>>> STEVE MNUCHIN DOESN’T GET TO DETERMINE FOR THE LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH A SEPARATE CO-EQUAL
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT WHEN WE CAN
PURSUE A PARTICULAR SUBJECT.
>> 71, 7214 IN THE CODE IS OVER
CLEARER AS TO WHAT HAPPENS IF
YOU DO NOT HAND OVER THE TAX
RETURNS.
RETURNS. THERE ARE FINES, THERE’S JAIL.
THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
>> I THINK IF YOU FINE SOMEONE
$25,000 A DAY TO THEIR PERSON
UNTIL THEY COMPLY, IT GETS THEIR
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. >> WELCOME BACK.
CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS ARE
MAKING A LOT OF THREATS AS THE
WHITE HOUSE CONTINUES TO
STONEWALL THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.
WITH ME, A DEMOCRAT FROM
CALIFORNIA AND MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE OVERSITE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING A FEW
MINUTES.
MINUTES. ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
INVESTIGATIONS WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT, SUBPOENAS,
REQUESTS FOR DOCUMENTS AND
REQUESTS FOR TESTIMONY THAT WE
HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A
FEW WEEKS NOW, DID YOU EXPECT
WHEN THESE REQUESTS STARTED
GOING OUT THAT THIS WOULD BE THE
ATTITUDE YOU WERE MET WITH BY
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
>> I DID NOT.
I EXPECTED THERE WOULD BE BACK
AND FORTH, THERE ALWAYS IS,
EVERY ADMINISTRATION RESISTS
CONGRESS, THEN THERE’S SOME
ACCOMMODATION.
ACCOMMODATION. THEY SAY LET’S COMPROMISE, HAVE
THESE WITNESSES, THESE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. THIS HAS BEEN A BLANKET DENIAL,
BASICALLY CONTEMPT FOR CONGRESS,
AND WITHOUT ANY CONCERN ABOUT
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
>> SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
TRADITIONALLY WHEN THESE SORTS
OF DISPUTES HAVE GONE TO
CONGRESS, TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH
HARRIET MEYERS A DECADE AGO,
GONE TO THE COURTS, ERIC HOLDER
A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN HE WAS HELD
IN CONTEMPT, THEY’VE TAKEN YEARS
TO GET THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.
ADAM SCHIFF WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS
YESTERDAY, MADE NEWS BY TALKING
ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED INHERENT
CONTEMPT.
CONTEMPT. TAKE A LOOK.
>> WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
ENFORCE SO MUCH OF THIS IN COURT
AND WE’RE SEEING SIGNS ALREADY,
I THINK THIS IS POSITIVE, THAT
THE COURTS UNDERSTAND THE
URGENCY HERE.
URGENCY HERE. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER
OTHER REMEDIES LIKE INHERENT
CONTEMPT WHERE IF THE COURTS
TAKE TOO LONG, WE USE OUR OWN
JUDICIAL PROCESS IN CONGRESS.
>> INHERENT CONTEMPT
THEORETICALLY ALLOWS THEM TO
SEND OUT THE SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
AND TAKE INTO CUSTODY SOMEBODY
THAT’S NOT TESTIFYING.
THE OTHER OPTION THAT’S FLOATED
BY SCHIFF ARE FINES WHICH HAVE
NEVER BEEN LEVELED BEFORE.
HOW WOULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT BE
ENFORCED, DO YOU THINK?
>> SAM IRWIN THREATENED THIS
FAMOUSLY IN THE WATERGATE
HEARING AND EVEN THE NIXON WHITE
HOUSE SOUGHT TO COMPLY TO AVOID
THAT.
THAT. I THINK FINES WOULD BE
APPROPRIATE.
APPROPRIATE. YOU COULD HAVE STEVE MNUCHIN ASK
HIM TO GIVE US TAX RETURNS WE
ARE ENTITLED TO BY LAW BACK 95
YEARS.
YEARS. THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW IF THE
PRESIDENT IS COMPLYING WITH THE
SAME TAX LAWS THEY ARE, AND IF
HE DOESN’T, THERE SHOULD BE
CONSIDERATION OF FINES.
ULTIMATELY I DPREEAGREE THE COUR
CAN RESOLVE IT, AND I HOPE THEY
WILL.
WILL. >> DO YOU HAVE ANY EXPECTATION
BASED ON WHAT YOU’VE SEEN WITH
RESPONSES TO THE SUBPOENAS AND
VARIOUS REQUESTS, IF YOU START
TO LEVEL A FINE, THE RESPONSE
WOULD BE DIFFERENT?
DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD SAY HERE
IT IS OR SAY NO TO FINES?
>> I THINK IT COULD BE A GAME
CHANGER.
CHANGER. NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO WANT TO
INCUR A FINE TO PROTECT THIS
PRESIDENT, NOT EVERYONE IS GOING
TO WANT TO BE HELD IN CONTEMPT
OF CONGRESS TO PROTECT THIS
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I WAS ENCOURAGED THAT THE COURT
IS RULING EXPEDITIOUSLY ON THE
TAX RETURN ISSUES, THE DISTRICT
COURT, AND I HOPE CHIEF JUSTICE
ROBERTS THAT CARES ABOUT
CREDIBILITY OF THE COURTS WILL
RECOGNIZE WE’RE AT A
CONSTITUTIONAL STALEMATE.
CONSTITUTIONAL STALEMATE. >> CONGRESS, YOU WOULD HAVE MORE
LATITUDE IN PURSUING WHAT IT IS
YOU’RE SEEKING IF YOU OPENED A
FORMAL IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
AT THAT POINT YOU WOULD HAVE
MORE MEANS AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO
GET DOCUMENTS YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
IN MANY CASES.
HAS THE RESPONSE YOU HAVE GOTTEN
FROM THE ADMINISTRATION
INCREASED THAT APPETITE?
>> I DON’T THINK THAT’S
NECESSARY.
NECESSARY. IF YOU TALK TO SPEAKER PELOSI OR
COMMITTEE CHAIRS, WE HAVE MOST
OF THE INVESTIGATION POWERS WE
NEED.
NEED. I DON’T THINK ANYONE BELIEVES
THAT SUDDENLY DONALD TRUMP OR
THE ADMINISTRATION ARE GOING TO
BEGIN TO COMPLY WITH PROCEEDINGS
OR REQUESTS IF WE OPENED UP
IMPEACHMENT HEARING.
IMPEACHMENT HEARING. WE HAVE CASE LAW ON OUR SIDE.
THE COURTS ARE CLEAR.
CONGRESS IS ENTITLED TO
DOCUMENTS WHEN THERE’S
ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT, AND
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE HERE DOESN’T
APPLY.
APPLY. PARTLY SOME WITNESSES WAIVED
THAT PRIVILEGE IN GIVING
TESTIMONY TO MUELLER, AND
SECONDARILY I BELIEVE THE LAW IS
ALREADY ON OUR SIDE.
>> YOU ARE SEEING SOME SIGNS THE
COURTS ARE TREATING IT MORE
URGENTLY THAN WE HAVE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
THE PAST. YOU’RE OPTIMISTIC VIEW, WHEN DO
YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE
INFORMATION YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
TURNED OVER FROM THE
ADMINISTRATION?
ADMINISTRATION? >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS
FOR THE COUNTRY TO HEAR FROM BOB
MUELLER.
MUELLER. I HOPE THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN IN
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR MONTH.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US
TO HEAR FROM DON McGAHN ABOUT
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE ISSUES.
AND I’M HOPEFUL IN THE NEXT
MONTH THAT WE GET THE
PRESIDENT’S TAX RETURNS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
LEGITIMATE PURPOSE FOR THIS.
THE PRESIDENT IS ON TWITTER
BRAGGING THAT HE NEVER PAID
TAXES AND THAT HE AVOIDED TAXES.
THE REASON WE AUDIT PRESIDENTIAL
TAX RETURNS, EVERY PRESIDENT IS
AUDITED, WE’RE A NATION OF LAWS
AND WANT TO KNOW OUR ELECTED
LEADERS COMPLY WITH THE SAME
LAWS THAT CITIZENS COMPLY WITH.
CONGRESS HAS EVERY RIGHT TO
FIGURE OUT WHETHER THAT’S THE