Liberal Forum

Former special counsel Robert Mueller made one thing clear in his marathon testimony before Congress on Wednesday: Russia interfered in the US election, and the threat to American democracy remains in 2020.

“They’re doing it as we sit here,” Mueller said at one point during his appearance before the House Intelligence Committee, “and they expect to do it during the next campaign.”

But Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, ended the second of two hearings with a clear, precise exchange with Mueller.

Schiff, in his closing questions to Mueller, asked if “knowingly accepting assistance from a foreign government,” to which Mueller responded “a crime.”

Schiff continued, adding that if knowingly accepting assistance from a “foreign government during a presidential campaign is an unethical thing to do.”

“And a crime in certain circumstances,” Mueller responded.

Schiff continued: “To the degree that it undermines our democracy and our institutions, we can agree that it’s also unpatriotic.”

“True,” Mueller replied, in a rare instance of directly answering a question outside the confines of the report.

Shortly after, Schiff questioned whether public officials acting unethically “also exposes them to compromise particularly in dealing with foreigners.”

“Is that true?” Schiff asked.

“True,” Mueller responded again. The exchange continues as follows:

Schiff: That foreign partner can expose their wrongdoing and extort them.

Mueller: True.

Schiff: That conduct can be of a financial nature if you have a financial motive or elicit business dealing, am I right?

Mueller: Yes.

Schiff: It could also just involve deception. If you are lying about something that can be exposed, then you can be blackmailed.

Mueller: Also true.

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics ... dam-schiff