COME BY. THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW STARTS
RIGHT NOW. >>> THANKS TO YOU AT HOME FOR
JOINING US FOR THE NEXT HOUR. BUCKLE UP, I GUESS THAT'S THE
RIGHT THING TO SAY. THE BIGGEST DEVELOPING STORY IN
THE COUNTRY TONIGHT MAY BE THE BIGGEST STORY YET OF THIS
PRESIDENCY IS THE WHITE HOUSE APPARENTLY ABANDONING ALL
PRETENSE WHEN IT COMES TO EXPLAINING THE FIRING OF FBI
DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY. AS A COUNTRY WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY
NEVER BEFORE HAD A PRESIDENT WHOSE CAMPAIGN WAS THE SUBJECT
OF AN ACTIVE FBI COUNTER INTELLIGENCE INVESTIGATION, SO
THERE'S REALLY NO HISTORICAL PRESCRIPTION IN TERMS OF WHAT
YOU OUGHT TO DO THAT WOULD COUNT AS NORMAL BEHAVIOR IN THAT
CIRCUMSTANCE. FOR THE LAST COUPLE DAYS EVEN
THIS WHITE HOUSE IN ITS UNUSUAL SITUATION AND UNUSUAL
RELATIONSHIP TO POLITICAL NORMS IN GENERAL, FOR THE LAST COUPLE
DAYS EVEN THIS WHITE HOUSE ACCEPTED THE BASIC PRINCIPLE
THAT A PRESIDENT SHOULDN'T FIRE THE PERSON LEADING AN
INVESTIGATION INTO HIS CAMPAIGN BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T
LIKE THAT INVESTIGATION. FOR THE PAST COUPLE DAYS THE
WHITE HOUSE AT LEAST HALFHEARTEDLY TRY TO EXPLAIN THE
FIRING OF FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. THEY PRODUCED A MEMO FROM THE
DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYING IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE HANDLING
OF THE HILLARY CLINTON E-MAIL LAST YEAR.
THEY PRODUCED THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO ASSURE
PEOPLE IN HIS CALM, STEADY WAY THAT THE PRESIDENT ONLY FIRED
THE FBI DIRECTOR BECAUSE OF GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE FBI
DIRECTOR COMING FROM WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
THE WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN AND HIS DEPUTY TOLD REPORTERS THAT
THE FIRING WAS A DOJ DECISION, THAT IT WAS ABOUT THE WISHES OF
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THAT THE MEMO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE WAS NOT WRITTEN AT THE DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT THAT
IT WAS INITIATED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT SAW THE MEMO FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
IT LEFT HIM NO CHOICE, LITERALLY, THAT WAS THE PHRASE,
NO CHOICE. FOR THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, THEY
MADE A HALF HEARTED CASE THAT THE PRESIDENT DIDN'T FIRE THE
FBI DIRECTOR BECAUSE THE FBI DIRECTOR IS LEADING AN
ESCALATING INVESTIGATION INTO THE RUSSIA SCANDAL.
THE BIGGEST STORY IN THE COUNTRY NOW, WHAT MAY BE THE DEFINING
STORY OF THIS PRESIDENCY AT LEAST THUS FAR, IS THAT NOW THEY
HAVE GIVEN UP ON EVEN THOSE HALF HEARTED ATTEMPTS AT PRETENSE.
NOW THEY ARE JUST GOING FOR IT. IT'S LIKE A DARE.
BASICALLY THEY'RE SAYING NOW, YEAH, OKAY, YOU GOT US.
YEAH, WE FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR TO KIBOSH THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION, WE DID. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT
IT? >> DID YOU ASK FOR A
RECOMMENDATION. >> WHAT I DID IS I WAS GOING TO
FIRE COMEY. MY DECISION.
>> YOU HAD MADE DECISION BEFORE THEY CAME IN THE ROOM?
>> I WAS GOING TO FIRE COMEY. THERE'S NO GOOD TIME TO DO IT,
BY THE WAY. >> IN YOUR LETTER YOU SAID I
ACCEPTED THEIR RECOMMENDATION SO YOU HAD ALREADY MADE THE
DECISION? >> I WAS GOING TO FIRE
REGARDLESS OF RECOMMENDATION. HE MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
HE'S HIGHLY RESPECTED VERY SMART GUY.
THE DEMOCRATS LIKE HIM. THE REPUBLICANS LIKE HIM.
HE MADE A RECOMMENDATION, BUT REGARDLESS OF RECOMMENDATION, I
WAS GOING TO FIRE COMEY KNOWING THERE WAS NODDING TIME TO DO IT.
AND IN FACT, WHEN I DECIDED TO JUST DO IT, I SAID TO MYSELF, I
SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS RUSSIA THING WITH TRUMP AND RUSSIA IS A
MADEUP STORY. >> WHEN I DECIDED TO JUST DO IT,
FIRE THE FBI DIRECTOR I SAID TO MYSELF, I SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS
RUSSIA THING IS A MADE-UP STORY. AND SO I FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR
WHO WAS LEADING THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE RUSSIA
THING. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT
THAT ADMISSION FROM THE PRESIDENT TONIGHT IN THAT
INTERVIEW WITH LESTER HOLT. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT
THAT CLIP, THAT TAPE, THAT STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT AS OF
WHAT HE SAID THERE WAS LIKE ALMOST AN ACCIDENT.
THE REACTION TO THAT PROBABLY WAS LIKE HE ACCIDENT BLURTED OUT
THE REAL REASON WHY HE FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR.
I DO NOT MEAN THIS IN A, ISN'T THAT CORRECTY, ISN'T THAT
CORRECT CAN I
THAT'S JUST THE WAY HE TALKS. WHAT HE SAID THERE DOES NOT
APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE HE SAID IT CALMLY, HE
KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS SAYING OBVIOUSLY.
HE WASN'T BEING BADGERED INTO IT.
HE WAS RISK ON HIS OWN TERMS. AND HE ISN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO
SAID THAT TODAY. THIS IS THE WAY THE PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNICATIONS STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE STARTED TALKING
ABOUT THIS MATTER TODAY FROM THE PODIUM IN THE BRIEFING ROOM.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY ONE THING YOU SAID.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ENCOURAGED THIS INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIA.
HE WANTS TO SEE IT REACH ITS COLLUSION.
HOW HAS HE CREDENTIALED IT IF HE FIRED THE MAN OVERSEEING THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. >> THERE ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE THE
PART OF THE. IT'S NOT JUST THE FBI.
LOOK, THE POINT IS WE WANT THIS TO COME TO ITS COLLUSION.
WE WANT IT TO COME TO ITS COLLUSION WITH INTEGRITY AND WE
THINK WE'VE BEEN REMOVING THE DIRECTOR TAKEN STOPES MAKE THAT
HAPPEN. THANKS SO MUCH, GUYS.
>> SPEAKING OF INTEGRATED -- WHY NOT HAVE AN INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATION OF THEM. THAT'S WHAT A NUMBER OF ATTORNEY
GENERALS ARE ASKING. >> THANKS SO MUCH, GUYS, GOT TO
GO. BY REMOVING DIRECTOR COMEY, WE
HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHAT SHE SAYS THERE, BECAUSE WE WANT THIS TO COME TO
ITS CONCLUSION. WE THINK THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BY
REMOVING DIRECTOR COMEY TAKEN STEPS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHY WE REMOVED DIRECTOR COMEY.
SO THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY HAS JUST DROPPEDED THE PRETENSE ABO
WHY THE PRESIDENT FIRED THE FBI DIRECTOR.
YEAH, WE FIRED HIM FOR THE RUSSIA THING, TO STOP THE RUSSIA
THING, TO BRING THE RUSSIA THING TO AN END.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
TODAY IF THE PRESIDENT DID DO WHAT HE SAID HE DID BECAUSE HE
WANTED TO EFFECT THE FBI'S INVESTIGATION INTO HIS CAMPAIGN
AND ITS TIES WITH RUSSIA, THAT WOULD BE -- THAT IS -- THAT'S
THE KIND OF EXAMPLE YOU MIGHT MAKE UP IF YOU WERE TEACHING A
LOW LEVEL CLASS ON OP OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND YOU
WANTED TO GIVE YOUR STUDENTS A CRYSTAL CLEAR EXAMPLE OF WHAT
THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN A BANANA REPUBLIC WHERE THINGS LIKE THAT
HAPPEN. AS FAR AS THAT GOES THOUGH, THE
REMEDY FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IS COMMITTED BY A
PRESIDENT, THERE'S ONLY ONE REMEDY WHICH IS IMPEACHMENT.
IT WAS THE THIRD ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST BILL
CLINTON. ANY SUCH INVESTIGATION BY THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WOULD ONLY
COVER THE ACTIONS OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL.
IT WOULD NOT COVER THE ACTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES. IF THE PRESIDENT OBSTRUCTED
JUSTICE DELIBERATELY WITH THIS FIRING, IF HE FIRED THE FBI
DIRECTOR TO EFFECT THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION, THE ONLY REMEDY
FOR IMPEACHMENT. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU THINK
THIS DISAGREES GOING TO TAKE UP IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING.
LET ME RAISE ANOTHER MATTER HERE.
IT IS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR POLITICAL INTERFERENCE BY THE
PRESIDENT, BY THE THE PRESIDENT'S CLOSEST ADVISERS ON
THE TRUMP RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. THIS ONE DOES NOT START IN
WASHINGTON OR THE WHITE HOUSE. THIS ONE STARTS WHERE ALL THE
MEDIA INFORMATION ABOUT THIS STARTS WHICH IS IN THE
AGGRESSIVE FREE PRESS WE ARE BELIEVED WITH IN THIS COUNTRY.
THIS SPRING, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAD TWO GREAT SCOOPS ABOUT
THE MAN WHO WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN DURING THE
TIME THAT TRUMP WON THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES AND
COLLECTED THE NOMINATION.
MANAFORT WAS THE CHAIRMAN. IT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED BETWEEN
TRUMP SOERTS AND RUSSIANS OFFICIALS.
THE FIRST SCOOP ON MANAFORT -- HE WORKED TO AID PUTIN.
HE WORKED FOR A RUSSIAN BILLY BILLIONNARY WITH A PLAN TO
GREATLY BENEFIT THE PUTIN GOVERNMENT.
IN 2005 HE PROPOSED IN A CONFIDENTIAL STRATEGY PLAN HE
WOULD INFLUENCE POLITICS, BUSINESS DEALINGS, AND NEWS
COVERAGES INSIDE THE UNITED STATES EUROPE AND FORMER SOVIET
REPUBLICS TO BENEFIT VLADIMIR PUTIN'S GOVERNMENT.
MANAFORT'S PITCH MEMO FOR THIS CONTRACT SAID, QUOTE, WE ARE NOW
OF THE BELIEF THIS MODEL CAN GREATLY BENEFIT THE PUTIN
GOVERNMENT IF EMPLOYED AT THE CORRECT LEVELS WITH A COMMITMENT
TO SUCCESS. MANAFORT PITCHED THE PLANS TO A
RUSSIAN BILLIONNARY A CLOSE PUTIN ALLY WITH WHOM HE SIGNS A
CONTRACT BEGINNING IN 2006. THAT WAS THE AP'S FIRST BIG
SCHOON ON MANAFORT THIS SPRING WHICH HAPPENED IN MARCH.
I REMEMBER WHEN THAT STORY BROKE I WAS IN A CAB ON MY WAY TO
WORK, AND I LAUGHED OUT LOUD WHEN I READ IT ON MY PHONE AND I
READ THE HEADLINE AND THE LEAD OF THE STORY OUT LOUD TO THE CAB
DRIVER AND HE TURNED AROUND LIKE THIS WITH THE WHEEL AND LOOKED
AT ME. I WAS LIKES NO!
IT WAS ALMOST THE DEATH OF ME. BUT THAT WAS MANAFORT IN MARCH.
STARTING IN 2006 ENDING, WHO KNOWS WHEN, DONALD TRUMP'S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN HAD AN ANNUAL CONTRACT TO PROMOTE THE
TRANSISTOR OF VLADIMIR PUTIN'S GOVERNMENT IN COUNTRIES AROUND
THE WORLD INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES.
BOOM FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. THEN THREE WEEKS LATER THEY HAD
THIS ONE AP EXCLUSIVE, MANAFORT FIRM RECEIVED UKRAINE LEDGER
PAYMENT. NOW THIS ONE DIDN'T CAUSE ANY
CAB DRIVERS TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD AND DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME
HAIR ON FIRE EFFECT AS THE CONTRACT TO HELP PUTIN STORY.
THIS ONE CLOSED THE LOOP ON THE STORY THAT ACTUALLY GOT PAUL
MANAFORT BOUNCED OFF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT WAS "THE NEW YORK TIMES" BACK IN AUGUST WHO REPORTED THAT PAUL
MANAFORT APPEARED OPPOSITE A SECRET LEDGER ON WHAT APPEARED
TO BE PAYMENTS FROM THE UKRAINEN DICTATOR AND HIS PARTY WHO
ESSENTIALLY LOOTED THAT COUNTRY'S TREASURY.
"NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED LAST AUGUST THAT MANAFORT WAS LISTED
ON THIS LEDGER OF AELGTD SECRET PAYMENTS FROM THE DICTATOR OF
UKRAINE. AND IF THE "NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTED HIS NAME, MANAFORT WAS GONE FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
LESS THAN A WEEK LATER. HE DENIED EVER RECEIVING THOSE
PAYMENTS, BUT THEY OUSTED HIM FROM THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT WAS AUGUST. IT TOOK UNTIL APRIL, BUT THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT HE WAS NOT JUST ON THE LEDGER EAR MARKED TO
RECEIVE PAYMENTS, THEY REPORTED THAT HE DID TAKE THOSE PAYMENTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN ALL SORTS OF REPORTS SINCE PAUL MANAFORT
MYSTERIOUS LEFT THE CAMPAIGN THAT THE MONEY TRAIL ALL OVER
THE WORLD HAS PRUCHB INTERESTING TO INVESTIGATORS.
NBC'S RICHARD ENGLE WENT TO CYPRESS.
THAT THEY HAD HANDED OVER INFORMATION ON PAUL MANAFORT'S
MONEY TO THE U.S. TREASURY'S FINANCIAL CRIMES UNIT.
THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE REPORTS THAT PAUL MANAFORT ALSO ENDED UP
IN THE MIDDLE OF AN FBI INVESTIGATION IN UKRAINE THAT'S
BASICALLY AN INVESTIGATION OF THAT COUNTRY BEING A KLEPT TO
BEINGSY. THAT MANAFORT'S CLIENT STOLE
FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THAT COUNTRY.
WHERE DID ALL THE MONEY GO? THERE'S AN FBI INVESTIGATION
INTO THAT. MANAFORT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO BE
TIED UP IN THAT INVESTIGATION. SO MANAFORT'S MONEY TRAIL, HE
DENIES ALL WRONG DOING RELATED TO ANY OF THESE OVERSEAS
PAYMENTS OR POLITICAL WORK. BUT MULTIPLE REPORTS OVER
MULTIPLE MONTHS SUGGEST THAT PAUL MANAFORT'S INTERNATIONAL
MONEY TRAIL IS LIKE LIFE'S RICH PAGEANT FOR INVESTIGATORS.
AND WHEN THAT SIMPLE AP STORY CAME OUT IN APRIL ABOUT HIM
ALLEGEDLY GETTING PAID OUT OF UKRAINE, THAT STORY HIT A NERVE.
THERE'S BEEN ALL SORTS OF STORIES WITH HIS MONEY, BUT THIS
ALLEGATION ABOUT HIS PAYMENTS OUT OF UKRAINE, THAT'S WHAT LED
HIM TO QUIT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN LAST AUGUST, AND THEN AP'S STORY
IN APRIL ABOUT THE PAYMENTS ACTUALLY HAPPENED, THAT LED HIM
TO DO THIS. THAT SAME DAY THE AP STORY CAME
OUT, THIS STORY WAS EVERYWHERE. PAUL MANAFORT EXPECTED TO
REGISTER AS FOREIGN AGENT. NOORCHT REGISTER AS FOREIGN
AGENT. AND AT THE TIME THAT HAPPENED IN
APRIL, IT MADE SOME WAVES, RIGHT?
CRITICS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, CHEW ON THAT.
HERE'S ANOTHER SENIOR PERSON REGISTERING RETRO ACTIVELY AS A
FOREIGN POWER. AND NOW TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN,
PAUL MANAFORT HAD TO DO IT TOO. AMAZING STORY.
MANAFORT NEVER DID IT. YOU CAN SEARCH YOURSELF TO SEE
WHO IS REGISTERED AS A FOREIGN AFTER ALL IT'S A GOOD LITTLE
ENFORCEMENT I HAVE IT BOOK MARKED ON MY PHONE.
IT'S MOBILE FRIENDLY. I DO IT EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY I TYPE INTO THE SEARCH BOX, MANAFORT, SEARCH, AND
THERE'S NOTHING NEW. EVERYBODY THINKS HE REGISTERED
AS A FOREIGN AGENT LIKE MIKE FLYNN DID.
MANAFORT NEVER REGISTERING. AND HERE'S WHY THIS IS
IMPORTANT. INVESTIGATIONS NEED SOURCE
MATERIAL, RIGHT? INVESTIGATORS NEED EVIDENCE.
THEY NEED OPEN SOURCE MATERIAL THEY DIG UP ON THEIR OWN.
THEY NEED DATA AND DOCUMENTS THAT THEY PRY OUT OF AGENCIES
AND INDIVIDUALS. THEY MAY NEED INTERCEPTS
ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A CLOAK AND DAGGER FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE OR
SOMETHING. BUT REALLY WHAT THEY NEED, WHAT
THEY DESPERATELY WANT ARE WITNESSES, COOPERATING
WITNESSES, PEOPLE WHO WERE CLOSE ENOUGH OR HIGH RANKING ENOUGH
THAT THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, AND CRUCIALLY, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE
TO BE WILLING TO TALK. THEY HAVE TO BE WILLING TO
TESTIFY ABOUT WHAT THEY WITNESSED.
IN ANY INVESTIGATION, COOPERATING WITNESSES OFTEN NEED
INCENTIVE. WHY WOULD ANYBODY TURN AGAINST
THESE PEOPLE THEY WERE CLOSE TO NOW THAT THEY'RE POTENTIALLY IN
TROUBLE. IF YOU'RE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THESE
FOLKS THAUFDS STUFF THAT'S BEING INVESTIGATED AND POTENTIALLY
PROSECUTED, WHY WOULD YOU TURN AGAINST THOSE PEOPLE?
I MEAN, IN THIS CASE ANY PEOPLE WHO WERE HIGH RANKING IN THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN, THEY'RE GENERALLY GOING TO BE PRO-TRUMP,
RIGHT? WHY WOULD THEY BECOME
CORROBORATING WITNESSES IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN? THEY WOULDN'T UNLESS THEY HAD AN
INSENSITIVE TO DO IT, A REAL REASON TO TESTIFY.
OFTENTIMES THE THREAT OF PROSECUTION IS THAT REASON.
THAT'S THE INCENTIVE. HEY, WE GOT SOMETHING ON YOU AND
WE'RE GOING TO PROSECUTE YOU FOR IT UNLESS YOU TELL US WHAT YOU
KNOW. THAT'S THE GENERAL PATTERN THAT
INVESTIGATORS PURSUE, ESPECIALLY IN BIG STRAULG CASES LIKE THIS,
RIGHT? SO WHEN MIKE FLYNN HAD HIS
LAWYER COME OUT AND SAY MIKE FLYNN HAS A STORY TO TELL AND HE
WOULD LIKE TO TELL IT, REMEMBER THAT?
CERTAINLY GENERAL FLYNN HAS STORY TO TELL AND HE WOULD VERY
MUCH LIKE TO TELL IT. THAT WAS COUCHED WITH A REQUEST
FOR IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION FOR MIKE FLYNN.
TODAY IN THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE, YOU CAN SEE THE WHITE HOUSE
SPILKUS SAYING HE IS WORRIED ABOUT MIKE FLYNN SAID ONE SOURCE
CLOSE TO THE WHITE HOUSE. TRUMP HAS QUESTIONED WHETHER OR
NOT THEY SHOULD HAVE FIRED FLYNN.
WHERMGS RETRO ACTIVELY REGISTERED AS A FOREIGN POWER
AFTER HE WAS FIRED, THAT WAS A SIGN THAT HE WAS TALKING TO THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS
JURISDICTION. AND MIKE FLYNN REGISTERED AND
EVERYBODY THINKS PAUL MANAFORT REGISTERING BUT MANAFORT DID
NOT. IN A STATEMENT, PAUL MANAFORT
SAID HE CONSULTED WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES AND HAD RECEIVED
FORMAL GUIDANCE FROM THOSE AUTHORITIES.
THE AUTHORITIES WOULD BE THE OF JUSTICE.
PAUL MANAFORT NEVER REGISTERED APPARENTLY THANKS TO THE
GUIDANCE HE GOT FROM FEDERAL AUTHORITIES.
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TOLD HIM NOT TO REGISTER?
YOU'RE FINE, YOU'RE OKAY, BUDDY, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
GIVEN WHAT'S BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ABOUT HIM AND HIS
MONEY, YOU THINK HE MIGHT REALLY HAVE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT IT.
ANYTHING THAT CAN BE USED TO PROSECUTE A WITNESS CAN BE USED
AS PRESSURE ON THAT WITNESS TO FLIP.
BUT IN PAUL MANAFORT'S CASE, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE APPEARS TO
BE ALLEVIATING THAT PRESSURE ON HIM, AND IT IS HAPPENING
QUIETLY. NOW, THE HEAD OF THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IS ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS.
JEFF SESSIONS HAS MADE PUBLIC STATEMENTS TO THE EFFECT THAT
HE'S RECUSED FROM ALL JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MATTERS THAT MAY
RELATE TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN. THAT RECOULD YOU FEEL IS IN
QUESTION NOW BECAUSE OF HIS ROLE IN JAMES COMEY'S FIRING.
SENATE DEMOCRATS WROTETE TO THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL TODAY
ASKING THIS, QUOTE, JEFF SESSIONS RECUSED HIMSELF FROM
ANY ROLE IN THE INVESTIGATION OF RUSSIA'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE 2016
ELECTIONS AND THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CAMPAIGN AND HIS OWN UNDISCLOSED
CONTACTS. ACCORDING TO PUBLIC REPORTING HE
PARTICIPATED IN THE DECISION TO FIRE DIRECTOR COMEY.
DID YOU AND ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSIONS EVER DISCUSS WHETHER IT
WOULD BE IMPROPER FOR HIM TO BE INVOLVED IN THE DISMISSAL OF THE
LEAD INVESTIGATING OF AN INVESTIGATION FROM WHICH HE WAS
RECUSED? DID YOU EVER TALK ABOUT THAT?
JEFF SESSIONS IS ALREADY UNDER FIRE FOR WHETHER OR NOT HE IS
REALLY RECUSED FROM OVERSEEING THESE INVESTIGATIONS.
IF YOU FIRE IF LEAD INVESTIGATOR, YOU'RE NOT
RECUSED. AFTER THAT STORY CAME OUT,
JESKSZ WAS ASKED OF HIS STATED REFUSAL WOULD ALSO INVOLVE HIM
FROM BEING INVOLVED FROM MATTERS INVOLVING MIKE FLYNN.
HE SAID, YES. BUT WHAT ABOUT MATTERS INVOLVING
PAUL MANAFORT? IS JEFF SESSIONS KEEPING HIMSELF
OUT OF ANYTHING AT DOJ INVOLVING PAUL MANAFORT OR NOT?
IS HE RECUSED FROM MATTERS INVOLVING TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN? BECAUSE THERE ARE INTERESTING
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
AND PAUL MANAFORT. IS JEFF SESSIONS INVOLVED IN ANY
WORK AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONCERNING PAUL MANAFORT
OR IS HE RECUSED? WE CAN REPORT TONIGHT THAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT SAY. WE STARTED ASKING YESTERDAY.
WE ASKED THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY.
WE ASKED IT FIVE TIMES IN FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS.
THEY WILL NOT SAY WHETHER OR NOT HE'S RECUSED.
HE IS RECUSED ON FLYNN, THEY SAY.
HE SAID RECUSED ON THINGS RELATED TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
THEY WON'T SAY ABOUT MANAFORT. SO I STARTED THIS BY SAYING,
BUCKLE UP, THIS IS GOING TO BE CHAOTIC.
THERE IS A REAL QUESTION ABOUT THAT AND THAT IS BIZARRE.
IT IS ADDITIONALLY BIZARRE ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER IN
PARTICULAR, THEY WILL NOT SAY IF HE IS RECUSED OR NOT.
SOMETHING STRANGE IS UP ABOUT WHETHER AND HOW THEY ARE LEANING
ON HIM AS A POTENTIAL CORROBORATING WITNESS.
THE LEVERAGE THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE EXERTING ON HIM.
BUT AS THE FOCUS TURNS TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, WATCH
THE PRESIDENT KNOWING THAT THE ONLY REMEDY SFOLGTS IMPEACHMENT.
WATCH FURTHER
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