Rep. Adam Schiff said he already knew most of the released information in James Comey’s prepared statements. | Getty Schiff calls Trump's contact with Comey obstruction

Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee, said all the examples and anecdotes in former FBI Director James Comey’s statement clearly outline a case of obstruction.

Schiff, speaking on MSNBC and CBS This Morning on Thursday, said he already knew most of the released information in Comey’s prepared statements and that it confirmed a lot of what sources told him Comey would say.


“And still when you see it in black-and-white, it’s quite shocking,” Schiff said. “When you look at the chronology that the president dismisses other people from the room, asks essentially if the director wants to keep his job, demands loyalty.”

He told CBS that to not categorize the president’s actions as obstruction, someone would “have to be willfully looking in the other direction.” However, he said the key question is whether there was intent in Trump’s obstruction.

Schiff also discussed Trump’s loyalty to former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying to get answers to all the Senate Committee's unanswered queries, they would not accept people refusing to answer questions, alluding to yesterday’s hearing session with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers.

“Absolutely I believe it’s evidence,” Schiff said. “But whether it’s sufficient I think is yet to be determined.”

