FOLKS, MY NEXT GUEST TONIGHT IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S TOP LEGAL
MINDS.
HE SERVED AS U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK FOR EIGHT YEARS, AND HIS NEW BOOK IS CALLED "DOING
JUSTICE."
PLEASE WELCOME PREET BHARARA!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: WELL, COUNSELOR, NICE TO HAVE YOU ON.
>> NICE TO BE HERE.
>> Stephen: IT'S A VERY POWERFUL POSITION TO BE ATTORNEY
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
>> NO LONGER, I GOT FIRED, BUT NOW I GET TO BE ON THE STEPHEN
COLBERT SHOW.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
YOU'VE ASCENDED TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
>> I FEEL THAT'S A FORM OF SOFT POWER, AS THEY SAY.
>> Stephen: IT IS VERY SOFT.
VERY SOFT.
YOU ACTUALLY CAN TAKE A PILL FOR THAT NOW.
( LAUGHTER ) SO THE BOOK IS CALLED "DOING
JUSTICE."
WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK?
IT IS VERY POWERFUL.
THE SAYING GOES, THE JURISDICTION FOR THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT IS PLANET EARTH.
IS THAT A JOKE?
WHY IS IT SUCH A POWERFUL POSITION?
>> SO I HAD THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF LEADING THAT OFFICE
FOR ALMOST EIGHT YEARS, AND IT'S IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY BECAUSE
MY FORMER OFFICE IS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, OVERSEEING THE
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF MICHAEL COHEN, THE PRESIDENT'S
FORMER LAWYER.
ONE OF THE REASONS, IT HAS A TRADITION OF GOING BACK TO THE
FOUNDING OF THE REPUBLIC.
THE DISTRICT OF NEW YORK BEFORE IT WAS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AND
WESTERN AND ALL THE OTHER DIRECTIONS TO THE FOUNDING OF
THE REPUB REPUBLIC.
THE NICKNAME HAS OFTEN BEEN THE SOVEREIGN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,
AND TURNS OUT THAT FOR JUSTICE TO BE DONE, YOU WANT AN
INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, NOT A PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IN THE
POCKET OF ANY PARTICULAR POLITICIAN WHO, YOU KNOW, LOOKS
TO THE WINDS OF POLITICAL PARTISANSHIP OR ANYTHING ELSE,
AND THEY DO THINGS, IN MY EXPERIENCE, AND I HAVE A
PAROCHIAL PRIDE ABOUT THAT PLACE, OTHER OFFICES MAY NOT DO.
THEY'RE TOUGH AND AGGRESSIVE BUT I THINK THEY'RE FAIR.
A LOT OF THE STORIES I TELL IN THE BOOK, IN NONE OF THEM AM I
THE HERE O. THE HEROES OF THE STORIES ARE THE MEN, WOMEN,
INVESTIGATORS, PROSECUTORS, STAFF, WHO HAVE BROUGHT JUSTICE
AND ACCOUNTABILITY TO A LOT OF FOLKS AND ALSO KEPT THE COUNTRY
SAFE, NOT JUST FROM CORRUPTION AND FINANCIAL FRAUD, BUT
TERRORISM AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: TRUMP FIRED YOU.
YES.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE STATED REASON?
>> YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T GET A MEMO.
( LAUGHTER ) SO ORDINARILY, THE U.S. ATTORNEY
WHO'S APPOINTED BY A PRIOR PRESIDENT -- I WAS APPOINTED BY
BARACK OBAMA AND CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE -- YOU LEAVE IN SOME
ORDERLY FASHION WHEN A NEW PRESIDENT TAKES POWER,
PARTICULARLY ONE OF ANOTHER PARTY.
I EXPECTED TO TAKE A LONG, LOVELY, EXPENSIVE VACATION WITH
MY FAMILY AFTER DONALD TRUMP WON, THAT WOULD BE THE ONE
SILVER LINING.
( LAUGHTER ) DONALD TRUMP PERSONALLY INVITED
ME TO COME TO TRUMP TOWER, I MET WITH HIM ON THE 26th THE FLOOR,
AND HE ASKED ME TO STAY, WHICH WAS UNUSUAL.
ONE THING THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ME BEING FIRED IN
MARCH, ODDLY, WHEN I MET WITH THE PRESIDENT-ELECT, HE ASKED ME
FOR MY PHONE NUMBER, WHICH IS ODD, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE
MEETING HAD BEEN ARRANGED AND SOMEBODY MUST HAVE HAD MY PHONE
NUMBER.
SO I WROTE DOWN MY PHONE NUMBER LITERALLY ON A POST-IT BAD, MY
CELL AND OFFICE NUMBER, AND GAVE IT TO HIM.
HE CALLED ME ON MARCH 9 AFTER HE BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES, WHICH IS BEFORE I KNEW HOW MUCH EXECUTIVE TIME HE
SPENDS, AND I DIDN'T RETURN THE PHONE CALL AFTER HE LEFT A
MESSAGE BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE WAS CALLING ABOUT, I
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT INAPPROPRIATE THING HE MIGHT WANT TO TALK
ABOUT, I DIDN'T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE -- BECAUSE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL WASN'T INVOLVED IN THE CALL, NOBODY HAD A HEADS UP
ABOUT THE CALL, I WANTED TO HAVE THE ARMS LENGTH RELATIONSHIP.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES BARACK OBAMA CALLED ME?
NO TIMES.
THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE WITH RESPECT TO A POLITICAL OFFICE
HOLDER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE LOCAL
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY.
IT'S FINE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES FOR THE PRESIDENT
TO TALK TO THE F.B.I. DIRECTOR OR ATTORNEY GENERAL, BUT TO CALL
AND TRY TO CULTIVATE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE U.S.
ATTORNEY IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK WHO, BY THE
WAY, COINCIDENTALLY, HAS NATURAL JURISDICTION OVER THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND THE TRUMP FOUNDATION AND VARIOUS OTHER
THINGS, AND I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS APPROPRIATE.
SO I DIDN'T RETURN THE CALL AND 22 HOURS LATER I WAS ASKED FOR
MY RESIGNATION.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU'RE PLAYING HARD TO GET, THAT'S WHY.
"DOING JUSTICE" IS AVAILABLE NOW.
PREET BHARARA, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY LUKAS NELSON AND
PROMISE OF THE REAL.