Not long after some were encouraged by incumbent Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-Maine) impeachment-related public statements, Collins has suggested that the timing of the Tuesday document dump–courtesy of indicted Ukrainian-Floridian businessman Lev Parnas and the House Intelligence Committee–was somehow nefarious.
Collins was asked Wednesday by CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju about the latest revelations about efforts to remove former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Yovanovitch’s movements were watched closely by individuals involved in those efforts, individuals tied to Rudy Giuliani and President Donald Trump. Some are now calling for an investigation of the surveillance.
Yovanovitch testified during the House Intel Committee phase of the impeachment inquiry that she felt threatened by Trump. But Sen. Collins was apparently more interested in questioning the timing of new information and more interested in questioning the House process than she was in expressing concern about the implications.
“I wonder why the House did not put that into the record and it’s only now being revealed,” Collins reportedly told Raju. Raju said that when Collins was told the documents were just turned over she said, “well doesn’t that suggest that the House did an incomplete job then?”
Parnas has long been interested in complying with a House subpoena for his testimony, but things hit a snag after the Giuliani business associate was arrested in Oct. 2019 and indicted in the Southern District of New York on numerous charges related to campaign finance violations. The evidence since-released to Congress was seized by the government in connection with the case, and a federal judge didn’t allow its release until Jan. 3. Congress didn’t receive relevant materials until Sunday Jan. 12 and Monday Jan. 13.
Collins’ comments resulted in a buffet of criticism and reaction. While some called into question whether Collins has been paying much attention to recent relevant events, others said it was just another example that she cannot be trusted.
That answer from Collins doesn’t make much sense at all…
The circus is in town…
What about the real story here?
Collins simply cannot be counted on to “do the right thing.”
Bad sign of things to come in the Senate?
[Image via Alex Wong/Getty Images]