KRISTINA WONG
28 Mar 2019

((PIC OF LETTER BELOW))

House Intelligence Committee Republicans unveiled during a hearing on Thursday a letter signed by all Republicans on the committee asking Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) to step down as chairman.

Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) announced the letter during the hearing, which is the first since Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation ended, finding that President Trump’s campaign did not collude with Russia.

Conaway, who led the committee’s Russia probe last year, read from the letter to Schiff:

Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming. The findings of the Special Counsel conclusively refute your past and present assertions, and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information.

Having damaged the integrity of this committee, and having undermined the faith in the United States government and its institutions, your actions both past and present are incompatible with your duty as chairman of this committee, which alone in the House of Representatives has the obligation and authority to provide effective oversight of the U.S. intelligence community.

As such, we have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as Chairman of this Committee.

Schiff delivered a seemingly prepared response in a trembling voice, insisting that there were signs of collusion, and refused to yield the right to speak to Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), who wanted to rebut his response.

The letter is especially stunning coming from all GOP members of the committee, including moderate Republicans such as Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY).

Their voices join House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) in calling for Schiff’s resignation as chairman. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway has called on Schiff to resign from Congress altogether.