IMPEACHMENT HEARING #3: Two witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the July 25 Trump-Zelensky call — and found it inappropriate — take their turn in the witness chairs. politico.com/news/2019/11/1… 
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Day 3 GOP graphics include a blow-up quote from @CongressmanJVD, a NJ Democrat who’s already been retweeted by Trump for his Fox News commentary undermining the Dem message on impeachment.
All Intel Committee Democrats walking to the hearing together.
SCHIFF moves to prebut anticipated attack on Vindman:
"We have seen far more scurrilous attacks on your character, and watched as certain personalities on Fox have questioned your loyalty. I note that you have shed blood for America, and we owe you an immense debt of gratitude."
"We have seen far more scurrilous attacks on your character, and watched as certain personalities on Fox have questioned your loyalty. I note that you have shed blood for America, and we owe you an immense debt of gratitude."
SCHIFF ad libs: "I hope no one on this committee will become part of those vicious attacks."
NUNES statement focued almost entirely on media, recites a series of headlines re: Russia investigation that he says turned out to be false. (Some were decidedly not false and others were things that were investigated and later found to be false).
Reminder that this happened in real life:
VINDMAN says the mere act of testifying like he is today demonstrates the virtue of America:
"In Russia ...offering public testimony
involving the President would surely cost me my life."
"In Russia ...offering public testimony
involving the President would surely cost me my life."
VINDMAN also ends his statement addressing his father:
"Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union ... Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth."
"Dad, my sitting here today, in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union ... Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth."
SCHIFF begins by getting Williams to acknowledge that she's been blocked from discussing a Sept. 18 call that may be relevant because it's been deemed "classified" by the vice president's office.
She said she'd be "happy to" submit a classified statement to lawmakers.
She said she'd be "happy to" submit a classified statement to lawmakers.
VINDMAN says the word "Burisma" may have been omitted from the Trump-Zelensky transcript by people producing the transcript but he didn't view it as a "siginficant" omission.
DEPT. OF TIMING: The DOJ inspecto rgeneral releases a reporting describing some issues in the FBI's "confidential human source" program.
Report indicates some confidential sources are kept on too long without review for conflicts/other issues.
oig.justice.gov/reports/2019/a…
Report indicates some confidential sources are kept on too long without review for conflicts/other issues.
oig.justice.gov/reports/2019/a…
SCHIFF intervenes to instruct Vindman not to discuss who in the intel community he spoke to, which he attributes to an efffort by Republicans to "out the whistleblower."
Vindman says he doesn't know who the whistleblower is but has been instructed not to discuss IC contacts.
Vindman says he doesn't know who the whistleblower is but has been instructed not to discuss IC contacts.
