Now that Special Counsel John Durham’s report has been released, those who perpetuated the Russia collusion hoax are under renewed scrutiny – as they should be. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was one of the leading proponents of the false claim that former President Donald Trump collaborated with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Now, there is a move in Congress to punish him for the falsehoods he told shortly after the race.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has introduced a resolution to fine Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff $16 million for his claims that former President Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.
Luna says that amount is about half of the cost of the federal investigation into alleged Trump-Russia collusion, debunked by special counsel reports from Robert Mueller and John Durham.
“The GOP Conference agrees that Adam Schiff has betrayed the trust of the American people, purposely abused positions of extreme authority, lied continuously, and as such, must be held to account,” the lawmaker said in a statement. “Accordingly, the resolution requires Rep. Schiff to pay a $16 million dollar fine, half of the cost American taxpayers were forced to pay for the Russia hoax investigation.”
Mirroring Luna’s statement, the resolution accuses Schiff of betraying the American people’s trust, intentionally abusing his positions of authority, and continuously lying about Trump’s nonexistent relationship with the Kremlin. It also highlights Schiff’s promotion of the Steele dossier, support for a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against Trump aide Carter Page, and public accusations against Page as a Russian collaborator. The resolution censures Schiff and imposes the $16 million fine, calling on House leadership to support the motion.
Luna introduced another resolution last week to expel Schiff from Congress.
It is not difficult to see that Schiff does deserve to be held accountable. He engaged in a pattern of deceptive behavior and false claims regarding President Trump’s alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election. A fine and expulsion are clearly justified due to his continuous promotion of a false narrative without providing the promised evidence.
Schiff’s frequent appearances on major news outlets during the Trump-Russia investigation are well-documented. He consistently made his rounds in the media circuit claiming to possess definitive proof of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, promising to unveil the evidence that would expose this alleged conspiracy.
However, despite his confident assertions, Schiff failed to produce any substantial evidence to support his claims. This continuous dissemination of baseless allegations without delivering on his promises calls into question Schiff’s integrity and credibility.
Schiff’s conduct went beyond merely expressing opinions or speculating about potential wrongdoing. Instead, he deliberately misled the public by presenting himself as possessing secret evidence that would implicate the President and his team. By doing so, he abused his position and the trust placed in him as the Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Schiff’s persistent claims without substantiation not only further eroded public trust but also undermined the credibility of Congress as an institution.
Members of Congress are expected to adhere to high ethical standards and engage in honest and transparent discourse. Schiff’s actions during the Trump-Russia investigation clearly fell short of these expectations. Despite knowing the lack of evidence to support his claims, he continued to perpetuate a false narrative, causing unnecessary division and fueling baseless speculation.
But we already know how this will turn out, don’t we? Members of the ruling class are rarely held accountable for their corruption, so it seems probable that this resolution will not stick and Schiff will live to lie another day.