My colleagues may think it’s okay that the Russians offered dirt on a Democratic presidential candidate as part of what was described as the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign, you might think that’s okay.
My colleagues may think it’s okay when there was an offer to the son of the president, who had pivotal role in campaign, the president’s son did not call FBI, he did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, the president’s son said he would love the help of the Russias. You might think that’s okay. he took that meeting.
You might think that’s okay that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair summed with great experience in running campaigns also took the meeting, you might think that’s okay, that the president’s son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think that’s okay that they concealed it from the public. You might say that's all okay, that the only disappointment from that meeting was that the dirt they received on Clinton wasn’t better. You might think that’s okay.
You might think that’s okay when that was discovered a year later, they lied about that meeting, and said that was about adoption. You might think that’s okay that the president who have reported to helped to dictate that lie. You might say that's all ok. I don’t!
You might think that’s okay that the campaign chairman of the presidential campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russia oligarch in exchange for money or debt forgiveness. You might think that’s okay, I don’t!
You might think that’s okay that the campaign chairman offered polling data, campaign polling data to someone linked to Russian intelligence, I don’t think that’s okay!
You might think that’s okay that the president himself called on Russia to hack his opponent’s emails “if they were listening”
You might think that’s okay that later that day in fact the Russian’s attempted to hack a server affiliated with that campaign. I don’t think that’s oaky.
You might think that’s okay that the president’s son-in-law sought to establish a secret back channel communication with Russians through a Russian diplomat facility. I don’t think that’s oaky.
You might think that’s okay that an associate of the President made direct contact with GRU through Guccifer 2 and WikiLeaks and considered as hostile intelligence agency.
You might think that’s okay that a senior campaign official was instructed to reach to that associate to find out what that hostile intelligence agency had to say in terms of dirt on his opponent.
You might think it’s ok, that the national security advisor designate secretly conferred with a Russian ambassador about undermining US sanctions. And you might think it’s ok. He lied about it to the FBI.
You might say that's all OK. You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But I don't think it's OK. I think it's immoral. I think it's unethical. And I think it is unpatriotic, And yes, I think it is corrupt. And evidence of collusion.
now I have always said that the question whether this amounts to proof of conspirtacy was another matter.
Wheither the special counsel could prove beyond a reasonable doubt. the Proof of that crime act would be up to the special counsel and I would accept his decision and I do.
He is a good and honorable man and he is a good prosecutor. But I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is okay! and the day we do think that's okay, I think that is the day we will look back and say that is the day America lost its way.
And I will tell you one more thing that is of the hearing today. I don't think it's okay during a presidental campaign, Mr. Trump sought the Kremlin's help to have a real estate deal in moscow that would make him a fortune, according to the special counsel, hundreds of millons of dollars.
And I don't think that is okay he concealed it from the public and advocating a more and favorable policy to the russians even as he was seaking the Russian's help. The Kremlin's help to make money.
I don't think it's okay his attorney lied to our committee. there is a different word for that than collusion and it's called compromise and that is the subject of our hearing today.
Congressman Adam Schiff
