Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, hopes special counsel Robert Mueller’s Wednesday testimony in front of Congress will help the public understand how Russia affected the 2016 presidential election.
“I hope that where we are at this time tomorrow is with a better public understanding of the gravity of what the Russians did, the systemic nature of what the Russians did, and the gravity of what the Trump campaign did,” Schiff told a crowded room of reporters.
Mueller, who released the findings of his investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia in April, is slated to testify in front of Congress on Wednesday. He will spend three hours with the House Judiciary Committee before serving as a witness in front of the House Intelligence Committee for two hours.
Schiff talked Tuesday about his expectations for the hearing and what role he anticipates Aaron Zebley, Mueller’s attorney, will have in the proceedings to reporters and an audience at the Center for American Progress.
As a former prosecutor, the California Democrat said he understands that a majority of the American public has not read all 448 pages of Mueller’s report. The report, which he said is full of “prosecutor” language, is hard to understand. He hopes the public will gain a greater understanding after hearing the results from Mueller himself.
“Selfish protection of reputation or a desire to avoid criminal culpability regardless of what it does to the country and how it leaves the country vulnerable … if the country has a better understanding of those facts, I’ll consider the hearing to be successful,” Schiff said.
Schiff also responded to claims that Zebley, Mueller’s attorney and former chief of staff, will testify alongside him.
“It is certainly the desire of the special counsel to have one of his team present with him during the hearing. We are in discussions with them about that and what that would look like,” Schiff said. “But our intention is that Muller do the testifying and not have someone else do it for him.”
Schiff said “there may be questions that one of his team is better situated to answer because of the technical nature,” but that he doesn’t want “a hearing with Bob Mueller converted into a hearing with someone else.”
