classified computer system, and a full-time non-partisan Security Officer.  There is no legitimate reason to deny us the transcripts.

I urge you to remedy this procedural injustice immediately, so that I am not forced to pursue public efforts to correct it, including by seeking a privileged vote on the House Floor.

Sincerely,

MICHAEL T. McCAUL (Ranking Member) 

CHRISTOPHER SMITH

STEVE CHABOT

JOE WILSON

SCOTT PERRY

TED YOHO

ADAM KIZINGER

LEE ZELDIN

JIM SENSENBRENNER

ANN WAGNER

BRIAN MAST

FRANCIS ROONEY 

BRIAN FITZPATRICK

JOHN CURTIS

KEN BUCK

RON WRIGHT

GUY RESCHENTHALER

TIM BURCHETT

GREG PENCE

STEVE WATKINS

MICHAEL GUEST

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