By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Sunday, Oct. 25, that Democrats could pursue another impeachment of President Donald Trump if congressional investigations uncover sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, while accusing the Justice Department of participating in what he described as efforts to interfere with the upcoming midterm elections.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Schiff addressed the possibility of impeachment if Democrats regain control of Congress and criticized a Justice Department lawsuit involving Alaska’s U.S. Senate election.
According to Breitbart News, host Kristen Welker questioned Schiff about whether Trump had committed impeachable offenses and whether Democrats should consider pursuing impeachment after the Nov. 3 elections.
Schiff, who helped lead Trump’s first impeachment proceedings in 2019, declined to endorse immediately beginning another impeachment inquiry.
“I feel the same way I did early in the Russia investigation, which is you don’t prejudge the outcome before you even do the oversight,” Schiff said.
He argued that congressional Democrats should initially concentrate on economic concerns and investigations into alleged government misconduct rather than make impeachment their principal objective.
“If that corruption leads in the direction of impeachment, it will lead wherever it leads. But we should put our overriding emphasis not on impeachment, but on bringing the cost down for the American people, on our affirmative agenda, on our oversight agenda, yes, our investigative agenda,” Schiff said.
The senator’s comments reflect ongoing discussions among Democrats about how they would use congressional investigative powers if they secure control of the House or Senate.
A recent Associated Press report described preparations by House Democrats for potential investigations into administration spending, immigration enforcement, government contracts and possible conflicts of interest.
A Democratic House majority would gain control of committee agendas and subpoena authority, allowing lawmakers to compel testimony and request documents from administration officials.
Any impeachment would require approval by a majority of the House, while conviction and removal from office would require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
Trump was impeached twice during his first presidency, in 2019 and 2021, and acquitted by the Senate on both occasions.
Schiff’s comments came during the same interview in which he accused the Justice Department of assisting Trump in efforts to undermine the November elections.
The accusation centered on a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying its Senate election results under certain circumstances.
The case involves Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and another candidate, Dan J. Sullivan Jr., whose similar name has prompted concerns from Republicans that voters could confuse the two.
Welker asked Schiff whether the Justice Department had a legitimate argument that the ballot could mislead voters.
“No, they don’t have a point in. What’s more, they don’t have standing to bring this kind of a suit. It’s not the federal government’s business to run Alaskan elections. It’s Alaska’s business to do that,” Schiff responded, according to a separate Breitbart report on his remarks.
Schiff argued that Alaska authorities had already addressed the ballot issue and accused federal officials of attempting to interfere with the state’s election administration.
“And the Justice Department knows this, but it just shows how complicit they are now in the Trump campaign to try to subvert the elections,” he said.
Schiff also predicted that the lawsuit would fail but expressed concern about the administration’s willingness to pursue it.
“This suit has no chance of succeeding. But the fact that Todd Blanche and the Justice Department are willing to go along with it, they’re willing to put their name on it, is an indication of how far they will go after this election is over, to try to challenge the results,” he said.
The Justice Department has disputed allegations that the administration is attempting to take control of state elections.
In a Reuters report published Sunday, Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Alaska lawsuit, arguing that the presence of two candidates with nearly identical names could create confusion among voters.
Blanche said the government’s objective was to determine whether legally significant voter confusion occurred, rather than assume control over Alaska’s electoral process.
The attorney general also alleged that the second Sullivan entered the race specifically to confuse voters, a claim the candidate has denied.
Alaska’s Supreme Court previously ruled that the second Sullivan could remain on the ballot. The state’s ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank candidates individually.
The federal lawsuit has intensified scrutiny of the Justice Department’s activities during the final days before the midterms, particularly as the administration pursues other election-related legal actions.
The department has also challenged aspects of California’s election procedures and sought voter registration records from numerous states.
Administration officials maintain that their legal actions are intended to enforce election laws and protect voting integrity, while Democratic critics argue that the interventions exceed federal authority.
Schiff has previously accused Trump of preparing to challenge unfavorable election results, including during a February appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”
In an official statement released by his Senate office, Schiff warned that the administration might attempt to intervene in the electoral process if Republicans lose congressional seats.
Those assertions remain allegations concerning Trump’s intentions rather than established findings of unlawful election interference.
With the Nov. 3 elections approaching, Schiff’s latest remarks place two contentious issues before voters: the Justice Department’s role in election disputes and the possibility of expanded congressional investigations into the administration.
Although Schiff did not call for immediate impeachment proceedings, he made clear that Democrats should not rule out that option if future investigations produce evidence they believe warrants congressional action.
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