Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) unilaterally released Fusion GPS’s full testimony from an August 2017 interview Tuesday.
Congressional investigators interviewed Fusion GPS co-founder Glenn Simpson about the Russia dossier; Republican leaders pushed back on the release of the transcript.
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley’s spox responded immediately Tuesday to Feinstein’s unilateral move: “It’s totally confounding that Senator Feinstein would unilaterally release a transcript of a witness interview in the middle of an ongoing investigation..Her decision was made without consulting Chairman Grassley,” reported Fox News’ Chad Pergram
On Wednesday Dianne Feinstein claimed she was ‘pressured’ to release the transcript then immediately backtracked!
CNN’s Manu Raju reported Wednesday, “FEINSTEIN says she’s sorry to Grassley for not giving him a headsup about the release of the Fusion GPS transcript. “I meant to tell him, and I didn’t have a chance to tell him, and that concerns me,” she told us. “I just got pressured, and I didn’t do it.””
FEINSTEIN says she’s sorry to Grassley for not giving him a headsup about the release of the Fusion GPS transcript. “I meant to tell him, and I didn’t have a chance to tell him, and that concerns me,” she told us. “I just got pressured, and I didn’t do it.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 10, 2018
Sean Davis of The Federalist responded to Raju with, “Wait. She was “pressured?” By whom? That seems like a pretty huge detail. Was it a donor? A party boss? Federal officials? Who “pressured” her?”
Wait. She was “pressured?” By whom? That seems like a pretty huge detail. Was it a donor? A party boss? Federal officials? Who “pressured” her? https://t.co/AcVxOP0TYS
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 10, 2018
Davis also asked, “What did Feinstein say when you asked her who “pressured” her to release the transcript, @mkraju? Surely you asked her that.”
What did Feinstein say when you asked her who “pressured” her to release the transcript, @mkraju? Surely you asked her that.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 10, 2018
Davis then followed up by asking, “And what did Feinstein say, @mkraju, when you asked her how she had time to make massive redactions at the demand of Fusion GPS, but didn’t have time to tell the committee chairman what was happening?”
And what did Feinstein say, @mkraju, when you asked her how she had time to make massive redactions at the demand of Fusion GPS, but didn’t have time to tell the committee chairman what was happening?
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 10, 2018
CNN’s Manu Raju then reported Feinstein claimed she ‘misspoke’ “Asked who pressured her, Feinstein says: “I wasn’t pressured” without reconciling her two statements. Her office later said she misspoke and wasn’t pressured to release transcript.”
Asked who pressured her, Feinstein says: “I wasn’t pressured” without reconciling her two statements. Her office later said she misspoke and wasn’t pressured to release transcript.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 10, 2018
Nice walk back!
Nice walk back. pic.twitter.com/rR6ejtXTr8
— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@PoliticalShort) January 10, 2018
Hat tip: Zero Hedge
