Rep. Adam Schiff[1] on Sunday repeated his unfounded allegation that President Trump[2] asked the president of the Ukraine to “manufacture dirt” on former Vice President Joseph R. Biden.
No such language is in a transcript of Mr. Trump[3]’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Republicans over the past two years have accused Mr. Schiff[4] of making up evidence in the Russia probe and at one point asked him to quit as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Mr. Schiff[5], California Democrat, first made the “manufacture dirt” allegation Thursday during a committee hearing, saying he was quoting what was in a transcript of a July call between Mr. Trump[6] and Mr. Zelensky.
When Republicans responded that no such wording exists in the transcript, Mr. Schiff[7] agreed and said he had been doing “parody.”
He repeated that explanation on CNN.
Mr. Trump[8] accused him of lying. A GOP congressman filed a resolution calling on the House to censure Mr. Schiff[9] for fabricating quotes out of a document that is being used to try to impeach the president.
But on Friday night, Mr. Schiff[10] tweeted the allegations again, saying the “whistleblower told us” Mr. Trump[11] ordered up “manufactured dirt” during the phone call.
Such an explosive allegation is not in the whistleblower’s nine-page complaint he sent to Congress Aug. 12 that spurred Democrats to open an impeachment inquiry.
Neither is
Mr. Trump[12] quoted in the official transcript as making such a remark in the July phone.On ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday,
Mr. Schiff[13] repeated the charge.“And the president used that opportunity to try to coerce that leader to manufacture dirt on his opponent and interfere in our election,”
Mr. Schiff[14] said. “It’s hard to imagine a series of facts more damning than that.”ABC’s George Stephanopoulos didn’t ask a followup on how the remark on Thursday was “parody” and now is confirmed.
Republicans issued a letter last winter calling for
Mr. Schiff[15] to step down.They say, for example, that he told the public that he had seen secret evidence of
Mr. Trump[16] conspiring with the Russians. He has never produced such evidence. Special counsel Robert Mueller said he did not establish a conspiracy. No Trump[17] person was charged with collusion. Mr. Schiff[18] championed the Russian-sourced Democratic Party-financed dossier whose many allegations against Mr. Trump[19] were show to be false....