Throughout former President Donald Trump's candidacy and presidency, his and his campaign's affiliations with Russian operators were a source of concern across the nation.
Trump and his allies repeatedly decried a Special Counsel and FBI investigations into these affiliations as a "hoax" and a "witch hunt," often citing the Steele Dossier—a series of reports compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele.
The Steele Dossier played only a minor part in the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's associations with Russia, which had already begun before investigators obtained the dossier, despite false claims that the investigation was completely based on unproven and debunked claims it contained, including scandalous stories of a Trump sex tape.
Recently, a separate Special Counsel investigation into the Russia investigation—headed by attorney John Durham—indicted Igor Danchenko, a Russian analyst responsible for some of the claims in the dossier.
In a recent interview on The View, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California—who played a major role in congressional scrutiny of the investigation's findings—took questions regarding the dossier and the recent arrest.
Trump-era State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, a conservative guest host on the show, skewered Schiff over the dossier, prompting a rebuttal from the congressman.
Watch below
Rep. Adam Schiff Reacts to Gosar Tweet and Discusses Steele Dossier | The Viewyoutu.be
After Ortagus noted Danchenko's arrest, she asked if Schiff regretted his role in promoting the dossier, Schiff responded:
"Well, first of all, whoever lied to the FBI or lied to Christopher Steele should be prosecuted, and they are, and unlike in the Trump administration, if they're convicted, they should go to jail and not be pardoned. ... And let's not forget what we learned in that investigation. We learned that the Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was giving internal polling data, campaign polling data to Russian intelligence while Russian intelligence was helping the Trump campaign."
Schiff's response was praised by liberals on Twitter.
Since the departure of former View cohost Meghan McCain, producers on the show have been testing a variety of potential new personalities on the show presenting conservative viewpoints.
Some are wondering why these viewpoints are necessary.
The investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation is ongoing.
