House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) says that the public shouldn't be allowed to observe hearings in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, as doing so may allow Republicans to then "fabricate testimony" (and totally not because their case is falling apart).

On Sunday, Schiff told host Margaret Brennan that the ongoing impeachment inquiry is "analogous to a grand jury proceeding," which is "done out of the public view initially."

Rep Schiff says impeachment hearings must be secret because they're like grand jury; can't let Trump side coordinate stories. Question: Will Schiff pledge to release all transcripts before public hearings and reasonable period of time before House votes on impeachment articles? pic.twitter.com/1DCrCZ9oCl — Byron York (@ByronYork) October 14, 2019

Watch:

Based on a politically biased CIA officer's second-hand complaint over a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky in which Trump asked for an investigation of former VP Joe Biden, House Democrats have forged ahead with their impeachment inquiry despite several damaging revelations to their narrative; namely that the whistleblower worked with former Biden and two Schiff staffers.

More importantly, a transcript of the call in question reveals no such pressure or quid pro quo by Trump.

Meanwhile, Schiff booted GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz out of Monday morning testimony with former White House Russia adviser Fiona Hill, who resigned shortly before President Trump's call with Zelensky.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), assuming he was allowed to sit in on the testimony because he's a member of the House Judiciary Committee, found that he was mistaken. Gaetz told the press that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff had asked him to leave because only the Intelligence, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs committees, who are leading the impeachment inquiry, had the right to be there. -Town Hall

.@RepAdamSchiff is conducting his secretive impeachment proceedings in the basement of the Capitol, and now he’s kicked @mattgaetz out of today’s deposition.



This testimony should be available to every member of Congress and every single American. What is Schiff hiding? — Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) October 14, 2019

Interesting, Schiff went from calling for Trump to release a transcript of the Zelensky call and the whistleblower complaint - which Trump did, to wanting everything done through non-public, 'secretive' proceedings.