West Texas Congressman Demands Democrat Heading House Intel Committee Step Down

SAN ANGELO, TX — Congressman Mike Conaway demanded the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee resign this morning. Speaking on behalf of the nine Republican members of the committee, he read into the record a condemnation of Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a Democrat from Southern California.

Schiff, Conaway said, was sowing seeds of distrust in the congressional committee and demanded he step down. All nine Republican members of the Intelligence Committee signed the letter that Conaway read into the record.

Conaway told the chairman that when Schiff was in the minority, in the prior congress before Democrats took over the House in January, his minority report that he attached to the committee’s findings on the Trump campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia did not include any claim of collusion.

Neither did the Republican-led Intelligence Committee find any evidence of wrongdoing by the president or his campaign.

Special Counsel Mueller’s findings are consistent with the findings of this committee “as well as the public statements of various senators on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,” Conaway said. “Despite these findings, you continue to proclaim to the media that there is significant evidence of collusion.”

WATCH: Conaway demands Schiff step down as chairman:
[[{"fid":"56390","view_mode":"wysiwyg","fields":{"format":"wysiwyg"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"wysiwyg"}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-wysiwyg","data-delta":"1"}}]]Conaway also noted that Schiff has proclaimed he will continue to investigate the counter-intelligence issues. “That is, is the president or anyone around him still compromised by hostile foreign powers,” Conaway said.

Conaway accused Schiff of continuing to promote a “demonstrative false narrative that is alarming.”

Conaway said Schiff’s continuing to promote false narratives about the president is an abuse of Schiff’s position of power as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. It is damaging the integrity of the committee, he said. “And it undermines the faith in the United States Government and its institutions.”

These actions, Conaway said, are incompatible with Schiff’s duties as chairman.

Conaway said the committee’s work is crucial in providing effective oversight of the U.S. intelligence community.

“As such, we have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as chairman of the committee,” Conaway said.

Schiff responded, “My colleagues may think it’s okay that the Russians offered dirt on a Democratic candidate for president as part of what was described as the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign.”

Schiff doubled-down on his accusations against the Trump campaign, calling them “immoral, unpatriotic, and yes, I think it’s corrupt and evidence of collusion.”

After Schiff detailed his continued suspicions of the Trump campaign’s collusion, he refused to yield the floor back to the Republican side to respond.

“You attacked me in your opening statement and I responded,” he said sternly.

In December 2017, Conaway took over what was called the Russia investigation by the House Intelligence Committee after Democrats demanded that the Republican chairman Devin Nunes step down. Nunes, a representative from California, was accused of mishandling classified intelligence. The House Ethics Committee later cleared Nunes of those charges, but Conaway headed the completion of the House Intelligence Committee’s investigation after Nunes returned.