from WND:

Withheld transcripts of Russia investigation finally released

After the urging of House Republicans and clearance from the intelligence community, the House Intelligence Committee led by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on Thursday released 57 transcripts of interviews conducted during the panel’s Russia investigation.

The Republican lawmakers made the request believing the transcripts will show that Schiff has been hiding evidence favorable to President Trump that will undermine his claims of Trump-Russia collusion.

And already a line from the interview with former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper already has drawn attention.

“I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election,” he said.

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Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power also was asked if she had any evidence of conspiracy.

“I am not in possession of anything — I am not in possession and didn’t read or absorb information that came from out of the intelligence community,” she said.

Asked again, she said, “I am not.”

Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice was asked the same question.

“To the best of my recollection, there wasn’t anything smoking, but there were some things that gave me pause,” she said. “I don’t recall intelligence that I would consider evidence to that effect that I saw … conspiracy prior to my departure.”

Rice was asked if she had any evidence of “coordination.”

“I don’t recall any intelligence or evidence to that effect,” she said.

Asked about collusion, Rice replied, “Same answer.”

The question also was posed to Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes.

“I wouldn’t have received any information on any criminal or counterintelligence investigations into what the Trump campaign was doing, so I would not have seen that information,” Rhodes said.

Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch also said that she did “not recall that being briefed up to me,” referring to evidence of collusion or conspiracy.

“I can’t say that it existed or not,” Lynch said.

Despite the testimony, Schiff issued a statement Thursday accompanying the release insisting the transcripts vindicate him.

“Despite the many barriers put in our way by the then-Republican Majority, and attempts by some key witnesses to lie to us and obstruct our investigation, the transcripts that we are releasing today show precisely what Special Counsel Robert Mueller also revealed: That the Trump campaign, and Donald Trump himself, invited illicit Russian help, made full use of that help, and then lied and obstructed the investigations in order to cover up this misconduct,” Schiff said in a statement.

Mueller, however, reported that after nearly two years he could not find “sufficient evidence to charge a conspiracy” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to win the 2016 election. Mueller left it to the Justice Department to determine whether or not there was sufficient evidence of a cover-up, and Attorney General William Barr and Assistant Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded there was not.

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