Fmr Trump Official Ortagus to Schiff: ‘Your Credibility’ Is Diminished — You Spread Russian Disinformation

 Former State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus challenged Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) “credibility” Tuesday on ABC’s “The View.”

Ortagus, appearing as a guest host, asked Schiff, “I want to ask you about something that’s in the news a lot right now. You have been really prolific over the past few years being the head of the Intel Committee. You defended and promoted and even ran into the congressional record of the Steele dossier. We know the main source of the dossier was indicted for the FBI for lying about most of the key claims in that dossier. Do you have any reflections on your role in promoting this to the American people? ”

Schiff replied, “First of all, whoever lied to the FBI or Christopher Steele should be prosecuted, and they are. And unlike in the Trump administration, if they’re convicted, they should go to jail and not be pardoned. So Donald Trump pardoned Roger Stone for lying. He pardoned Michael Flynn for lying. If people lie to the FBI, they should go to jail.”

He continued, “Let’s not forget what we learned in that investigation. We learned that the Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was giving internal polling data — campaign polling data — to Russian intelligence while Russian intelligence was helping the Trump campaign.”

Ortagus said, “To be clear, he was fired halfway through the campaign.”

Schiff shot back, “Well, he may have been fired but the effort to get Russian help continued.”

Ortagus interjected, “You have spread Russian disinformation yourself for years by promoting this. I think that’s what Republicans and people who entrusted you as the Intel Committee chair are so confused about your culpability in all this.”

Schiff responded, “I completely disagree with your premise. It’s one thing to say allegations should be investigated, and they were. It’s another to say that we should have foreseen in advance that some people were lying to Christopher Steele, which is impossible, of course, to do. But let’s not use that as a smokescreen to somehow shield Donald Trump’s culpability for inviting Russia to help him in the election, which they did; for trying to coerce Ukraine to help him in the next election, which he did; into inciting an insurrection, which he did. None of that is undercut, none of that serious conduct is in any way diminished by the fact that people lied to Christopher Steele.”

Ortagus said, “No, I think just your credibility is.”

Schiff said, “I think the credibility of your question is in doubt.”