(Politico)
CAITLIN OPRYSKO 11/08/2019 02:09 PM
President Donald Trump’s allies took to heart his request that Republicans start fighting back against House Democrats’ impeachment investigation, and one transcript released Friday vividly captures how one such lieutenant tried to crash the proceedings.
At the beginning of the closed-door testimony of Fiona Hill, the White House’s top Russia hand, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff notices a face out of place: Rep. Matt Gaetz, a flame-throwing congressman and Trump ally from the Florida Panhandle.
According to the transcript, Schiff interrupts the opening statement of Rep. Jim Jordan, asking whether there is anyone in the room not on the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs or Oversight committees that are conducting the closed-door portion of the investigation.
“Mr. Gaetz, you’re not permitted to be in the room,” he notes.
When Gaetz asserts that he should be allowed in the room because “I am on the Judiciary Committee,” claiming that “I thought the Judiciary Committee had jurisdiction over impeachment,” Schiff asks him to “please leave.”
“Mr Chairman, really?” Jordan asks.
“Yes, really,” Schiff responds.
“You're going to include Members of Congress on committees that have roles of impeachment — ” Gaetz begins to respond, when Schiff interrupts him.
“Mr. Gaetz, take your statement to the press. They do you no good here. So, please, absent yourself,” he says.
“You’re going to have someone remove me from the hearing?” Gaetz responds, to which Schiff shoots back: “You’re going to remove yourself.”