Sources say Russia probe transcripts affirm officials came up empty on collusion: '@RepAdamSchiff is in panic mode'
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EXCLUSIVE: Transcripts of House Intelligence Committee interviews that have been cleared for release show top law enforcement and intelligence officials affirming they had no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
This would align with the results of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation — but the numerous transcribed interviews raise further questions about committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s past statements saying that there was “direct evidence” of collusion.
Earlier this week, House Republicans sought over 6,000 pages of transcripts pertaining to interviews conducted by the committee in 2017 and 2018, after the panel in September 2018 voted on a bipartisan basis to approve their public release.
A day later, acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell notified Schiff, D-Calif., that the redaction and declassification process was complete, and that the records were ready for release, putting the ball in Schiff’s court.
However, intel officials told Fox News on Wednesday that Schiff has had his subcommittee staff director reaching out to heads of intelligence community agencies asking how @RichardGrenell was involved and what role he may have played in the declassification/redaction process
Fox News is told, however, that the declassification process was completed before Grenell took the helm as acting director this past February.
The process, according to an intelligence community official, took place under both former directors Dan Coates and Joseph Maguire, and was conducted by career intelligence officials.
The official also told Fox News that the relevant heads of appropriate agencies were consulted on the declassifications and redactions of all 53 transcripts.
Grenell, in a letter to Schiff dated May 4, wrote that the review of 43 of the 53 transcripts “was completed in June 2019,” and that the “interagency review of the remaining ten transcripts has been completed.”
Grenell added, “pursuant to your guidance, these transcripts have not been shared with the White House.”
The remaining 10 transcripts included interviews with President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., former adviser Steve Bannon, the president’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, Trump aide Hope Hicks and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
Also expected to be released, according to the source: transcripts for interviews with Obama officials such as former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper; former Attorney General Loretta Lynch; former Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power;
former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe; former National Security Adviser Susan Rice; former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates; former Obama adviser Benjamin Rhodes; and former Obama counselor and Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager John Podesta.
Two sources familiar with the transcripts told Fox News that not one of the 53 witnesses could provide evidence of collusion.
“The transcripts show a total lack of evidence, despite Schiff personally going out saying he had more than circumstantial evidence that there was collusion,” one source involved in House Russia investigations told Fox News.
