Rep. McCarthy: House hasn't voted, there is no impeachment inquiry
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on asking Speaker Pelosi to suspend impeachment inquiry efforts.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., to be removed from his role on the panel after it was revealed Schiff's office had contact with the Trump-Ukraine whistleblower.
"It goes to the fact that his own staff ... and Schiff himself are fact witnesses," McCarthy said on "Hannity." "Nowhere in the American judicial system does it ever allow a fact witness to ever be the prosecutor."
"His own staff ... and Schiff himself are fact witnesses. Nowhere in the American judicial system does it ever allow a fact witness to ever be the prosecutor."
McCarthy added, "He should be removed from the committee. His staff should be removed but now they're trying to control it."
Schiff's office acknowledged Wednesday that the whistleblower had reached out to them before filing a complaint in mid-August. That admission contradicted a previous statement from Schiff, who had said, "We have not spoken directly to the whistleblower."
On Friday, sources told Fox News the whistleblower did not disclose contact with Schiff’s staff to the Intelligence Committee's inspector general (ICIG).
McCarthy told host Sean Hannity this latest revelation raises questions of "political motivation."
"We found out that this so-called hearsay whistleblower never even told the IG that they already met with Adam Shiff's staff," McCarthy said. "It goes to the question of political motive of this hearsay."
"We found out that this so-called hearsay whistleblower never even told the IG that they already met with Adam Shiff's staff. It goes to the question of political motive of this hearsay."
McCarthy declared that "there is no impeachment inquiry" until there is a vote in House. He then labeled the inquiry a "political hack job."
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"If you support this man, put your vote up or, more importantly, let's treat it as we treat every American. Let's be fair in the process," McCarthy said. "Could you ever imagine going before a trial where you could not call a witness? You could not subpoena anybody. You could not cross-examine. This is a political hack job."
Fox News Adam Shaw and Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.
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