Rep. Adam Schiff believes special counsel Robert Mueller’s impaneling of a grand jury signals “a new phase” of the probe into Russia’s election meddling and possible ties between Trump campaign staff members and the Kremlin.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the California Democrat said the investigation is clearlly “moving into a new phase.”
“I think it is a significant development, not particularly unexpected. And you’re right, you can’t read that this means that indictments are going to follow,” Schiff told host Jake Tapper.
“...If these allegations are true, it’s moving into a new phase with the impaneling of a grand jury so that special counsel can subpoenas witnesses and documents,” said Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“That wouldn’t be taking place if there was really no evidence, no evidentiary basis to move forward," he added.
He agreed that a grand jury does not equal guilt.
Schiff would not disclose when he learned about the controversial meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer during the 2016 campaign. He did, though, point to the meeting as a reason why the probe is "probably closer to the beginning than the end" and might go on for some time.