美国国家公共电台 NPR--Rep. Adam Schiff on what the Jan. 6 committee wants to achieve before the year ends

Rep. Adam Schiff on what the Jan. 6 committee wants to achieve before the year ends

Transcript¹

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, a member of the House Jan. 6 committee about the panel's priorities before the end of the year and the legacy² it will leave.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Congressman³ Adam Schiff joins us once again. He made the case against then-President Donald Trump⁴ in his first impeachment⁵, and he is part of the January 6 committee now examining those potential criminal referrals. Congressman, welcome back.

ADAM SCHIFF: Thank you. Great to be with you.

INSKEEP: OK, we just heard about possible criminal referrals for people who refused to cooperate. So I understand that. Could you possibly also refer people for specific crimes on or about January 6?

SCHIFF: We certainly could, and this is what we're discussing as we go into the last days of our work on this important investigation⁶. And that is, what would the impact of our referrals be if we make referrals, against whom and for what offenses⁸? How much should we detail the evidence, knowing that the Justice Department has sources of evidence that we don't, that it was able to enforce certain subpoenas⁹ and compel testimony¹⁰ that we have not been able to? So in some ways, I think the information we provide will exceed that of the department. In other areas, they have more evidence than we do.

INSKEEP: Isn't this ultimately a political as well as a legal decision, by which I mean, you have to decide, not only do we think that this is a criminal act, but also does it benefit the country in some way to call for this prosecution¹¹?

SCHIFF: That's exactly right. There's no requirement that Congress need one to find evidence for criminality, make referrals, but there is a long practice of Congress doing that. Now, generally, those referrals involve crimes against the institution of the Congress, so people who are refusing to testify or people who commit perjury¹² when they testify. But here you have the ultimate crime against Congress. And that was a violent attack on a Congress doing its work to certify¹³ a presidential election. So it's consistent with what we've done in the past if we go forward. At the same time, it's a whole new level of seriousness in terms of what we'd be referring.

INSKEEP: What is an example of something that you learned that looks like it might be a crime, that could be a subject of one of these referrals, but has not already been prosecuted¹⁴ by the Justice Department? What's something that's out there?

SCHIFF: Well, you know, I can't go into the particulars of what we may refer, but just looking, for example, at what Judge Carter in California had to say - he was looking at a small sample of the overall body of evidence. And he concluded in his review - and again, his review was to determine whether John Eastman, one of the lawyers working with President Trump, had to turn over material or whether it was covered by the attorney-client privilege and, in this case in particular, whether the crime-fraud exception applied¹⁵ - and he concluded that President Trump and others were likely engaged in a criminal conspiracy¹⁶ to obstruct¹⁷ the Congress in its work. So there you have a federal jurist who's making that determination. And obviously, those are facts that we weigh, along with a body of evidence that was not available to the judge.

INSKEEP: Granting that you haven't decided¹⁸ what referrals to make, granting that this is a political as well as a strictly¹⁹ legal decision - you have to decide what makes sense for the country - when you look at the evidence as a former prosecutor²⁰, do you believe that Donald Trump committed specific prosecutable²¹ crimes on January 6 and beforehand, a criminal conspiracy or something else?

SCHIFF: Yes, I do. And, you know, I think that illustration I gave, that example I gave is just one instance, one particular offense⁷ that I think the facts support a potential charge against the former president. And, you know, the Justice Department, in my view, needs to hold, you know, everyone equally responsible before the law, and that includes former presidents when they engage in criminality.

INSKEEP: What happens to your body of evidence when Republicans become the majority, Republicans are in control, and it seems this committee will go out of business?

SCHIFF: Well, we intend to make our evidence public and in that way make sure that is accessible to everyone, to the Justice Department, so that when the Republicans take over, they can't cherry-pick certain evidence and mislead the country with some false narrative²². So we want to put the evidence out there, and that's what we intend to do.

INSKEEP: Adam Schiff of California, it's a pleasure talking with you. Thank you so much.

SCHIFF: Great to talk with you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

5 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

8 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

9 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

10 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

11 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

12 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

13 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

14 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

15 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

16 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

17 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

18 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

19 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

20 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

21 prosecutable   

[法] 可提起公诉的

参考例句：

22 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。