,
6 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
Richard Burr Says There’s No Evidence of Collusion. How Would He Know? motherjones.com/politics/2019/…
The Senate Intelligence Committee never interviewed Manafort, Gates or Kilimnik about the contacts that represent the most compelling evidence to date of Trump-Russia coordination. Burr doesn’t have special insight here, despite chairmanship. motherjones.com/politics/2019/…
The Intelligence Committee agreed to limit the scope July 25, 2017 interview of Manafort to questions about the Trump Tower meeting. They never interviewed him about Kilimnik, the peace plan, Rusisan sanctions etc. And they never subpoenaed him to try to compel more corporation.
Burr has also brushed off calls for public hearings. Senators preen at hearings, sure. But having them, or threatening to, is the committee's best tool to force disclosure. People are less likely to plead the Fifth if it's televised.
White House aide Alexander Butterfield disclosed the existence of Nixon's taping system at a televised Senate hearing, under GOP questioning. (RIP Fred Thompson.) A hearing like this would not happen now.
I’ve watched this Butterfield clip a bunch and the lack of a “holy shit” reaction from anyone but one reporter, sort of, disappoints every time.
