Politics

Ratcliffe Says He Knows The Reason Schiff Won’t Release ICIG Michael Atkinson’s Transcript

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Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Republican Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe hinted Saturday at the reason he believes House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff won’t release Michael Atkinson’s transcript.

Ratcliffe suggested in a tweet that Atkinson, the Intelligence Community Inspector General, might have revealed information about a possible connection between the whistleblower and members of Schiff’s staff.

“It’s because I asked IG Atkinson about his ‘investigation’ into the contacts between Schiff’s staff and the person who later became the whistleblower. The transcript is classified ‘secret’ so Schiff can prevent you from seeing the answers to my questions,” he tweeted.

Ratcliffe was responding to a question tweeted by Paul Sperry, former D.C. bureau chief at Investors Business Daily, about the fact that Atkinson’s transcript was still being withheld nearly two months after his closed-door testimony.

“Why is Schiff still withholding transcript of ICIG Michael Atkinson’s Oct 4 closed-door testimony which lasted 8+ hours? He’s released 15 witness transcripts but is still hiding Atkinson’s,” Sperry noted. (RELATED: Nunes Formally Calls On Adam Schiff To Testify As Part Of Impeachment ‘Show Trial’)

Republicans in both the House and the Senate have suggested that Schiff himself ought to be called to testify over his staffers’ interactions with the whistleblower.