HOUR GETS UNDER WAY ON A THURSDAY EVENING.
THURSDAY EVENING. >>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. DAY 553 OF THIS TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. THERE’S BREAKING NEWS YET AGAIN
TONIGHT AND IT’S THIS.
A SOURCE SAYING MICHAEL COHEN
ASSERTS THE PRESIDENT KNEW ABOUT
THE JUNE 2016 TRUMP TOWER
MEETING IN ADVANCE.
WAS TOLD IT ABOUT BY HIS SON
BEFORE IT HAPPENED.
THE SOURCE ALSO GOES ONTO SAY
COHEN IS WILLING TO MAKE THAT
ASSERTION TO ROBERT MUELLER.
YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE JUNE
MEETING BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP
JUNIOR AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT
RUSSIAN NATIONALS INCLUDING AN
ATTORNEY WITH REPORTEDLY CLOSE
TIES TO THE KREMLIN IN THAT
MEETING.
MEETING. RUSSIANS WERE EXPECTED TO
PROVIDE DAMAGING POLITICAL
INFORMATION ON HILLARY CLINTON.
LET’S LISTEN TO WHAT THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF TOLD THREE
JOURNALISTS FROM THE NEW YORK
TIMES ABOUT WHETHER HE KNEW
ABOUT THIS TRUMP TOWER MEETING.
>> I DIDN’T LOOK AT IT VERY
CLOESLY, LY
CLOESLY, LY CLOSELY, TO BE LONS WITH --
HONEST WITH KROU.
I READ THERE WAS AN E-MAIL.
I SAID, THAT’S STANDARD
POLITICAL STUFF.
POLITICAL STUFF. >> DID YOU KNOW THE TIME THEY
HAD THE MEET SOMETHING.
>> NO, I DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I MUST HAVE BEEN VERY
UNIMPORTANT BECAUSE I NEVER
HEARD OF THAT.
>> NO ONE TOLD YOU?
>> NO ONE TOLD ME.
NOBODY TOLD ME.
I DIDN’T KNOW THAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY
UNIMPORTANT MEETING.
UNIMPORTANT MEETING. >> HERE NOW DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR
SPEAKING TO SEAN HANNITY ABOUT
THAT JUNE 2016 MEETING.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL WANT TO
KNOW THIS ABOUT YOUR FATHER.
DID YOU TELL YOUR FATHER
ANYTHING ABOUT THIS IN?
>> NO.
>> NO. IT WAS SUCH A NOTHING, THERE WAS
NOTHING TO TELL.
I WOULDN’T HAVE REMEMBERED IT
UNTIL YOU START SCOURING THROUGH
THE STUFF.
THE STUFF. IT WAS A WASTED 20 MINUTES WHICH
WAS A SHAME.
>> THE PRESIDENT’S LAWYER, RUDY
GIULIANI, TOLD NBC NEWS TONIGHT
THAT MICHAEL COHEN IS NOT
CREDIBLE AND CAN’T BE BELIEVED.
RUDY GIULIANI ADDED HE SPOKE TO
THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THIS AT
LENGTH BEFORE AS WELL AS OTHER
WITNESSES AND HE SAYS IT’S NOT
TRUE.
TRUE. HERE IS RUDY GIULIANI TALKING
ABOUT MICHAEL COHEN ON CNN
TONIGHT WHERE THE STORY FIRST
BROKE.
BROKE. >> NUMBER ONE, HE LIED TO PEOPLE
ABOUT TAPING THEM.
BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND OTHER
PEOPLE AND NOT ONLY THAT, HE
WENT TO SUBTERFUGE IN ORDER TO
DO IT LIKE A WHOLE LITTLE GAME.
>> THERE’S NEW REPORTING ABOUT
THE PRESIDENT’S PREFER MODE OF
MESSAGING.
MESSAGING. ROBERT MUELLER IS EXAMINING THE
PRESIDENT’S TWITTER POSTINGS.
MICHAEL SCHMIDT WRITES THAT
MUELLER IS SCRUTINIZING TWEETS
ABOUT JEFF SESSION AND JAMES
COMEY.
COMEY. MUELLER IS EXAMINING WHETHER THE
ACTIONS ADD UP TO ATTEMPTS TO
OBSTRUCT THE INVESTIGATION BY
INTIMIDATING WITNESSES AND
PRESSURING SENIOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO TAMP
DOWN THE INQUIRY.
MUELLER WANTS TO QUESTION THE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THE TWEETS.
TRUMP HAS BEEN PROLIFIC IN HIS
ATTACKS ON BOTH SESSIONS AND
COMEY ON TWITTER AND IN PUBLIC
COMMENTS AND THAT’S JUST THE
START OF IT.
THE TIMES NOTES THE PRESIDENT’S
WRITTEN AND VERBAL CRITICISMS
AND ACTIONS COULD BE WOVEN
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
REPORTING THAT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION’S CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER ALLEN WEISSELBURG HAS
BEEN SUBPOENAED TO TESTIFY
BEFORE A FEDERAL GRAND JURY IN
NEW YORK IN THE MICHAEL COHEN
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. IN THE NAME SOUNDS VAGUELY
FAMILIAR, IT MAY BE BECAUSE WE
HEARD HIS NAME EARLIER THIS
WEEK.
WEEK. >> I’VE SPOKEN TO ALLEN ABOUT
HOW TO SET THE WHOLE THING UP
WITH FUNDING.
WITH FUNDING. YES.
YES. ALL THE STUFF.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE HE’S GOING
TO BE.
TO BE. >> MICHAEL COHEN TALKING TO
DONALD TRUMP ABOUT ALLEN.
SHARP EYED TELEVISION VIEWERS
MAY REMEMBER ALLEN WEISSELBERG
FROM THE APPRENTICE.
HE WAS A JUDGE THAT AIRED ON THE
SHOW.
SHOW. A DEMOCRATIC SENATOR DESCRIBED
WEISSELBERG AS HOLDING THE KEYS
TO THE TRUMP FINANCIAL KINGDOM.
OTHERS HAVE SAID HE KNOWS ABOUT
EVERY INCOMING AND OUT GOING
DOLLAR GOING BACK YEARS TO WHEN
DONALD TRUMP’S FATHER RAN THE
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. GOOD PLACE TO BRING IN OUR LEAD
OFF PANEL ON A BUSY THURSDAY
NIGHT.
NIGHT. REBECCA DAVIS O’ BRYAN AND SAUL
WEISEN
WEISEN WEISENBERG.
WEISENBERG. HE WAS CHOSEN BY KEN STAR TO
CONDUCT THE GRAND JURY
QUESTIONING OF PRESIDENT BILL
CLINTON.
CLINTON. A BIG GROUP TONIGHT BUT A LOT TO
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. WELCOME TO YOU ALL.
TELL US EVEN THOUGH IT HAS TO DO
WITH TONIGHT’S LATE DEVELOPMENT,
WE’LL GET TO YOUR PIECE OF THIS
STORY IN A BIT.
WHY WOULD BE SO IMPORTANT FOR
THE PRESIDENT, IF IT TURNS OUT
TO BE TRUE, TO HAVE HAD ADVANCE
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE TRUMP TOWER
MEETING BEYOND THE FACT IT WOULD
MEAN HIS ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION
WAS FALSE.
WAS FALSE. >> A BASIC LEVEL HE MADE FALSE
STATEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT
THIS BUT THAT WOULDN’T BE THAT
DIFFERENT THAN MANY OTHER THINGS
THAT HAVE GONE ON DURING HIS
PRESIDENCY OR CANDIDACY.
THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE ON A
LEGAL AREA.
LEGAL AREA. IF MUELLER PLOOEFBELIEVES THAT T
MEETING WAS CONSPIREING WITH THE
RUSSIANS THERE’S A LEGAL PROBLEM
WITH IT, IT BRINGS THE PRESIDENT
INTO THAT AREA.
IT BRINGS HIS KNOWLEDGE AND THIS
ROLE INTO MORE SCRUTINY.
IF MUELLER REALLY DOESN’T LIKE
THAT MEETING AND WANTS TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT, IT’S MORE
PROBLEMATIC.
PROBLEMATIC. >> A SOURCE CONNECTED TO THE
COHEN CAMP TOLD ME TONIGHT WHAT
WE HAVE WITNESSED IS A SET UP.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
>> SPEAKING TO MAYOR RUDY
GIULIANI A FEW MINUTES AGO, HE
BELIEVES THAT COHEN IS LYING.
HE’S GOING TO QUESTION COHEN’S
CREDIBILITY IN THE DAYS AHEAD.
I ASKED HIM IF HE BELIEVES COHEN
IS PLAYING FOR PARDON.
HE SAID IF HE IS, HE’S DOING IT
IN A SPEWTUPID WAY.
THE PRESIDENT IS NOT CONSIDERING
A PARDON FOR MR. COHEN.
YOU SEE THESE SOURCES TALKING TO
CNN AND SAYING THAT COHEN IS
WILLING TO TALK TO MUELLER.
THE QUESTION IS WILL MUELLER
CALL COHEN TO DO AN INTERVIEW.
TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT THAT
MEETING IN 2016.
>> LET’S TALK TURKEY HERE AND A
LOT OF REPORTERS ARE PUSHING AND
CHASING DOWN A NARRATIVE THAT
HERE IS NEWS THAT COHEN CAN PUT
DONALD TRUMP IN POSSESSION OF
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT MEETING.
THE NARRATIVE IS THAT THE TRUMP
CAMP LEAKED THE STORY BECAUSE
IT’S BAD TO OWN IT IN ADVANCE.
WHAT IT ALSO DOES, IT DIMINISHES
THE VALUE OF MR. COHEN AS A
POTENTIAL FLIP TARGET FOR THE
FEDS, THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT POSSIBLE
STRATEGY.
STRATEGY. >> WHEN YOU LOOK RIGHT NOW AT
MICHAEL COHEN’S LEGAL SITUATION
HE’S NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY
MUELLER THOO WEAT WE CAN REPORT
THE MOMENT.
THE MOMENT. HIS PATH AHEAD IS CHALLENGING.
HIS OFFICES AND HOTEL ROOM HAVE
BEEN RAIDED.
BEEN RAIDED. THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK IS LOOKING INTO HIS
BUSINESS DEALINGS.
BUSINESS DEALINGS. NOW YOU HAVE THIS FLOAT OF
INFORMATION TO DIFFERENT SOURCES
TONIGHT THAT HE HAS MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT PRESIDENT
TRUMP’S ACTIVITY AND CONTACT AS
CONDUCT AND A CANDIDATE.
WHETHER HE IS LOOKING FOR A
PARDON OR LOOKING TO COOPERATE
WITH FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS.
THERE’S A DEBATE INSIDE OF
COHEN’S ORB ABOUT WHETHER HE IS
MAKING SMART MOVES AT THIS
MOMENT IF HE IS TRYING TO SAVE
HIMSELF LEGALLY.
HIMSELF LEGALLY. >> ALL RIGHT COUNSEL MAN, WHAT
WOULD BE THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
OF LEARNING THAT THE PRESIDENT
KNEW IN ADVANCE ABOUT THIS
MEETING.
MEETING. MEETING?
MEETING? >> THE CRIME INVOLVED HERE WOULD
BE THERE’S A CAMPAIGN FINANCE
LAW THAT SAYS YOU CAN’T ACCEPT
AID FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT
DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
UNDER THAT LAW IS NOT A CRIMINAL
VIOLATION UNLESS YOU ACT
WILLFULLY WHICH MEANS YOU KNEW
YOU WERE VIOLATING THE LAW.
MUELLER WOULD HAVE TO PROVE,
FIRST OF ALL, THAT COHEN IS
TELLING THE TRUTH.
THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP KNEW ABOUT
THE MEETING.
THE MEETING. HE WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP KNEW IT WAS A
VIOLATION OF LAW TO ACCEPT AID
FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND HE
WOULD HAVE TO PROVE THAT
ANYTHING REALLY HAPPENED AFTER
THIS MEETING.
THIS MEETING. THIS WAS A QUICK MEETING WHERE
THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY DIRT THAT
THEY WERE WILLING TO TALK ABOUT
BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD
BY THE TRUMP CAMP AND THAT WAS
THE END OF THAT.
I THINK THERE IS POTENTIAL LEGAL
LIABILITY BUT I THINK IT’S
INCREDIBLY SPECK LA TIFRULATIVE
POINT.
POINT. THE INTERESTING THING WILL BE IF
MUELLER CAN TIE IT TO ANY LATER
EFFORTS BY THE RUSSIANS AND ANY
LATER EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION
WHICH SO FAR, WE HAVEN’T SEEN AT
ALL.
ALL. >> SAUL, IS IGNORANCE ANY
DEFENSE?
DEFENSE? WE HAD A TON OF PEOPLE COME ON
THIS BROADCAST AND SAY PEOPLE
CAME UP TRADITIONALLY THROUGH
POLITICS.
POLITICS. SAY I WOULD HAVE CALLED FBI
RIGHT AWAY IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT
THIS, ANYTHING ABOUT THIS
MEETING.
MEETING. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT AN
ADMINISTRATION OF POLITICAL
NEOPHYTES.
NEOPHYTES. THEY DIDN’T COME UP THROUGH THE
CLASSIC CHANNEL.
CLASSIC CHANNEL. WOULD IGNORANCE OF THEIR
OBLIGATION TO NOTIFY THE FBI BE
ANY DEFENSE IN HINDSIGHT?
>> THEY DON’T HAVE AN OBLIGATION
TO NOTIFY THE FBI.
YOUR QUESTION IS GENERAL
IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO
EXCUSE.
EXCUSE. THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS AND
THIS CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW IS ONE
OF THOSE EXCEPTIONS.
THERE’S ONE PERSON IN THAT
MEETING WHO WAS NOT A NEOPHYTE
AND THAT’S PAUL MANAFORT.
ALL THE OTHERS WERE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP DURING THE
CAMPAIGN TALKED ABOUT JUSTICE
ELITO SIGNING BILLS RATHER THAN
OPINIONS.
OPINIONS. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY
WHOSE KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN
GOVERNMENT AND CIVICS WAS ON THE
LEVEL OF A FIFTH GRADER.
IT’S QUITE POSSIBLE HE DIDN’T
KNOW THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF THE
LAW.
LAW. CAMPAIGN FINANCE, HACKING LAW,
LAWS ABOUT HACKING COMPUTERS
DON’T REQUIRE WILLFULNESS.
YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT LAW
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.
HERE WITH THE TRUMP TOWER
MEETING YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW THAT A
PERSON WOULD HAVE TO KNOW IT’S
ILLEGAL TO ACCEPT AID FROM A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT. THIS BUTTON ANOTHER THE END OF
THE SENTENCE FOR OUR VIEWERS.
TONIGHT’S STORY IS THE PRESIDENT
WAS TOLD BY HIS SON DON JUNIOR
ALL OF THIS ACCORDING TO WHAT
COHEN IS PREPARED TO SHARE WITH
PROSECUTORS THAT THIS MEETING
WAS ON THE DOCKET.
DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR IN SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TESTIMONY
SAID "I WOULDN’T HAVE WASTED HIS
TIME WITH IT.
I NEVER SPOKE TO MY FATHER ABOUT
IT.
IT. "THAT WAS
"THAT WAS "THAT WAS SEPTEMBER 2017.
ALL OF THIS BRINGS US TO REBECCA
REBECCA.
REBECCA. WELCOME TO OUR TIME CLOCK.
TELL ME THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
MAN TO TRUMP THE PERSON, TO
TRUMP THE HEAD OF FAMILY
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. HOW FAR BACK DOES HE GO?
WHAT WOULD HE KNOW ABOUT, WHAT
KINDS OF THINGS?
>> ALLEN WEISSELBERG IS MORE
THAN JUST A CFO.
HE WAS ALSO BEEN THE FINANCIAL
GATE KEEPER FOR DONALD TRUMP
HIMSELF AND FOR HIS FAMILY FOR A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. HE’S BEEN AROUND IN THE ORBIT OF
THIS MAN AND HIS BUSINESSES FOR
DECADES.
DECADES. I THINK ONE QUESTION HE’S
SURFACED IN A NUMBER OF ISSUES
THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE -- HE
WAS INVOLVED IN FOUNDATION AND
HE’S BEEN LINKED TO PAYMENTS
RELATED TO THE TWO WOMEN WHO
ALLEGED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS TO
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS A REMINDER THAT
BEYOND -- BEHIND THIS VOLLEY OF
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TRUMP
CAMP AND THE COHEN CAMP THAT’S
GOING ON RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE
TWO INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. THE FACT THAT MR. WEISSELBERG
WAS ASKED TO TESTIFY BEFORE A
GRAND JURY, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT
HE WAS ASKED BUT THE FACT THIS
MAN WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE
INTERMOST SANCTUM HAS BEEN ASKED