In a surprising turn of events, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) made a complete reversal on Tuesday, criticizing the recently concluded Durham inquiry, which he previously supported. Schiff argued that the investigation, initiated by former President Donald Trump, was inherently flawed and driven by political motivations.
During an interview with Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC, Schiff expressed his disappointment in the four-year-long investigation led by special counsel John Durham, pointing out the absence of any indictments or convictions in Durham’s final report.
O’Donnell seized the opportunity to bait Schiff by describing the Durham investigation as a report “about nothing.” Without hesitation, Schiff agreed, highlighting the flawed manner in which the investigation began and proceeded. He pointed out that President Trump had pressurized then-Attorney General Bill Barr to initiate the inquiry, casting doubts on its integrity from the outset.
Schiff further argued that Durham’s appointment was solely driven by Trump’s claims of being a victim of a political “witch hunt.” Despite revelations of procedural errors by the FBI during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the bureau’s subsequent acknowledgment of mistakes, Schiff maintained that the Mueller investigation had a legitimate basis and was justified by real evidence of a crime.
Schiff briefly mentioned that the FBI had a “good reason” to investigate Trump but did not provide specific details, leaving the statement open to interpretation. Surprisingly, O’Donnell did not press Schiff for further clarification. The previous instances where Schiff claimed to possess evidence of Trump’s collusion with Russia, which were not found by Mueller and remain undisclosed to the public, were left unaddressed during the conversation.
This shift in Schiff’s stance on the Durham inquiry raises questions about the reliability and credibility of the investigation and underscores the ongoing political controversies surrounding the Trump-Russia narrative.