Utah’s Mike Lee says trial statements about him were ‘contrary to fact,’ gets record revised
'I am the only witness. Those statements are not true,' Lee said about a Democrat's impeachment trial remarks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, succeeded Wednesday in having a Democrat’s statements about him withdrawn from the record during the second day of former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
Lee objected to claims from Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., that Lee said former President Donald Trump was trying to convince Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., to delay the certification of the presidential election on Jan. 6 as a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Lee previously said that Trump called him asking for Tuberville and that he handed his phone to Tuberville for a conversation with the former president. But Lee has not said what the conversation between Trump and Tuberville was about.
"They are contrary to fact," Lee said, disputing Cicilline’s remarks, during the trial. "I am the only witness."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Tonight the House impeachment managers made false statements mischaracterizing Sen. Lee’s account of a phone conversation between President Trump and Senator Tuberville," a Lee spokesman told Fox News. "Sen. Lee objected and asked that the false statements be stricken from the record. The House managers agreed to withdraw those statements."
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"They are contrary to fact. I am the only witness. Those statements are not true … were not made by me and they’re not accurate."
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who is presiding over the trial, said that Lee's request was not consistent with the Senate rules. But Lee appealed, requesting a roll call vote on his appeal. This prompted confusion in the chamber on what exactly the Senate was voting on before Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sent the Senate into a quorum call "while we work this out."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I. (Associated Press)
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Lee later withdrew his request for a roll call vote and Schumer withdrew his quorum call.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the lead impeachment manager, then said that "Ciciline correctly and accurately quoted a newspaper account which the distinguished senator has taken objection to. So we're happy to withdraw it on the grounds that it is not true and we are going to withdraw it this evening without any prejudice to the ability to resubmit if possible and then we could debate it if we need it."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Raskin added that the statement was "not critical" to the Democrats' case.
Earlier this week, Lee appeared on Fox News’ "America’s Newsroom," where he predicted Trump will ultimately be acquitted in the impeachment trial – just as Trump was acquitted last February after the first time he was impeached.
Fox News' Marisa Schultz report contributed to this report.