House Republicans storm closed-door Trump impeachment hearing in SCIF
Some 30 House Republicans on Wednesday stormed their way into a closed-door hearing in a secure House Intelligence Committee meeting room to rip the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry against President Trump.
The pro-Trump lawmakers, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, barged into the sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) where Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Laura Cooper was giving a deposition.
”Let us in!” cried the lawmakers, some of whom were carrying cellphones into the secure location, a violation of committee rules.
A source in the room told CNN that as Cooper, a Russia and Ukraine expert, sat down to testify, the Republicans rushed through the room’s three doors.
Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) was yelling at House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, but the California Democrat did not respond, the source said.
Other Democrats, including Rep. Val Demings of Florida, shouted back at Byrne and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), who were yelling about the closed-door process.
“It was closest thing I’ve seen around here to mass civil unrest as a member of Congress,” the source told the network.
Republican defenders of the president have called the impeachment proceedings unfair because of the lack of transparency — even though they also conducted many of their own probes the same way when they held the majority.
The GOP-led investigations into the terror attack in 2012 on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, for example, were mostly conducted behind closed doors, with the Republicans then arguing that secrecy was essential.
In the impeachment matter, Schiff has said the depositions have to remain confidential so that future witnesses won’t have the opportunity to coordinate their stories.
Democrats said they would eventually conduct hearings in public to present the evidence against the president that they are gathering.
Cooper left the room while the Republicans refused to leave, and the Capitol Police and sergeant at arms were brought in to end the stalemate.
Only members of the three committees — Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs — conducting the probe were authorized to be in the hearing.
Cooper was expected to face questions about Trump’s decision to withhold nearly $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine approved by Congress to help deal with Russia-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country.
Her testimony came a day after William Taylor, the US ambassador to Ukraine, said he was told by Gordon Sondland, the US envoy to the EU, that Trump wanted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden’s tenure on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma, and an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that Ukraine, and not Russia, meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
Cooper apparently appeared voluntarily before the lawmakers as the Pentagon had not blocked her from testifying, as they had tried to block Taylor.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump quoted Rep. John Ratliffe (R-Texas), an ardent supporter, disparaging Taylor’s testimony.
“Neither he (Taylor) or any other witness has provided testimony that the Ukrainians were aware that military aid was being withheld. You can’t have a quid pro quo with no quo.” Congressman John Ratcliffe @foxandfriends Where is the Whistleblower? The Do Nothing Dems case is DEAD!” the commander-in-chief tweeted.
