Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page was questioned behind closed doors on Friday just hours after FBI agent Peter Strzok had been grilled in a raucous 10-hour public hearing, and Republicans said they learned new information from a witness who was able to talk more freely than Strzok.
Two Republican congressmen, Reps. John Ratcliffe of Texas and Matt Gaetz of Florida, characterized Page's closed-door testimony as more forthcoming than Strzok's, because she answered more questions about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, as well as the Hillary Clinton probe
Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, said they had learned new information that
"has been a long time coming," but he and the other lawmakers declined to provide details.
"There is significant new info she has provided," Meadows said, adding that he wouldn't discuss details unless transcripts of the interviews were released.
Like Strzok, Page said the political views she had expressed in anti-Donald Trump text messages did not affect her work at the FBI, lawmakers from both parties said.
Meadows called Page a "very credible witness," and said she had been "falsely accused" of not wanting to cooperate with the committee, a charge that had been levied by his fellow Republicans and President Trump.
Republicans went so far as to even praise Page for her testimony after she had been threatened with contempt earlier in the week.
And in a sign that Republicans are not eager to replay the nasty Strzok hearing, GOP lawmakers signaled Friday that they were unwilling to force Page to testify publicly -- despite earlier indications that they would."I found Lisa Page to be far more credible than Strzok," Gaetz said. "We did not see the smug attitude that we saw from Strozk."
"I think that at this point, public testimony is not on the horizon," said Meadows, adding that a public hearing is "not something I would advocate for."
Democrats seized on Friday's new Mueller indictments to charge that Republicans were wasting time by focusing on Page and the Clinton email investigation when they should be investigating Russian election meddling.
"She's an irrelevant actor in a sideshow," Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, said of Page.
Democrats said it was notable how much more subdued Friday's interview was compared with the charged environment during Thursday's public hearing with Strzok.
"It's much more sedate, much more calm," said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat. He added that it was a "situation where we can actually learn what's going on and the witness can actually answer the question."
"It's a closed-door hearing," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, saying Thursday's had been about "scoring points."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/polit...ors/index.html
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