WASHINGTON — The Democrat-controlled House Intelligence Committee voted Wednesday to send dozens of its Russia interview transcripts — including a nearly eight-hour sit-down with Donald Trump Jr. — to special counsel Robert Mueller.
Democrats in the House and Senate have both claimed that Trump’s eldest son and other witnesses may have lied to them when testifying about Trump campaign ties to Russia.
By officially sending the transcripts to Mueller and the Justice Department, the feds could use the statements in “prosecutions for false statements, or obstruction or perjury or any other like offense,” said Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
After the closed-door committee vote, Schiff told reporters at the Capitol: “We want to make sure the special counsel has full access.”
Federal prosecutors have already used some congressional committee transcripts to prosecute Trump associates Roger Stone and Michael Cohen for lying to Congress.
In advance of the vote, the GOP side of the committee released a statement calling for full transparency.
“Republicans are happy the Democrats are joining us in reiterating what the Republican-led committee already voted to do in September 2018 — make all the transcripts available to the executive branch, including the Special Counsel’s office, as part of the process of publishing them for the American people to see,” the GOP members said.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers also expect the transcripts will be made available to the public later this year after a review for classified material.
Trump Jr. testified before the House Intelligence Committee in December 2017. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, was questioned for nearly three hours by the committee in July 2017.
At his State of the Union address Tuesday, Trump called for an end to “ridiculous partisan investigations.” Seated in the first lady’s box, Trump Jr. sprang up and cheered enthusiastically.
Intelligence Committee member Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said previously she believes Trump Jr. lied to Congress at least twice — a potential felony.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) pushed back on the allegations of falsehoods from Junior.
“I have no evidence of that,” Stewart said as he left the closed-door hearing.
