>>> I HAVE BEEN CALLED A SURROGATE AT A TIME OR TWO IN
THAT CAMPAIGN AND I DID NOT HAVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE
RUSSIANS. >> BACK IN JANUARY, JEFF SESSION
TOLD THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE SOMETHING THAT WASN'T
TRUE. NOW THE SENATE INTEL COMMITTEE
IT INTENDS TO FIND OUT JUST HOW MANY MEETINGS HE DID HAVE.
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR RICHARD
BLUMENTHAL OF CONNECTICUT, VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW
SIR. >> THANK YOU.
>> I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MICHAEL SCHMIDT, WHO IS ON TO
SOMETHING WITH ADAM SCHIFF IN THE LAST INTERVIEW.
TAKE IT FROM HERE. >> WE WERE TALKING TO
CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH DEVIN NUNES ON THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. COOPERATION ON THIS
INVESTIGATION WOULD THE DEMOCRATS SAY THIS IS A BREAKING
POINT AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU ON
THIS? >> FOR ONE THING THE REFUSAL TO
ISSUE SUBPOENAS. MY VIEW IS THAT SUBPOENAS SHOULD
BE ISSUED RIGHT AWAY FOR ALL THE TAPES THAT MAY EXIST, EVEN TO
ESTABLISH THAT THEY DON'T EXIST, SUBPOENAS SHOULD BE ISSUED RIGHT
AWAY AND TO PRESERVE THEIR EXISTENCE.
I WANT A COMMITMENT FROM JEFF SESSIONS THAT HE WILL NOT OPPOSE
THOSE SUBPOENAS ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT THROUGH THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT. I ALSO WANT A COMMITMENT FROM
JEFF SESSIONS THAT HE WILL RESIGN IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES FIRES BOB MUELLER. I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF
FUNDAMENTAL CONSCIENCE. REPUBLICANS ON THE COMMITTEE
SHOULD COOPERATE IN DEFENDING BOB MUELLER, THIS INVESTIGATION
UNDER THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR SHOULD BE BIPARTISAN.
I CALLED FOR IT SOME MONTHS AGO. IT IS KEY TO UNCOVERING THE
TRUTH. >> DO YOU THINK IF MUELLER WERE
TO BE FIRED THE REPUBLICANS WOULD GO ALONG WITH APPOINTING
AN INDEPENDENT COUNSEL? DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD CREATE
THE POLITICAL WILL TO DO THAT? >> I WOULD PREDICT, ALTHOUGH
NOTHING IS CERTAIN, THAT THERE WILL BE A FIRESTORM, MUCH LIKE
THERE WAS IN THE WAKE OF THE SATURDAY NIGHT MASSACRE IN THE
WATERGATE ERA AND THAT WE WILL SEE LEGISLATION.
AND I KNOW IN THE SENATE -- I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE HOUSE --
THERE WOULD BE SUFFICIENT SUPPORT, I BELIEVE, FOR SOME
KIND OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, PROBABLY THROUGH A THREE-JUDGE
COURT, MAYBE LIMITED TO THIS INVESTIGATION, BUT SOME KIND OF
SPECIAL COUNSEL. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE BOB
MUELLER. NOBODY IS BETTER QUALIFIED IN
THE WHOLE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF HIS INVOLVEMENT AS A UNITED
STATES ATTORNEY, AS HEAD OF THE FBI, PERSON OF UNQUESTIONABLE
INTEGRITY. AND THIS ATTACK ON HIM TO
UNDERMINE HIS CREDIBILITY, THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN, UNCONCIONABLE.
I WANT JEFF SESSIONS TO DENOUNCE IT.
>> HAROLD FORD. >> EMERGING AS A KEY FIGURE IN
THIS INVESTIGATION. BUILDING ON MICHAEL'S QUESTIONS,
EXPLAIN TO ALL OF US, AND THE PUBLIC, IF HE WERE TO HAVE ONE,
TWO, THREE MEETINGS WITH THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR, WHAT'S THE
IMPLICATION OR SERIOUSNESS OF THAT IN YOUR MIND OR IN THE MIND
OF SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEE?
>> HE IS THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION TO BE INVOLVED IN THESE MEETINGS, WHETHER IT'S TWO
OR THREE. HE MADE FALSE STATEMENTS BEFORE
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ABOUT THEM.
HE HAS YET TO EXPLAIN FULLY THOSE FALSE STATEMENTS, WHICH IS
WHY HE NEEDS TO BE SUBPOENAED TO COME BACK TO THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE. AND, OF COURSE, HIS
PARTICIPATION IN THE COMEY FIRING AS PART OF THIS CHARADE,
SEEMINGLY A COVER-UP WHERE ROD ROSENSTEIN AND HE BOTH ENDORSED
THIS THEORY THAT COMEY WAS BEING DISMISSED BECAUSE OF THE
INEFFECTIVENESS OF HIS LEADERSHIP.
AND THEN THE PRESIDENT AND THEY, PRESUMABLY KNOWING ALL ALONG
ABOUT THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION. >> STEVE RATTNER?
>> SENATOR, WE TALKED ABOUT THE QUESTION, WHETHER SESSIONS HAD
TWO OR THREE MEETINGS WITH THE RUSSIANS.
I ASSUME YOU'LL TALK TO HIM TODAY ABOUT WHAT HE SAID TO
COMEY WHEN HE SAID HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALONE WITH THE
PRESIDENT ANYMORE. WHAT ELSE IS ON YOUR LIST OF
THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO TRY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF,
RECOGNIZING THAT HE MAY VERY WELL EXERCISE EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN HE AND THE
PRESIDENT AT LEAST? >> FIRST AS TO EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE, I THINK THERE'S NO BASIS FOR IT.
IT CANNOT BE INVOKED IN FURTHERANCE OF CRIMINAL ACTION.
AND HERE THEY INVESTIGATE VIOLATIONS OF LAW AND EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE EVEN IF THEY EXISTED, IN MY VIEW, HAS BEEN WAIVED BY
THE PRESIDENT. I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID TO HIM ABOUT FIRING COMEY.
WHAT GAVE HIM THE REASON THAT THIS LETTER HAD ANY BASIS, IN
FACT AND WAS, IN FACT, ANY PART OF AN ATTEMPTED COVER-UP.
THE REASON THAT'S KEY, AS YOU WELL KNOW AND TALKED ABOUT
EXTENSIVELY ON THE SHOW, THE RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THIS
ELECTION AND TRUMP CAMPAIGN COLLUSION WITH IT HAS LED TO
THIS UNFOLDING OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE THAT IS OCCURRING RIGHT
BEFORE OUR EYES IN REAL TIME. AND THE EFFORT TO SUPPRESS IT,
TO SMEAR MUELLER, TO CALL IT A WITCH HUNT, IS PART OF AN
ORCHESTRATED EFFORT, IN MY VIEW, TO UNDERMINE JUSTICE AND THE
CREDIBILITY OF THIS INVESTIGATION AND HAS TO STOP.
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