Schiff announces an extensive investigation into the finances of Trump and Russia



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Schiff stated that the "investigation" would allow us to investigate any credible allegation that financial interests or other interests are the basis of the decisions of the President or anyone else within l & # 39; administration. "

"This concerns any credible allegation of leverage by the Russians or the Saudis or anyone else," Schiff told reporters after the first meeting of the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives of the new Congress .

In a statement, Schiff said that the investigation would include a continuing investigation into the actions of Russia in the 2016 election and its contacts. between the Russian and Trump team, as well as an "examination" of whether a foreign player sought to undermine or leverage, financial or otherwise, on Donald Trump, his family, his company or his collaborators. "

Schiff said the investigation, which could involve other congressional committees, would also seek to determine whether Trump or his collaborators "sought to influence US government policy per se". "Foreign interests" and any potential hindrance to different investigations.

Schiff's Announcement is the most detailed analysis ever done of how congressional Democrats will investigate Trump's finances and possible ties to foreign entities, and how Democrats will continue to work. probe Trump and his team well after the closing of the investigation of the special advocate Robert Mueller.

The committee also makes its first decisions on Wednesday in the new Congress, voting to send more than 50 transcripts of talks from its investigation of Russia to Mueller. According to Republican Representative Mike Conaway of Texas, the committee approved the motion for sending transcripts by voice vote.

The committee has already sent a transcript to Mueller in December after the special council office asked Roger Stone to interview him. Federal prosecutors accused Stone of lying to the committee in his indictment the seventh month

Schiff said he wanted to send the transcripts to Mueller so that he examine to see if other witnesses who appeared before the committee committed perjury. The transcripts should be forwarded by the end of the day, said Schiff.

In addition to the charges against Stone, for which he pleaded not guilty last week, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in his conviction. Testimony of 2017 on the duration of the discussions surrounding the Moscow Trump Tower project in the 2016 campaign.

When the committee was controlled by the Republicans at the last congress, Schiff tried to send the unredacted transcriptions to Mueller but the Republicans blocked his request.

Other interviews that will now be sent to the special advocate include Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner, and key campaign collaborators Corey Lewandowski, Steve Bannon, and Hope Hicks. They also include many Obama administration officials and others on Trump 's orbit who were interviewed during the investigation conducted by the committee throughout the year.

The committee already voted in November under former president Devin Nunes, a Republican from California, to make public the transcripts of his interviews. But they are currently being examined by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the publication of classified documents.

The committee's Republicans, led by Nunes, presented Wednesday several motions rejected by the Democrats.

They sought to make immediately public transcripts of the committee's interviews conducted in an unclassified setting, which includes most of the panel's interviews with Russia. In a statement, Nunes denounced an "unacceptable delay" in the process of declassification of executive power.

And Republicans have tried to issue subpoenas to a dozen officials, including former FBI director James Comey, according to Republican Chris Stewart of Utah.

] Schiff stated that the Democrats had rejected GOP motions because there were identifiable and classified personal items contained in the unclassified transcripts, and that the committee was not issuing any Subpoena before proposing to bring witnesses voluntarily.

The national intelligence services felt the transcripts would be ready for public release in May or June, said Schiff, and he hoped to speed up the process by publishing some of the transcripts already ready.

Republican motions emphasized the role. overthrow of Schiff and Nunes within the Democrats-led Congress regarding the investigation of Russia: at the last congress, Schiff Many requests for subpoena and action in committee Rejected by the Republican Majority

While he was leaving the secure areas of the committee, he was asked to Nunes when he had voted in favor of the disclosure of transcripts to Mueller. "You're embarrassed, you're embarrassed," replied Nunes.

This story was updated with further developments on Wednesday.

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