Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday calling for an investigation into Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and proposed he be denied access to classified information.
“Congressman Adam Schiff led the effort for years to weaponize lies from the Clinton campaign and a corrupt Department of Justice to smear President [Donald] Trump while destroying any trust the country had left in America’s intelligence agencies,” Gaetz said in a statement.
“Speaker McCarthy kept his promise to remove Rep. Schiff from the Intelligence Committee, and with the PENCIL Resolution, we will express the sense of Congress that he should be barred from accessing any classified information at all,” he continued. “He can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in Congress or the American people.”
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Jan. 23 that McGonigal had been charged with violating and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by laundering money on behalf of Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian billionaire.
Gaetz argued that McGonigal’s arrest “proved that the very people investigating President Trump for Russian collusion were themselves taking orders from Russian oligarchs.”
PENCIL Resolution
Schiff served on the Intelligence Committee since January 2015, first as the ranking minority member when Republicans were last in the majority, then as chairman from January 2019 to Jan. 3, 2023, when Democrats were in the majority.The Democrat was one of eight members, referred to by Gaetz as the “Gang of Eight,” who had access to critical and sensitive intelligence information that other members of Congress and the American people did not have clearance to access.
Gaetz’s resolution states that during his tenure, Schiff made false claims about collusion between Trump and Russia during the 2016 election, despite the principal conclusions of the Mueller Report determining that there was no criminal collusion.
In December 2017, Schiff said during an interview with CNN: “The Russians offered help, the campaign accepted help. The Russians gave help, and the president made full use of that help.” The resolution additionally notes that Schiff incorrectly claimed there was “clear evidence on the issue of collusion.”
Further, the resolution states that Schiff has been untrustworthy by advancing lies about Trump and that Schiff has attempted to cover his abuse of discretion with legislation.
Ultimately, the resolution states that Schiff “can no longer be trusted by his colleagues in Congress or the American people.”
The Epoch Times contacted Schiff’s office for comment.