House Republicans won’t release transcripts for Comey and ‘Putin’s favorite congressman’ in Russia probe

The House Intelligence committee voted Friday to send a batch of documents related to the Russia probe to the Director of National Intelligence for classification review.

But according to Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Republican majority appeared to be strategically selective in the documents they chose to make public. Schiff also claimed they were withholding information from special counsel Robert Mueller's team.

Schiff made the following statement in response.

"For the last six months, we have urged the Chairman and Majority to release all of the transcripts of our interviews and proceedings as they committed to do when the Russia investigation began," the statement read.

"They refused. Now, on the last day of session before the election, Republicans claim to have discovered a newfound commitment to transparency. When the Chairman was pressed on whether the timing of this sudden decision was directed by the White House or the President’s legal defense team, he refused to answer," Schiff stated.

Schiff expressed skepticism that the release of selective documents stemmed from the GOP's commitment to public review.

“However, as has often been the case, even this claim does not withstand scrutiny: The GOP does not want ALL of the transcripts released and wish to conceal certain interviews from the public, including key interviews with Director Comey, Admiral Rogers, Director Brennan, and Rep. Rohrabacher. Apparently, the Majority does not want the public to see the testimony of these agency heads, as well as that of Rohrabacher,' Schiff noted.

“This is not transparency, only a further subterfuge."

Schiff further claimed that Republicans on the Intelligence Committee prevented special counsel Robert Mueller's team from access to important documents.

“The Majority also rejected the immediate release of all unredacted transcripts to special counsel Mueller, so that his team would have the benefit of the evidence they contain and so that he may determine which witnesses may have perjured themselves before our committee," Schiff wrote.

"They have no wish to assist in the Russia investigation by either our committee or the special counsel, and apparently wish to protect those witnesses who may have lied to protect themselves or the President.”

Democrats on the committee filed several motions, which were denied by the Republican majority, including that they issue subpoenas to obtain Deutsche Bank records; Donald Trump and Donald Trump Jr.’s phone records related to the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting; certain Twitter Direct Messages between individuals affiliated with the campaign and Wikileaks, Julian Assange, and Guccifer 2.0; written or audio documentation of conversations between President Donald Trump and former FBI director James Comey.