Local Rep. Turner calls on Intel Committee chair to resign over comments about President Trump

Congressman Mike Turner, R-Dayton

Congressman Mike Turner, R-Dayton

Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee continued on Thursday to call for the resignation of committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. In light of his repeated allegations that President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.
Local Congressman Mike Turner, R-Dayton, was one of Schiff's most vocal critics Thursday, comparing Schiff's actions to former Sen. Joe McCarthy's anti-Communist campaign in the 1950s.
Turner accused Schiff of operating the panel in a way that poses a "danger to our national security."

"When Senator Joe McCarthy walked the halls of Congress, people in this nation were transfixed, but they were also appalled, and this body then recognized the danger of unethical abuse of congressional powers. Now, the testimony from Steve Hall today says that Vladimir Putin has as his primary goal the weakening of the United States and the West. Mr. Chairman, I am asking for your resignation today because I believe you are advancing Putin's work. I believe the Chair has abused his power in these processes and he is misrepresenting the information that we've received in classified sessions," Turner said.
Schiff said the attacks from Trump and congressional Republicans are "nothing new" and has insisted that he is conducting proper oversight.

Democrats have rallied around Schiff and his position as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a leading voice in the Russia investigation.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., defended Schiff, saying earlier this week that he expects him to be “chairing that committee for a long time to come.”

Schiff was also just named to a key fundraising chairmanship post at the Democratic committee tasked with preserving the party’s majority in the House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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