The Latest: Schiff denounces Trump 'false smears'

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Posted: Monday, February 5, 2018 8:12 am | Updated: 8:31 am, Mon Feb 5, 2018.

The Latest: Schiff denounces Trump 'false smears' Associated Press |

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the probe into contacts between his campaign and Russia (all times local):

9:10 a.m.

Rep. Adam Schiff says a Twitter attack from President Donald Trump amounts to "false smears."

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, responded to Trump on Twitter Monday after the president called him one of the "biggest liars and leakers in Washington."

Says Schiff: "Mr. President, I see you've had a busy morning of 'Executive Time.' Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or...really anything else."

The California Democrat has slammed the release of a congressional memo that alleges FBI surveillance abuses in an investigation into the Trump campaign's Russia ties.

Trump has said the GOP memo "vindicates" him. But Democratic and Republican lawmakers say that assertion is wrong.

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8 a.m.

President Donald Trump is lashing out at the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, saying he "must be stopped."

Trump says on Twitter Monday: "Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper! Adam leaves closed committee hearings to illegally leak confidential information. Must be stopped!"

Schiff has slammed the release of a congressional memo that alleges FBI surveillance abuses in an investigation into the Trump campaign's Russia ties. The California Democrat said on ABC Sunday that it was a "political hit job."

Trump has said the GOP memo "vindicates" him. But Democratic and Republican lawmakers say that assertion is wrong.

Schiff did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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12:30 a.m.

Some lawmakers doubt President Donald Trump's claim that a GOP-produced classified memo on FBI surveillance powers clears him in the Russia investigation.

And that's both Democrats and Republicans who feel that way.

They also expressed hope that special counsel Robert Mueller's work would continue without interference. Democrats could seek a vote on publicly releasing their rebuttal memo when the GOP-led House Intelligence Committee meets late Monday afternoon.

The committee rejected that move last week. The Senate's Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, urged Trump to back the public release and said refusing to do so would show the president's intent to undermine the Russia investigation.

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