Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning, Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff for purposely leaking out of context information to reporters in order to build an impeachment narrative.
Instead of releasing the Volker transcript, House Dems are leaking cherry picked info & keeping the public in the dark on the rest. Why hasn't @RepAdamSchiff released the full transcript & why aren't so many in the media demanding it? Because it's FULL of inconvenient facts! pic.twitter.com/RFVqfaMOgD
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 8, 2019
Back in DC for Amb Sondland’s interview in AM as part of this partisan impeachment circus. Schiff’s still holding these in secret w min transparency & cherry picked leaks. 4 days & he STILL hasn’t released the Volker transcript. Why? Bc it’s filled w too many inconvenient facts!
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 8, 2019
He also berated the press for failing to ask relevant questions and argued Americans are being "screwed" and "held hostage" by an engaged, far left base controlling the Democrat caucus.
Instead of working together to pass USMCA, lower prescription drug prices & fight for the American people, House Dems continue to obsess over their partisan impeachment sideshow. We should be spending 100% of our time on the priorities most important to everyday Americans.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 8, 2019
The American public is getting screwed by an enraged activist base trying to take down a sitting President. It's total gridlock in DC w/ House Dems eagerly ripping the country in 1/2 to appease people who want to resist, oppose, impeach & obstruct everything & anything. pic.twitter.com/XY8ZZ3Tfkh
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) October 8, 2019
As reported last week, Schiff is refusing to released the full testimony of former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker. According to Republicans the testimony, which took place behind closed doors, shows President Trump never asked for an investigation into the Bidens in exchange for military aid. This is why:
Last night House Intelligence Committee Democrats released a series of selective text messages from testimony given by former U.S. envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker.
They make President Trump look very bad, even engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine.
But they're hiding the context of the messages and the full picture by refusing to release Volker's full testimony. Republicans have repeatedly requested it be done and Chairman Adam Schiff is refusing to do so.
Volker's opening statement, which was published, says the same.
"At no time was I aware of or took part in an effort to urge Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Biden. As you will see from the extensive text messages I am providing, which convey a sense of real-time dialogue with several different actors, Vice President Biden was never a topic of discussion," Volker stated. "Moreover, as I was aware of public accusations about the Vice President, several times I cautioned the Ukrainians to distinguish between highlighting their own efforts to fight corruption domestically, including investigating Ukrainian individuals (something we support as a matter of U.S. policy), and doing anything that could be seen as impacting U.S. elections (which is neither in the United States' nor Ukraine's own interests). To the best of my knowledge, no such actions by Ukraine were ever taken, at least in part, I believe because of the advice I gave them."