Schiff Wants Fusion GPS Transcript Released – By Eric Garcia (rollcall.com) / Jan 16 2018
House Intelligence Committee ranking Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff is calling on Republican chairman Devin Nunes to release the transcript from the committee’s interview with Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson.
Schiff’s office said in a statement to Business Insider said he supported doing so because the role of Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm, has been mischaracterized after selective leaks of Simpson’s testimony.
“The Majority has released transcripts of Dr. Page and Mr. Prince when it suited their interests, and likewise should make an exception here,” Schiff said in his statement, referring to Carter Page, a Donald Trump campaign aide, and Erik Prince, an adviser to Trump’s transition team.
Fusion GPS hired former British spy Christopher Steele to research Trump and his potential ties to Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.
A spokeswoman for the firm told Business Insider it supports releasing the transcript and has sent a letter to the committee to that effect, but that it has not been publicly released.
“Schiff agrees with Mr. Simpson that the transcript should be released, and has made that request of the Majority,” a Democratic aide told Business Insider.
The calls from Schiff come after Sen. Dianne Feinstein released the transcript of Simpson’s interview with staffers from the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Feinstein is the ranking Democrat.
But unlike Feinstein, the Democratic minority on the House committee doesn’t have the authority to unilaterally release transcripts.
Rather, releases of transcripts have to be authorized by the committee, requiring the majority party’s consent.
Nunes so far has not given any indication he would release Simpson’s November interview transcripts.
Nunes, an ally of Trump’s who was on the president’s transition team, has also been conducting a parallel investigation into Fusion GPS’ activities during the 2016 campaign.
http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/schiff-wants-fusion-gps-transcript-released
PB/TK – Come on, there can’t be someone in Committee who accidently leaves the file transcript open, in a coffee-kegger shop, while they attend the bathroom to have a reporter stumble into them while eating a 1500 calorie coffee cake. Nothing like that would ever happen in DC
