The Justice Department’s investigation into Sen. Adam Schiff reportedly hasn’t uncovered enough evidence to charge the California Democrat, leaving the matter at “a standstill.”
The development, NBC News reported Thursday, came after federal prosecutors in Maryland spent months looking into a May criminal referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, which alleges possible mortgage fraud. Schiff has denied wrongdoing.
A federal law enforcement official—one of four people familiar with the investigation who spoke to NBC—said the probe “came to a standstill.” The attorney overseeing it, Kelly Hayes, met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this week about where things stood, according to the report. The outcome from her meeting with Donald Trump’s former personal attorney was that Hayes would try to seek out more evidence.
Trump has openly targeted Schiff for prosecution, and likewise with former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and his former National Security Advisor, John Bolton. Those three have each been indicted in recent weeks.
Regarding Comey and James, some Justice Department prosecutors also said there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue charges. Trump responded by pushing them out and installing a former beauty queen and personal attorney of his, Lindsey Halligan, to present each case to a grand jury.
Schiff’s attorney, Preet Bharara, called the investigation “vindictive” and without merit.
“It seems pretty clear that a team of career prosecutors have thoroughly reviewed the politically-motivated allegations against Senator Schiff and found they are unsupported by any evidence and are baseless,” Bharara told NBC News. “The transparently vindictive effort to pursue the Senator has no merit, and if there is any justice left in the Justice Department, this should be the end of the matter.”
The Daily Beast reached out to the Justice Department, which declined to comment. But Blanche later claimed that his reported meeting with Hayes “never happened.”
“Can you ask your two ‘sources’ for more info?” Blanche replied to MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian, who also reported the story. “I’m genuinely curious. Excited to hear more about this made-up meeting! Also, unequivocally: U.S. Attorney Hayes has told me no such thing.”
Trump, when asked Thursday afternoon about the Schiff investigation, admitted he hoped the senator would be indicted.
“Adam Schiff is one of the lowest forms of scum I have ever dealt with in politics. He is a horrible human being, a very dishonest person. I have no idea what’s going on—you say he’s about to be indicted. I don’t know. You could ask Pam," Trump said while next to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“We’re not going to comment on any grand jury that’s open,” Bondi responded. “We can’t legally.”
Trump, in a Truth Social post last month, that was intended as a direct message to Bondi, begged her to begin indictments against his perceived foes.
“What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia???” the 79-year-old wrote. “They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done... We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility.”
