Republicans fear that Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., met with Michael Cohen before he appeared before the House Oversight Committee in efforts to coach a witness.
The California Democrat — and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee — traveled to New York to meet with President Trump’s ex-personal lawyer on at least four separate occasions and a total of 10 hours, Fox News reported.
Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Cohen’s team Wednesday requesting answers regarding the meetings.
Turner asked if Cohen had any contact “with Democratic Members or Democratic staff … prior to his appearances before House and Senate committees last week.”
“These questions are important for the public to understand whether or not they were watching witness testimony, a public hearing, or well-rehearsed theater,” Turner wrote.
According to sources, the meetings between Cohen and Schiff covered topics addressed later addressed during the often-contentious House Oversight Committee hearing on Feb. 27 featuring Trump’s longtime fixer.
Topics discussed included the National Enquirer’s “catch and kill” payment policy to stop stories embarrassing to Trump, American Media CEO David Pecker, who heads the Enquirer, and Trump’s potential undervaluing of assets to avoid higher taxes.
During his public testimony, Cohen said, when asked by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that he had spoken with Schiff prior to the event “about topics that were going to be raised at the upcoming hearing.”
[Read more: Adam Schiff: Michael Cohen’s testimony is ‘furthering this campaign fraud scheme’]
