Chuck Schumer: “now a word on the Russia investigation. Over the past weeks, several events have shaken my confidence that our…”

“now a word on the Russia investigation. Over the past weeks, several events have shaken my confidence that our Republican colleagues are committed to an independent investigation in Congress and at the FBI. A rightwing smear campaign is being waged to discredit the investigation and the investigator. Absurd attacks have been launched on Special Counsel Mueller, one of the finest men that I think we have ever come across in this body. I remember when he was FBI Director; everyone loved him. He is a man of utmost integrity. A Republican Congressman went so far as to suggest his investigation was a ``coup'' when that Member spoke on the floor of the House. Here in the Senate, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee--I have great respect for him; we are the only two Charles E's in the Senate-- referred Christopher Steele to the FBI and recommended criminal charges, even though Mr. Steele was a whistleblower--something that our chairman of Judiciary has always protected. He came to the FBI with concerns that Donald Trump was subject to blackmail. Any American would worry about that. The chairman took that action unilaterally--that is, asking for criminal charges--without consulting with or providing notice to the minority. Yet he still expressed outrage when the ranking member of his committee released a transcript of his committee's interview with the chairman of Fusion GPS even though that was what was in contention. There is a fundamental double standard here.…”