Politics

Adam Schiff Wants To Change Federal Election Laws After Trump Comments

REUTERS/Jim Young

William Davis Contributor
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Democratic California Rep. Adam Schiff wants to amend federal election laws after President Donald Trump refused to rule out accepting campaign help from foreign sources.

The chair of the House Intelligence Committee,  Schiff introduced the Prohibiting Foreign Election Assistance Act Thursday , which would make accepting such help a crime. (RELATED: Trump Calls For Adam Schiff’s Forced Resignation)

“Schiff’s bill was drafted in response to analysis in Special Counsel Mueller’s report describing his decision to decline to prosecute Trump campaign officials for criminal campaign finance violations,” Schiff’s office said in a statement.

“Schiff’s bill would clarify that information sought or obtained for a political advantage qualifies as a ‘thing of value’ for purposes of the existing ban on foreign contributions. Additionally, it would strengthen the penalties for violation of the ban,” he continued.

There is no clear statute on the books that currently prohibits a campaign from accepting foreign assistance.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff appears on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” to discuss impeachment, May 19, 2019. CBS News screenshot via Twitter

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff appears on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” to discuss impeachment, May 19, 2019. CBS News screenshot via Twitter

Trump drew the ire of liberals when he refused to say if he’d accept dirt on a campaign opponent if it came from a foreign source.

Schiff has been one of Trump’s strongest critics in Congress, and he has continued to insist that there is evidence that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, even after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report failed to find any.

Schiff has also said that he’s not sure if the U.S. could survive another four years of a Trump presidency.

“He has to be defeated because I don’t know how much more our democratic institutions can take of this kind of attack on the rule of law,” Schiff said last month.

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