Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) suggested Sunday that the January 6 Committee could subpoena former Vice President Mike Pence, but it is Schiff himself who must face subpoenas if and when Republicans take control of the House next year.
Schiff has been the main culprit in the abuse of congressional powers to persecute the opposition. No doubt Schiff would dismiss any subpoena as political retribution (which would be well-deserved), but there are substantive reasons he must testify.
1. Russia “collusion.” Schiff claimed in March 2017 that there was “more than circumstantial evidence” that associates of then-President Donald Trump colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded two years later that no American had colluded with Russia. Schiff must be asked what the “more than circumstantial evidence” was, and if he abused his role on the House Intelligence Committee to spin a conspiracy theory.
2. Impeachment “whistleblower.” Schiff launched the first impeachment investigation of President Trump based on a claim by a so-called “whistleblower.” Schiff demanded at first that the whistleblower be given a chance to testify, then refused to provide the whistleblower, inventing a fake right to anonymity. He also lied about whether his committee staff had contact with the whistleblower. He must be subpoenaed to name the whistleblower and to describe any coordination with the same.
3. Snooping on colleagues. In the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment report, Schiff included telephone records that he had subpoenaed without the targets’ knowledge. These included the records of then-Ranking Member Devin Nunes (R-CA), as well as President Trump’s lawyer at the time, Rudy Giuliani. Instead of appearing before the Judiciary Committee to explain, Schiff sent committee counsel Daniel Goldman, who dodged questions. He must be made to appear in person.
4. Abuse of subpoena powers. The January 6 Committee has repeated Schiff’s abuses in the first impeachment, issuing subpoenas for the telephone and bank records of private citizens, often with little notice or recourse. Meanwhile, leaks from the committee have been constant, often distorting evidence presented behind closed doors. Schiff and the other members of the committee must explain the basis on which they abused Congress’s subpoena power and account for the leaks.
5. Infiltration of Colbert staffers. Several staffers for Stephen Colbert’s comedy show were arrested last week for unlawful entry into the Capitol — the same crime for which many of the January 6 rioters have been charged. The staffers were reportedly allowed into the building by staffers for Schiff and Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA). Schiff must be subpoenaed — as he subpoenaed so many others — to account for his role in a willful breach of security at the heart of our democracy.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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