Adam Schiff determined to solve unanswered questions from the Mueller report
Raw video: Chairman Adam Schiff delivers opening statement at a House Intelligence Committee hearing on 'Lessons from the Mueller Report: Counterintelligence Implications of Volume I.'
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., introduced legislation that he said would "make it crystal clear" that it was illegal for candidates to take opposition research from a foreign government.
The law, which would add clarifying language to the Federal Election Campaign Act, came amid controversy over President Trump's indication that he would listen to foreign dirt on his would-be 2020 opponent.
“For the last two years, the country has been gripped by an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, yet the president still thinks that it’s ok to accept campaign assistance from a foreign power," Schiff said in a statement on Thursday.
"I’m introducing legislation to make it crystal clear that seeking or obtaining foreign assistance in the form of dirt on an opponent from a foreign power or foreign national is illegal and ensuring all campaigns and employees are informed of the law banning foreign campaign contributions."
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Schiff's office pointed to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report which said it couldn't obtain a conviction because it couldn't prove that the Trump campaign "willfully" violated the law during the infamous Trump Tower meeting or that the information provided met the law's definition of a “thing of value.”
"The report states that while there were “reasonable arguments” that the information offered would constitute a 'thing of value' under the statute, the Office determined it could not obtain a conviction," the press release read.
According to The Hill, the law would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to define "thing of value" as "information sought or obtained for political advantage."
Trump, while defending his foreign dirt comments, specifically targeted Schiff, whom he said didn't inform the FBI when he received information from a purported Russian operative.
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Schiff reportedly denied that charge. “The president claimed today, ‘why didn’t Adam Schiff call the FBI?’ The only problem with that was we did. We called the FBI even before we took the call. We informed the Republican majority and invited them to participate in the call,” he said.
The law came as Schiff and other Democrats ramped up their investigations into the Trump administration.
Although Mueller's report didn't conclude Trump conspired with the Russians, Schiff has pressed the administration for more answers.
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During a hearing in June, Schiff raised concerns about the report's findings. “Volume one of the report outlines a sweeping and systemic effort by Russia to interfere in the 2016 election for the benefit of Donald Trump,” he said.
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“It establishes that the Trump campaign welcomed Russian interference because it expected to benefit electorally from the information stolen and released through the Russian effort.”
Schiff has also threatened to subpoena the FBI for more information on whether it continued counterintelligence investigations into the Trump campaign or if those concluded.
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