House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Wednesday he accepts special counsel Robert Mueller's conclusion that there was enough reasonable doubt to not make the charge of Russian collusion in the 2016 campaign, but argued that there is "plenty of evidence" that the Trump campaign colluded with Russians.



From today's edition of 'Morning Joe' on MSNBC:







WILLIE GEIST, MSNBC: Do you accept the fundamental conclusion in that four-page letter, that there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians?



REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): I accept [Robert] Mueller's conclusion, and I assume Barr wouldn't misrepresent this, that he could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt the crime of conspiracy. As I said all along, there is plenty of evidence of collusion and corrupt co-mingling of work between the Trump campaign and the Russians. I fully accept that as a prosecutor, that he couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that crime.



As you know, because I've made this distinction on your show, I always said there was ample evidence of collusion in the public record. Whether Bob Mueller could prove the crime of conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt would be up to him and I'd accept his conclusion, and I do.



GEIST: You said on this show and others that there is direct evidence of collusion. Were you wrong about that, now that you've seen the summary of the special counsel's report?



SCHIFF: No. Because I think what you see in the public record is direct evidence. When the Russians, through an intermediary, offer dirt on the Clinton campaign as part of what's described as the Russian government effort to help the Trump campaign, and Donald Trump's son who played a pivotal role in the campaign who says, if it is what you say it is, I would love it, and sets up a meeting to receive it, that is very direct evidence of collusion.