Senate Democrats, including the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, voiced outrage Wednesday night after White House deputy council Patrick Philbin argued that it would be legal for President Trump
Donald John TrumpCNN's Don Lemon explains handling of segment after Trump criticism NPR reporter after Pompeo clash: Journalists don't interview government officials to score 'political points' Lawyer says Parnas can't attend Senate trial due to ankle bracelet MORE to accept opposition research from a foreign country.
Sen. Chris Coons
Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsGOP Foreign Affairs leaders join pushback against potential troop drawdown in Africa Foreign Relations Democrats 'deeply frustrated' after Iran briefing Democrats rally in support of bill to repeal Trump travel ban MORE (D-Del.), toward the end of Wednesday's marathon question and answer session in the Senate impeachment trial, asked Trump’s defense team if such an action would be legal.
Philbin argued “the idea that any information that happens to come from overseas is necessarily campaign interference is a mistake.”
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“That’s non sequitur,” he added. “Information that is credible that potentially shows wrongdoing by someone who happens to be running for office, if it’s credible information, is relevant information to the voters to know about.”
That answer sparked outrage among Democrats.
Sen. Mark Warner
Mark Robert WarnerLawmakers warn US, UK intel sharing at risk after Huawei decision Democrats worry Trump team will cherry-pick withheld documents during defense Commerce Department withdraws Huawei rule after Pentagon pushback: reports MORE (D-Va.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has been conducting a multi-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, said Philbin’s argument “contradicts everything that our committee has said, everything the intelligence community has worked on.”
“If Mr. Philbin’s argument is accepted at face value that foreign interference is okay unless it violates some non-defined definition of a campaign contribution [is] counter to everything that the intelligence community, our committee and I think others are working on,” Warner said.
“I’m pretty stunned,” he added.
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Sen. Martin Heinrich
Martin Trevor HeinrichDemocratic senator blasts 'draconian' press restrictions during impeachment trial Health care, spending bills fuel busy year for K Street Schumer introduces bill requiring GDP measure inequality MORE (D-N.M.), another member of the Intelligence Committee, said “I have never heard anyone represent anything close to that in the intelligence community ever.”
“We are encouraged to at all times report even just contact with foreign efforts at interference in our elections or of manipulation of our government activities,” he said.
“This idea that you would take information from a foreign government seeking to impact an election and then weaponize that or use that just because it may be credible — I’ve just never heard anything like that. I think it’s absolutely unconscionable,” he added.
Heinrich said Philbin’s argument could impact how the American public views Trump’s legal team because “this is so counter to common sense for the average American.”
He said the nation has historically done whatever it could to insulate government decision-making and elections from foreign influence.
“This basically said throw open the doors,” he said of the White House’s argument.
Trump famously told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos
George Robert StephanopoulosKlobuchar channels 'Hamilton,' says she wants to hear from 'the men in the room where it happened' in impeachment trial GOP senator on Trump soliciting foreign interference: 'Those are just statements' Alan Dershowitz: Argument president cannot be impeached for abusing power a 'strong one' MORE in July that he would likely accept information provided by a foreign government by a political opponent.
“It’s not interference, they have information — I think I’d take it,” Trump said. “If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI — if I thought there was something wrong.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow
Deborah (Debbie) Ann StabenowSenate fails to get deal to speed up fight over impeachment rules The Hill's Morning Report — President Trump on trial John Lewis to miss Martin Luther King Jr. Day event MORE (Mich.), a member of the Democratic leadership team, said “when they doubled down on the fact that it’s alright for the White House, the president of the United States to get dirt on his opponent from another country” because it’s not illegal, “it’s not okay.”
“It’s not legal,” she said.
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