Rep. Eric Swalwell Wednesday rejected arguments that Republican lawmakers were not given sufficient opportunity to question Ambassador William Taylor during Tuesday's closed-door testimony as well as claims being made by Rep. Devin Nunes and other Republicans that Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, "destroyed" the diplomat's testimony.
"If you read the opening statement...there was, in fact, a connection between having a White House meeting and getting security assistance only if the Ukrainians would investigate the Bidens and investigate and exonerate Russia for the 2016 (election" role," the California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
In addition, there were "two sharp straight lines" not just from President Donald Trump to his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, but between the two of them and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Gordon Sondland," said Swalwell.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers did ask Taylor questions, said Swalwell, but they were about "cockamamie conspiracy questions" concerning Hillary Clinton's private e-mail server, "that kind of nonsense," said Swalwell.
The ongoing impeachment inquiry has under fire because the testimony is being heard in a private hearing room, the skiff, which is located "three floors below the capital."
Swalwell added that cameras, phones, or classified notes are not permitted outside the room, and the steps have been made to protect the witnesses and their testimony.
"The attorney general refused to even take up this case, so we have to do this in a closed environment," said Swalwell. "We know that if witnesses know what other witnesses will say, they will tailor their testimony and cook up alibis and we have reason to believe that may be going on. We're trying to protect that information to the degree that we can."
Further, Republicans have equal access to the hearings, said Swalwell, but "then you see them all get up and leave...if they did stay and if they heard what these witnesses are saying, I hope that just like I that they would be moved and very concerned about what it means for our country and Constitution."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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