MIGHT HAPPEN AS "THE 11th HOUR" GETS UNDER WAY ON A FRIDAY
NIGHT.
NIGHT. NIGHT.
NIGHT. >>> GOOD EVENING FROM OUR NBC
NEWS HEAD QUARTERS IN NEW YORK.
THIS WAS DAY 687 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND LET’S SAY
THIS AT THE OUTSET, EACH AND
EVERY NIGHT ON THIS BROADCAST
WHERE THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION
IS CONCERNED THIS MAY HAVE BEEN
THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL DAY SO
FAR.
FAR. PROSECUTORS FROM THE PRESIDENT’S
OWN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ACCUSED
HIM OF ENGAGING IN A FELONY.
THREE NEW COURT DOCUMENTS FIRED
BY ROBERT MUELLER AND FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS IN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK DETAILING
TRUMP, MICHAEL COHEN, AND PAUL
MANAFORT AND HAVE SHED NEW
LIGHTS ON THE INVESTIGATION AND
WHAT COULD BE AN EXISTENTIAL
THREAT TO THIS ADMINISTRATION.
TRUMP TRIED TO GET OUT AHEAD OF
IT BETWEEN 6:00 AND 10:00 A.M.
THIS MORNING WITH TIRADE ON
TWITTER.
TWITTER. INDIVIDUAL ONE IS HOW OUR
PRESIDENT IS REFERRED TO IN
COURT DOCUMENTS.
COURT DOCUMENTS. MUELLER FILED A DOCUMENT THAT
INDICATED COHEN MET WITH THE
SPECIAL COUNSEL SEVEN TIMES AND
HAS, QUOTE, PROVIDED RELEVANT
AND TRUTHFUL INFORMATION.
COHEN TOLD MUELLER ABOUT HIS OWN
CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA INTERESTS
DURING THE CAMPAIGN AND
DISCUSSIONS WITH OTHERS MAKING
THOSE CONTACTS.
THOSE CONTACTS. HE ALSO PROVIDED INFORMATION
ABOUT ATTEMPTS BY OTHER RUSSIAN
NATIONALS TO REACH THE CAMPAIGN.
>> HE SAID IN NOVEMBER, 2015, HE
RECEIVED CONTACT INFORMATION AND
SPOKE WITH A RUSSIAN NATIONAL
WHO CLAIMED TO BE A TRUSTED
AMERICAN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
WHO COULD OFFER THE CAMPAIGN
POLITICAL SYNERGY AND SYNERGY ON
A GOVERNMENT LEVEL.
THIS PERSON REPEATEDLY PROPOSED
A MEETING BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL
ONE -- OUR PRESIDENT -- AND THE
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA.
MUELLER SAYS IN THE FILING COHEN
PROVIDED USEFUL INFORMATION,
QUOTE, CONCERNING CERTAIN MATTER
S CORE TO ITS INVESTIGATION THAT
HE OBTAINED BY VIRTUE OF HIS
REGULAR CONTACT WITH COMPANY
EXECUTIVES DURING THE CAMPAIGN
AS WELL AS, QUOTE, RELEVANT AND
USEFUL INFORMATION CONCERNING
HIS CONTACTS WITH PERSONS
CONNECTED TO THE WHITE HOUSE
DURING THE 2017/2018 TIME
PERIOD.
PERIOD. THAT BRINGS IT UP TO THIS YEAR.
AND DESCRIBE THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OF PREPARING AND CIRCULATING HIS
RESPONSE TO THE CONGRESSIONAL
INQUIRIES WHILE CONTINUING TO
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
FALSE STATEMENTS CONTAINED
WITHIN IT.
WITHIN IT. YOU MAY RECALL COHEN HAS
ADMITTED TO LYING TO CONGRESS
ABOUT TRUMP’S ATTEMPT TO BUILD A
TOWER IN MOSCOW WHILE
CAMPAIGNING FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
THERE WAS A FOOTNOTE IN TODAY’S
COURT FILING AND WE QUOTE AGAIN.
IN A RADIO INTERVIEW IN
SEPTEMBER, 2015, THE DEFENDANT,
MICHAEL COHEN, SUGGESTED THAT
INDIVIDUAL ONE, TRUMP, MEET WITH
THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA IN NEW
YORK CITY DURING HIS VISIT FOR
THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED THAT THIS
ACCOUNT WAS FALSE AND THAT HE
HAD, IN FACT, CONFERRED WITH
TRUMP ABOUT CONTACTING THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. HERE’S MICHAEL COHEN DURING THAT
RADIO INTERVIEW, SEPTEMBER 17,
OF 2015, FOLLOWED BY TRUMP JUST
THREE DAYS LATER.
>> THERE’S A BETTER THAN LIKELY
CHANCE TRUMP MAY MEET WITH PUTIN
WHEN HE COMES HERE FOR THE
UNITED NATIONS.
UNITED NATIONS. PEOPLE WANT TO MEET DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. >> YOUR OUTSIDE COUNSEL
INTIMATED YOU MAY HAVE A MEETING
WITH THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT.
DO YOU PLAN ON TRYING TO DO
THAT?
THAT? >> WELL, I HAD HEARD THAT HE
WANTED TO MEET WITH ME AND
CERTAINLY I AM OPEN TO IT, I
WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT IF HE
WANTS TO DO THAT.
I DON’T KNOW THAT IT WILL TAKE
PLACE.
PLACE. I’M NOT SURE.
I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING
BUT WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS BUT
CERTAINLY IF HE WANTED TO MEET.
I’D LIKE -- I’D ENJOY DOING IT.
>> FEDERAL PROSECUTORS IN THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
ALSO FILED THEIR OWN MEMO TO
ADVISE A JUDGE ON MICHAEL
COHEN’S SENTENCE.
COHEN’S SENTENCE. IT LAYS OUT ALL OF COHEN’S
CRIMES OVER THE COURSE OF
SEVERAL YEARS, QUOTE, WILLFUL
TAX EVASION, MAKING FALSE
STATEMENTS TO A FINANCIAL
INSTITUTION, ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS, AND MAKING FALSE
STATEMENTS TO CONGRESS.
WHAT’S KEY HERE IS ABOUT WHAT
PROSECUTORS SAY ABOUT TRUMP AND
THE HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS TO
STORMY DANIELS AND KAREN
McDOUGAL.
McDOUGAL. QUOTE, DURING THE CAMPAIGN,
COHEN PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN
TWO SIMILAR SCHEMES TO PURCHASE
THE RIGHTS TO STORIES, EACH FROM
WOMEN WHO CLAIM TO HAVE HAD AN
AFFAIR WITH INDIVIDUAL ONE,
TRUMP, SO AS TO SUPPRESS THE
STORIES AND THEREBY PREVENT THEM
FROM INFLUENCING THE ELECTION.
WITH RESPECT TO BOTH PAYMENTS,
COHEN ACTED WITH THE INTENT TO
INFLUENCE THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
ELECTION. AND AS COHEN HIMSELF HAS NOW
ADMITTED WITH RESPECT TO BOTH
PAYMENTS, HE ACTED IN
COORDINATION WITH AND AT THE
DIRECTION OF DONALD TRUMP,
INDIVIDUAL ONE.
INDIVIDUAL ONE. THAT RIGHT THERE AMOUNTS TO
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROSECUTORS
ACCUSING THE PRESIDENT OF A
FELONY.
FELONY. COHEN HAS BEEN COOPERATING WITH
BOTH MUELLER AND THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
PROSECUTORS.
PROSECUTORS. HE’S SCHEDULED TO BE SENTENCED
NEXT WEDNESDAY.
NEXT WEDNESDAY. WHILE MUELLER ACKNOWLEDGES
COHEN’S ASSISTANCE, THE TEAM IN
NEW YORK WAS LESS THAN IMPRESSED
WITH HIS INFORMATION.
THEY ARGUED THAT HE DESERVE,
QUOTE, A SUBSTANTIAL PRISON TERM
WHICH COULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT FOUR
YEARS.
YEARS. IN A HARSH ATTACK ON COHEN,
PROSECUTORS IN NEW YORK SAY HE
WAS MOTIVATED BY GREED AND HE
DID NOT DESERVE MUCH LENIENCY IN
EXCHANGE FOR COOPERATING WITH
THE GOVERNMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT. MUELLER ALSO FILED DOCUMENTS ON
EX-TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
MANAFORT, WHO HE ACCUSES OF
LYING TO PROSECUTORS EVEN AS HE
WAS COOPERATING WITH THE
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. MUELLER SAYS MANAFORT HAS MET
WITH INVESTIGATORS 12 TIMES.
HE SAYS MANAFORT DID NOT TELL
THE TRUTH ABOUT A NUMBER OF
ISSUES, INCLUDING HIS CONTACTS
WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
DURING THIS YEAR.
WITH THAT, LET’S BRING IN OUR
FRONT FOUR, PETER BAKER, CHIEF
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR
THE "NEW YORK TIMES."
FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY JOYCE VANCE
WHO SPENT 25 YEARS AS A FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR.
PROSECUTOR. FRANK FIGLIUZZI, FORMER FBI
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE WHO IN THE
PAST HAS WORKED FOR ONE ROBERT
MUELLER.
MUELLER. AND JEREMY BASH, FORMER CHIEF OF
STAFF AT THE CIA AND THE
PENTAGON.
PENTAGON. JOYCE, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU. DID WE GET IT ABOUT RIGHT THAT
THIS IS TRUMP’S OWN DOJ JUST
ALLEGING THAT HE DIRECTED A
FELONY AND PART TWO OF MY
QUESTION TO YOU IS IF THIS WERE
DONALD TRUMP CIVILIAN, WOULD
TODAY’S PAPERS HAVE INCLUDED AN
INDICTMENT PERHAPS?
INDICTMENT PERHAPS? >> I THINK THAT THOSE ARE THE
PERFECT QUESTIONS TO START WITH.
YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS IS NOT ROBERT MUELLER AND
17 ANGRY DEMOCRATS MAKING THESE
ALLEGATIONS.
ALLEGATIONS. THIS COMES FROM THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, A
VENERABLE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
THAT’S TOUGH BUT FAIR AND
CHARGES PEOPLE WITH CRIMES AND
HAS A GREAT TRACK RECORD OF
CONVICTIONS.
CONVICTIONS. SO THAT’S WHERE THIS CHARGE
COMES FROM.
COMES FROM. BY THE SAME TOKEN, IF PRESIDENT
TRUMP WERE CITIZEN TRUMP, HE
WOULD LIKELY BE CHARGED IN THIS
INDICTMENT.
INDICTMENT. THE PROTECTION HE HAS AGAINST
INDICTMENTS STEMS FROM DOJ’S
POLICY OF BEING VERY HESITANT,
IF NOT FORBIDDING THE INDICTMENT
OF A PRESIDENT AND THEN I THINK
IN FAIRNESS TO THE PRESIDENT, WE
HAVE TO MENTION THAT THIS
VIOLATION THAT HE’S CHARGED
WITH, THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATION, TYPICALLY YOU HEAR
PROSECUTORS OR POLICE SAY
IGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO
EXCUSE.
EXCUSE. WHEN IT COMES TO THE CAMPAIGN
FINANCE VIOLATION, THOUGH,
PROSECUTORS HAVE TO PROVE
DEFENDANTS KNEW THAT THEY WERE
VIOLATING THE LAW, SO THAT’S
MAYBE THE ONE OUTSTANDING ISSUE
HERE IS WHETHER THERE’S EVIDENCE
THAT TRUMP WHEN HE ENGAGED IN
THIS CONDUCT WITH COHEN KNEW HE
WAS VIOLATING CAMPAIGN FINANCE
LAW.
LAW. BUT THAT’S PRETTY SLENDER HOPE
FOR THE PRESIDENT.
>> SO, FRANK, AFTER A LIFE IN
AND AROUND THE LAW AS AN
INVESTIGATORS, WHAT LEAPT OFF
THESE PAGES TO YOU?
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT WHEN YOU
LOOK AROUND THE CABLE NEWS
SPHERE TONIGHT, THERE ARE SOME
TRYING AWFULLY HARD TO SAY
NOTHING TO SEE HERE.
SEAN HANNITY SAID TONIGHT ON FOX
NEWS HE READ ALL THE DOCUMENTS
AND WAS READY TO FALL ASLEEP.
SO GIVE US A REALITY CHECK.
JUST HOW BAD A DAY WAS THIS FOR
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND
DONALD TRUMP?
DONALD TRUMP? >> WELL, IF SEAN HANNITY FELL
ASLEEP READING THIS, HE SHOULD
SLEEP WITH ONE EYE OPEN BECAUSE
INTERESTING THINGS ARE ABOUT TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. AS YOU’VE ALREADY SAID, OUR OWN
GOVERNMENT TODAY HAS LABELLED
OUR PRESIDENT A LIKELY CRIMINAL,
AS DIRECTING CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT JUST
ABOUT SILENCING WOMEN WHO YOU’VE
HAD AFFAIRS WITH.
THIS IS ABOUT MONEY LAUNDERING
AS YOU PAY THESE PAYMENTS IN A
COVERT FASHION TO MASK WHERE
THEY CAME FROM.
IT COULD INVOLVE OTHER CRIMES.
BUT WHAT LEAPT OFF THE PAGES FOR
ME, BRIAN, I SAW A COUPLE
THINGS.
THINGS. ONE IS THAT COHEN GAVE MUELLER
INFORMATION ABOUT HIS
PREPARATION AND CIRCULATION OF
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY.
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT COHEN LIED
DURING HIS CONGRESSIONAL
TESTIMONY, BUT NOW WE HAVE SEEN
SOMETHING MORE.
SOMETHING MORE. THAT HE SHARED HIS DRAFT
TESTIMONY WITH UNKNOWN PEOPLE.
WHY IS MUELLER TELLING US THAT?
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE.
DOES THIS REACH TO THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF?
HIMSELF? WHO WAS DIRECTING OR TELLING
COHEN WHAT HE COULD OR COULD NOT
SEE?
SEE? SECONDLY, LET’S NOT FORGET WHAT
THIS INVESTIGATION OF MUELLER’S
IS ALL ABOUT, IT’S ABOUT RUSSIA,
AN ADVERSARIAL GOVERNMENT.
WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY IN THIS
FILING?
FILING? WE LEARNED THAT COHEN WAS
COOPERATING SIGNIFICANTLY WITH
MUELLER AND PROVIDING
INFORMATION AS FAR BACK AS 2015
ABOUT OVERTURES FROM RUSSIANS TO
GET NEXT TO TRUMP AND WHERE THIS
WOULD GO.
WOULD GO. AND WHY IS MUELLER TELLING US
THAT?
THAT? IF IT’S MEANINGLESS TO HIM HE
WOULDN’T EVEN MENTION IT BUT HE
THREW IN THE THERE BECAUSE IT
GOES TO THE CORE OF WHAT HIS
INVESTIGATION IS ABOUT.
HE ALREADY KNOWS WHAT THE
RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IS.
COHEN LIKELY CORROBORATED THAT
FOR MUELLER FROM HIS END.
>> JEREMY BASH, I KNOW YOU TOLD
ONE OF OUR PRODUCERS THAT WHAT
LEAPT OUT AT YOU WAS THE MONEY,
THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY WHERE
RUSSIA IS CONCERNED.
>> DECEMBER 7, BRIAN, A DATE
WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY FOR
THE TRUMP LEGAL TEAM BECAUSE I
THINK TODAY THE FULL GAMUT OF
TRUMP’S LEGAL TROUBLES WERE LAID
BARE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE AND
THE THING THAT I REALLY HONED IN
ON WHEN READING THE SENTENCING
MEMO ABOUT MICHAEL COHEN WAS THE
FACT THAT THE MOSCOW/TRUMP TOWER
DEAL WAS GOING TO BE WORTH
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THOSE ARE THE WORDS ON THE PAGE.
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN LICENSING AND LICENSING FEES
FOR THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, FOR
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. SO CONTEMPLATE THIS FOR A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. THE GOVERNMENT HAS PROVEN
THROUGH EVIDENCE THAT WHILE
TRUMP WAS SECURING THE
REPUBLICAN NOMINATION FOR THE
PRESIDENCY, VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS
AUTHORIZING A DIRECT PAYMENT TO
HIM AND HIS BUSINESS OF HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
IF THAT DOESN’T ESTABLISH A VERY
TROUBLING PATTERN OF FINANCIAL
IMPROPRIETY AND POTENTIALLY
OUTRIGHT BRIBERY, I’M NOT SURE
WHAT DOES.
WHAT DOES. >> PETER BAKER, PUT IT THAT WAY
AND IT SOUNDS SERIOUS.
IN YOUR EARLY REPORTING, IS
THERE ANY ACCOUNTING YET FROM
INSIDE THIS WHITE HOUSE THAT
ANYONE THERE VIEWS THIS AS THE
DEATHLY SERIOUS MOMENT THAT IT
CLEARLY IS?
CLEARLY IS? >> WELL, IT IS DEATHLY SERIOUS.
IT’S A BIG MOMENT IN THIS
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. WE’RE STARTING TO CONNECT THE
DOTS.
DOTS. WHAT WE’VE HAD UP UNTIL NOW IS A
SERIES OF DESPERATE FACTUAL
SCENARIOS THAT DIDN’T
NECESSARILY TELL US THE WHOLE
PICTURE AND THE ONE PERSON WHO
DOES IS ROBERT MUELLER.
HE’S SHOWING HIS HAND ONE CARD
AT A TIME AND IT REMINDS US, ONE
OF THE THINGS YOU GET OUT OF
THESE DOCUMENTS IS HOW MUCH DOES
HE KNOW THAT HE’S NOT TELLING
US?
US? HE’S BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT NOT
LEAKING.
LEAKING. NOT PRODUCING INFORMATION BEFORE
HE’S READY TO DO AND EVERY TIME
HE PUTS OUT ONE OF THESE
DOCUMENT WES GET A GLIMPSE OF
SOME DETAIL THAT PULLS US
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THE IDEA THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE
CONNECTED AS EARLY AS NOVEMBER,
2015 SUGGESTS THEY WERE TRYING
FROM THE START TO INFILTRATE THE
TRUMP CIRCLE.
TRUMP CIRCLE. THE FACT THAT MICHAEL COHEN
TELLS US THAT HE WAS NEGOTIATING
TO TRY TO CONSTRUCT THIS
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLAR
BUILDING ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH
JUNE OF 2016 IS THE OTHER POINT