One of President Donald Trump's closest confidantes is speaking privately next week to congressional investigators looking into Russia meddling, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
Keith Schiller, a long-time adviser to Trump who left the White House in September after serving as director of Oval Office Operations, is expected to appear next Tuesday before the House intelligence committee, according to two of the sources. Schiller had long been by the President's side, and was the aide dispatched by Trump in May to deliver the news to the FBI that James Comey had been fired as bureau director.
The Russia interviews -- at least a half-dozen this week and next -- show that the committee's probe, which has often been marred by partisan squabbles, is still chugging along through its witness list. The witnesses coming before the panel include Trump administration and campaign officials, former Obama administration officials and one of the eight individuals who was present for the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Donald Trump Jr., a Russian lawyer and several others, according to the sources.
Rep. Mike Conaway, the Texas Republican who is leading the probe after House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes stepped aside earlier this year, has said he wants to wrap up the inquiry as quickly as is feasible. But California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the panel, has accused Republicans of trying to rush certain witnesses so the investigation can end.
Schiller has worked for Trump for almost two decades.
He was also the one who accompanied Jared Kushner on his trip to Iraq, and delivered the note to James Comey telling him that he was fired.
So yes, he knows stuff. Possibly a lot of stuff.
However I am not at all confident that being interviewed in private will do anything to move the investigation forward, and I have zero confidence in the House Intelligence Committee's ability to do this job effectively.
I would much prefer having Schiller interviewed by the Mueller team and I hope that is something that has already happened, or is scheduled to happen in the near future.
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