STICK A PIN IN THAT. WE'RE COMING BACK TO THAT A
LITTLE LATER IN THE SHOW TONIGHT.
>>> AS WE WERE GETTING READY TO START THE SHOW TONIGHT, THERE
WAS A FLURRY OF NEWS ABOUT THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL REPORT ON TOMORROW'S SHOW ABOUT
WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT A PERSONAL LEVEL, WHY HE MIGHT BE
PARTICULARLY NERVOUS ABOUT THE TURN THE ROBERT MUELLER SPECIAL
COUNSEL INFORMATION SEEMS TO BE MAKING TOWARD INVESTIGATING
BANKING AND BUSINESS PRACTICES AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.
THE INVEST TAKING THAT TURN, IF YOU WERE NOT PLANNING ON
WATCHING TOMORROW NIGHT'S SHOW BECAUSE YOU HAD A HOT FRIDAY
NIGHT DATE OR SOMETHING, HERE'S THAT FAIR WARNING THAT MAYBE
YOU'RE GOING TO BE WASHING YOUR HAIR INSTEAD.
MAKE IT A SATURDAY NIGHT DATE. I WILL WRITE YOU A NOTE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SPECIAL REPORT TOMORROW BASICALLY ON WHY
THERE IS A BIG UH-OH FOR THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF WITH THINGS
TURNING TOWARDS FINANCES. TODAY, OF COURSE, BLOOMBERG
REPORTED THAT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL HEADED BY ROBERT
MUELLER, THAT INVESTIGATION IS ABSOLUTELY GOING DOWN THE
FINANCIAL AND BANKING PATH WHEN IT COMES SPECIFICALLY TO TRUMP'S
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN, PAUL MANAFORT.
QUOTING FROM THE BLOOMBERG REPORT, MUELLER'S TEAM OF
INVESTIGATORS HAS SENT SUBPOENAS IN RECENT WEEKS FROM A
WASHINGTON GRAND JURY TO GLOBAL BANKS FOR ACCOUNT INFORMATION
AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING MANAFORT AND SOME OF
HIS COMPANIES. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING WITH
GREG FERRELL, ONE OF THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS FROM
BLOOMBERG WHO BROKE THAT STORY TODAY ABOUT WHAT THOSE SUBPOENAS
MEAN AND WHAT PAUL MANAFORT'S OPTIONS MAY BE IN TERMS OF
RESPONDING TO THOSE OR NOT. THE PRESSURE ON PAUL MANAFORT
RIGHT NOW WE KNOW MUST BE INTENSE.
LAST NIGHT POLITICO.COM REPORTED THAT THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION
WAS SQUEEZING ONE OF PAUL MANAFORT'S FAMILY MEMBERS, HIS
SON-IN-LAW WITH AN EYE TOWARD GETTING HIS SON-IN-LAW TO BECOME
A COOPERATING WITNESS AGAINST HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, PAUL
MANAFORT. HIS SON-IN-LAW AS IN FACT MET
WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ON THESE ISSUES AND THAT COMES ON
THE HEELS OF NEWS FIRST BROKEN BY THE WASHINGTON POST THAT THE
FBI LAUNCHED A PREDAWN RAID AT PAUL MANAFORT'S HOME IN WEST
VIRGINIA. THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF WAS ASKED
ABOUT THAT FBI RAID TODAY AND HE GAVE A RESPONSE THAT -- NOT EVEN
WITHIN HOURS, WITHIN MINUTES STARTED TO FACTUALLY FALL APART.
>> MR. PRESIDENT, WAS IT APPROPRIATE FOR THE FBI TO RAID
THE MOMENT HOME OF PAUL MANAFORT PREDAWN?
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY VERY STRONG SIGNAL OR WHATEVER.
I KNOW MR. MANAFORT -- I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO HIM IN A LONG TIME BUT
I KNOW HIM. HE WAS WITH THE CAMPAIGN FOR A
VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. BUT I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN HIM TO BE
A GOOD MAN. I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY, YOU
KNOW, THEY DO THAT VERY SELDOM. SO I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE IT.
I WAS VERY VERY SURPRISED TO SEE IT.
>> HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO -- >> WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN
INVOLVED. >> WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN
INVOLVED. THE PRESIDENT KIND OF MINIMIZING
THE ROLE OF HIS CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN IN THE CAMPAIGN SAYING,
YEAH, YOU KNOW, VERY A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS RUNNING MY
CAMPAIGN. AND THEN SAYING ABOUT THIS RAID,
OH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN INVOLVED.
THE PRESIDENT MADE THOSE REMARKS TODAY IN THE 4:00 EASTERN TIME.
AT 5:03 EASTERN TIME HE WAS PROVED VERY DRAMATICALLY WRONG
IN THAT ASSERTION. AT 5:03, "THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL" PUBLISHED THIS STORY, TRUMP ATTORNEY CALLS FBI'S RAID
ON MANAFORT'S HOME A GROSS ABUSE.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT WAS DECLARING THAT WE HAVE NO
INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER IN WHATEVER IS GOING ON WITH PAUL
MANAFORT AND THIS FBI RAID. WHILE THE PRESIDENT WAS
DECLARING THAT, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" WAS BUSY UPLOADING THIS
STORY, LETTING THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG THAT DESPITE WHAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS SAYING ABOUT WE HAVE NO INVOLVEMENT IN THIS, IN
FACT THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER, A MAN WHO IS APPARENTLY SERVING AS
HIS LEAD ATTORNEY ON RUSSIA MATTERS, JOHN DOWD, HE'S
ABSOLUTELY INVOLVED IN PAUL MANAFORT AND SPECIFICALLY ON
THAT QUESTIONN OF THE FBI RAID, THAT WAS CARRIED OUT IN
CONJUNCTION WITH BOB MUELLER'S INVESTIGATION.
APPARENTLY AT 3:48 IN THE MORNING THIS MORNING THE
PRESIDENT'S LAWYER, JOHN DOWD, WAS UP AND SENDING MISSPELLED
E-MAILS TO "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" RIPPING THAT FBI RAID,
RIPPING BOB MUELLER AND MAKING ALL SORTS OF LEGAL ALLEGATIONS
AND LEGAL THREATS ABOUT THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION AND THE
FBI'S TREATMENT OF PAUL MANAFORT.
QUOTE, THIS EXTRAORDINARY INVASIVE TOOL WAS EMPLOYED FOR
ITS SHOCK VALUE TO TRY TO INTIMIDATE MR. MANAFORT AND
BRING HIM TO HIS NEEDS. ACCORDING TO "THE WALL STREET
ATTORNEY THEN SAID THAT THE RAID ON MANAFORT'S HOME WAS
EXTRAORDINARILY INVASIVE AND A GROSS ABUSE.
HE ALLEGED THAT THE FBI SEIZED CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL PREPARED
BY MR. MANAFORT BY HIS COUNSEL TO AID IN HIS COOPERATION.
THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER SAID QUOTE THESE FAILURES BY SPECIAL
COUNSEL TO EXHAUST LESS INTRUSIVE METHODS IS A FATAL
FLAW IN THE WARRANT PROCESS, WOULD CALL FOR A MOTION TO
SUPPRESS THE FRUITS OF THE SEARCH.
SO THIS IS NOT PAUL MANAFORT'S LAWYER SENDING THESE COMPLAINTS.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER. THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
PERSONAL LAWYER THREATENING HIS MOTION SUPPRESS THE FRUITS OF
THE RAID ON PAUL MANAFORT'S HOUSE, SENDING THAT E-MAIL JUST
BEFORE 4:00 IN THE MORNING THIS MORNING WARNING ABOUT PAUL
MANAFORT BEING RIGHT TO HIS NEEDS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S WHATEVER YOU MAKE ABOUT THE TRUTHFULNESS OF
STATEMENTS HERE, THIS IS BAD STRATEGY BY THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS LEGAL TEAM. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE THE PRESIDENT
MAKING A MANIFESTLY DIFFERENT REPRESENTATION OF THIS.
PAUL MANAFORT IS NOW WHO THE PRESIDENT IS CALLING MR.
MANAFORT SAYING, YEAH, I THINK I REMEMBER HIM, CLAIMING HE WAS
ONLY INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,
TRYING TO DISTANCE HIM FROM MANAFORT SAYING WE HAVE NO
INVOLVEMENT IN THESE LEGAL TROUBLES WITH THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL AND THIS LEGAL FBI RAID. WE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE
THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER PROVES IT NOT TO BE TRUE.
SO THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER AND THE PRESIDENT BEING ON
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PAGES ON THIS BASIC ISSUE IS A BAD SIGN
IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF PRESENTATION THE PRESIDENT IS
GETTING IN TERMS OF HIS LEGAL REPRESENTATION ON THIS VERY
SERIOUS ISSUE. WHY IS THE PRESIDENT'S LAWYER
WEIGHING IN ON PAUL MANAFORT'S BEHALF LIKE THIS IN THIS ANGRY
E-MAIL TO "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL."
PAUL MANAFORT IS NOT HIS CLIENT. THAT TOO IS A QUESTION ABOUT THE
QUALITY OF THE PRESIDENT'S LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
IT'S ALSO AN INTERESTING QUESTION ABOUT PAUL MANAFORT'S
LEGAL REPRESENTATION WHICH FRANKLY HAS ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING
A LITTLE HINKY ABOUT IT. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE TOO BIG OF
A DEAL ABOUT THIS BUT I GOT TO TELL YOU, WE SAW THIS COMING AND
NOW IT HAS FALLEN APART. IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST MONTH YOU
MIGHT REMEMBER A STORY THAT WE DID ABOUT THIS LAW FIRM, WILMER
ONE OF ITS HIGHEST PROFILE PARTNERS WAS ROBERT MUELLER.
ROBERT MUELLER LEFT WILMER HALE, CASHED IN HIS PARTNERSHIP THERE
IN ORDER TO TAKE HIS JOB AS SPECIAL COUNSEL.
AND WILMER HALE HAS GOTTEN ITSELF INTO A LITTLE BIT OF A
QUANDARY AROUND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION BECAUSE THERE'S
BOB MUELLER HAVING JUST LEFT AS A NAMED PARTNER OF THE FIRM TO
BE THE SPECIAL COUNSEL ON RUSSIA WHILE ONE OF WILMER HALE'S OTHER
HIGH PROFILE PARTNERS, ANOTHER HIGH RANKING GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL, IS A LAWYER NAMED JAY MY GORE RELIC.
HE'S BEEN THE LEAD LAWYER FOR JARED KUSHNER, INCLUDING THE
RUSSIA INFORMATION. BOB MUELLER QUIT HIS ROLE AT
THAT FIRM IN ORDER TO BECOME SPECIAL COUNSEL BUT THAT'S A
DICEY ISSUE FOR WILMER HALE. IS IT OKAY IF YOU'RE A BIG LAW
FIRM TO HAVE YOUR HIGHEST PROFILE PARTNER, YOUR HIGHEST
PROFILE FORMER PARTNER WORKING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A MAJOR
CASE LIKE THIS. THAT'S A DICEY ISSUE.
AN ARGUABLY ISSUE IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL ETHICS OF THAT AND THE
PRACTICALITIES OF THAT. SO WE DID A STORY ABOUT THIS
LAST MONTH. IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST MONTH.
IN FACT JAMIE GA RELIC HAD TO STEP ASIDE AS JARED KUSHNER'S
LEAD COUNSEL ON MATTERS RELATED TO THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
SHE CONTINUES TO REPRESENT HIM ON OTHER THINGS.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO RUSSIA, THAT CONFLICT WITH HER LAW FIRM,
SHE HAD TO STEP ASIDE, LET SOMEBODY ELSE TAKE OTHER RUSSIA
ISSUES FOR JARED KUSHNER. AND THE WHOLE REASON WE BROUGHT
IT UP LAST MONTH, I REMEMBER SAYING ON THE AIR, I'M GOING TO
FIGURE THIS OUT. THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
THE WHOLE REASON THAT HAS STUCK IN MY CRAWL AND THE REASON WE
BROUGHT THAT UP ON THE SHOW IS BECAUSE THAT PROBLEM BEING
SETTLED AROUND JARED KUSHNER'S LEGAL REPRESENTATION RAISED A
REALLY BIG QUESTION FOR PAUL
MANAFORT. BECAUSE JARED KUSHNER LOST HIS
MAIN RUSSIA LAWYER LAST MONTH BECAUSE OF THAT CONFLICT BECAUSE
SHE WORKED AT BOB MUELLER'S OLD LAW FIRM.
THAT WAS SEEN AS A CONFLICT. YOU KNOW WHO ELSE WORKED AT BOB
MUELLER'S OLD LAW FIRM? PAUL MANAFORT'S LAWYER.
SO WHY DID JARED HAVE TO LOSE HIS RUSSIA LAWYER BECAUSE THAT
LAWYER WORKED AT WILMER HALE BUT PAUL MANAFORT GOT TO KEEP HIS
RUSSIA LAWYER WHO ALSO WORKED AT WILMER HALE.
IT NEVER MADE ANY SENSE. I'M GOING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
TODAY WE FIGURED IT OUT. TODAY THOSE PIECES ALL EITHER
FELL INTO PLACE OR FELL APART, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
WE STARTED TO GET REPORTS EARLIER THIS EVENING THAT PAUL
MANAFORT'S LEGAL REPRESENTATION WAS GETTING A BIG SHAKEUP.
WE ACTUALLY CALLED PAUL MANAFORT'S ATTORNEY AT WILMER
HALE TO ASK IF THOSE REPORTS WE WERE HEARING WERE TRUE.
HE HUNG UP ON US. AND THEN WITHIN ABOUT AN HOUR IT
WAS OFFICIAL.AL. PAUL MANAFORT HAS NOW DROPPED
HIS LAWYER ON THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
REG BROWN AT WILMER HALE WILL NO LONGER BE REPRESENTING PAUL
MANAFORT ON RUSSIA. INSTEAD PAUL MANAFORT HAS A NEW
LEGAL TEAM REPRESENTING HIM ON RUSSIA.
ONE OF HIS LEAD LAWYERS HAS A RESUME AND A LIST OF AREAS OF
EXPERTISE THAT GIVES YOU A VERY VERY CLEAR INDICATION OF WHAT
MANAFORT THINKS HIS REPRESENTATION NEEDS ARE RIGHT
NOW. MON THAT FORT'S LEGAL TEAM WILL
BE LED BY AN ATTORNEY WHO SPENT YEARS AS A -- PERSON NAMED KEVIN
DOWNING. YEARS AS A PROSECUTOR IN THE TAX
DIVISION AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
LOOK AT THE HISSELF OF THE AREAS OF PRACTICES.
AREAS OF PRACTICE INCLUDE THE FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT,
TAX FRAUD, VIOLATION OF THE BANK SECRECY ACT, MORTGAGE FRAUD, TAX
SHELTER LITIGATION, ILLEGAL CROSS BORDER BANKING AND
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS. IT'S LIKE IF YOU CREATED A DOLL
OUT OF SPARE PARTS SPECIFICALLY TO ANSWER ALL OF MANAFORT'S
POTENTIAL LEGAL CONCERNS. AND I SHOULD MENTION HE'S A
CERTIFIED CPA. PAUL MANAFORT'S NEW LEGAL TEAM
WILL INCLUDE ONE OTHER PROMINENT LAWYER.
DO YOU KNOW THE NAME CLAIRE GEORGE?
THAT'S NOT THE NAME BUT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF
UNDERSTANDING WHO THE LAWYER IS. CLAIRE IS VERY RARELY A MAN'S
FIRST NAME BUT IN THIS CASE IT IS.
CLAIRE GEORGE IS FAMOUS FOR A JAMES BOND CAREER AT THE CIA.
BUT WHAT HE'S MOST FAMOUS FOR IS THE WAY HIS CAREER ENDED.
HE BECAME THE FIRST EVER SENIOR CIA OFFICIAL TO BE CONVICTED FOR
CRIMES HE COMMITTED WHILE HE WAS SERVING AT THE CIA.
HE WAS THE THIRD RANKING OFFICIAL AT THE CIA, DIRECTOR OF
OPERATIONS WHEN HE WAS CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE FELONY ACCOUNTS.
ULTIMATELY HE WAS CONVICTED OF PERJURY AND LYING TO CONGRESS.
IN DECEMBER 1992. HERE'S THE KIND OF AHA MOMENT
ABOUT THAT HISTORY AND CLAIRE GEORGE AND WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT
NOW. CLAIRE GEORGE WAS CONVICTED IN
FEDERAL COURT IN 1992 ON DECEMBER 9thth.
HIS TENURE AS A CONVICTED FELON HOWEVER LASTED ONLY 15 DAYS.
BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 24th, THAT SAME YEAR, 15 DAYS AFTER HE WAS
CONVICTED, ON CHRISTMAS EVE, THEN PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH
PARDONED HIM. AND THE LAWYER WHO REPRESENTED
CLAIRE GEORGE THROUGH THAT, WHO SAW HIM THROUGH BEING THE
HIGHEST RANKING SENIOR CIA OFFICIAL EVER CONVICTED OF
FEDERAL CRIMES FOR HIS ACTIONS AS A CIA OFFICER BUT IMMEDIATELY
GOT HIM PARDONED BY THE PRESIDENT, THAT LAWYER THAT SAW
HIM THROUGH THE PROCESS IS NAMED RICHARD HIBEE AND HE'S THE ONLY
TENT POLE HOLDING UP PAUL MANAFORT'S LEGAL TEAM.
PARDONS. THE INVESTIGATOR REPORTER WHO
BROKE THIS NEW NEWS ABOUT THE KIND OF LEGAL