‘Your Credibility’ is Diminished: Morgan Ortagus Confronts Adam Schiff on The View
Former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, who worked under former President Donald Trump, confronted Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) on Tuesday over the latter promoting the unverified and salacious dossier by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele.
“I want to ask you about something that’s in the news a lot right now. You’ve been really prolific being the head of the [House] Intel Committee. You defended, promoted, you even read into the Congressional Record the Steele dossier,” said Ortagus during The View, where she is this week’s guest panelist. “And we know last week that the main source was indicted by the FBI for lying about most of the key claims in that dossier. Do you have any reflections on your role in promoting this to the American people?”
Schiff replied:
Well, first of all whoever lied to the FBI or lied to Christopher Steele should be prosecuted, and they are. And unlike in the trump administration, if they’re convicted, they should go to jail and not be pardoned. So Donald Trump pardoned Roger Stone for lying. He pardoned Michael Flynn for lying. If people lie to the FBI, they should go to jail. But at the beginning of the Russian investigation, I said that any allegations should be investigated.
We couldn’t have known for example, people were lying to Christopher Steele. So it was proper to investigate them. And let’s not forget what we learned in that investigation. We learned that the Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was giving internal polling data, campaign polling data to Russian intelligence while Russian intelligence was helping the Trump campaign.
Ortagus interjected and said, “And to be clear, he was fired halfway through the campaign.”
“Well, he may have been fired, but the effort to get Russian help continued, and beyond getting Russian help, the president also sought to get,” retorted Schiff, who was again interrupted by Ortagus, who said, “You saw this information for years by promoting this. That’s what Republicans and what people who entrusted you as the Intel Committee chair are so confused about your culpability in all of this.”
“Well, I completely disagree with you about your promise,” retorted Schiff. It’s one thing to say allegations should be investigated and they were. It’s another thing we should have foreseen an advance that people were lying to Christopher Steele which would have been impossible.”
“But let’s not use that as a smokescreen to somehow shield Donald Trump’s culpability for inviting Russia to help him in the election which they did, trying to force Ukraine into helping him in the next election, which he did. Into inciting an erection, insurrection which he did,” continued Schiff, having a slip-of-the-tongue moment. “None of that is undercut. None of that serious misconduct is in any way diminished by the fact that people lied to Christopher Steele.”
Ortagus fired back, “No. I think just your credibility is.”
“I think the credibility of your question is in doubt,” responded Schiff.
Watch above, via ABC.
