>>> THIS IS EXCITING. >> YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT PEOPLE
WOULD HAVE PICKED THAT UP. >> I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT SO.
>> WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? >> SEEMS PRETTY OBVIOUS TO ME.
>> THE FRONT PAGE OF "THE DAILY NEWS"?
>> THIS IS EXCITING. >> SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS OF
MAINE. >> GREAT STATE OF MAINE.
I LOVE MAINERS. >> YOU HAVE GOOD TASTE.
>> I KNOW. THEY DON'T HOLD BACK.
>> THAT'S TRUE. >> YES.
SORRY. >> EVERY QUESTION NOW IS AN EASY
QUESTION. LET'S START WITH JON HEILEMAN.
JOHN? >> WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND WHAT UNFOLDED IN THE TESTIMONY THAT
RELATED TO HIM, WHAT JIM COMEY SAID.
IN CLOSED SESSION IT'S BEEN REPORTED BY NBC NEWS THAT
SENATORS LEARNED THERE WAS AN UNDISCLOSED THIRD MEETING
BETWEEN SESSIONS AND THE RUSSIANS AND THEN YESTERDAY
AFTER THAT MEETING, SENATOR MANCHIN, WHO WAS JUST ON THE
SHOW CAME OUT AND SAID, QUOTE, THERE'S ONE MEETING WE DON'T
KNOW ABOUT AND PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT."
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT? >> WELL, IN A CLOSED SESSION, OF
COURSE, I CAN'T TELL YOU MUCH ABOUT IT.
LET ME SAY THIS. THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE
REQUESTING DOCUMENTS AND AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL AND THERE ARE SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CLEARLY MADE THE RIGHT DECISION IN
RECUSING HIMSELF FROM THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION IN LIGHT
OF THE REPORT OF THESE MEETINGS. AND HE MADE THE RIGHT CALL.
>> I THOUGHT IT WAS FASCINATING --
>> IS IT RIGHT, THOUGH, THAT THERE'S A THIRD MEETING, THAT
THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT?
>> I TRULY CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE OF THE --
>> GOOD TRY, JOHN HEILEMAN. >> HOW FASCINATING, DAVID
IGNATIUS, THAT JIM COMEY SAID THAT BECAUSE OF INFORMATION I
CAN'T TELL YOU HERE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD NO CHOICE
BUT TO RECUSE HIMSELF. >> HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS
I WANT TO ASK SENATOR COLLINS, ONE OF THE INTERESTING ISSUES
THAT WAS DISCUSSED OF YESTERDAY'S HEARING WAS THE
QUESTION OF TAPING IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
WHEN COMEY REALIZED THAT
SUDDENLY IT MAY HAVE BEEN TAPED, HIS DEVIANT CHANGED.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET A HOLD OF THEM?
>> WE NEED ACCESS TO THOSE TAPES AND SPECIAL COUNSEL NEEDS ACCESS
TO THOSE TAPES. I HAVE DOUBTS WHETHER THE TAPES
EXIST OR IN ATTEMPT BY THE PRESIDENT PUTTING PRESSURE ON
MR. COMEY OR RAISE SOME DOUBTS. >> SHOULD THE WHITE HOUSE TELL
YOU WHETHER THEY HAVE TAPES OR NOT INSTEAD OF PLAYING GAMES
WITH US ALL AND EVERYDAY. >> AND PUSHING REPUBLICANS TO
SHOW FOR THE WHITE HOUSE? >> WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW
WHETHER THERE ARE TAPES. THIS REMINDS ME OF THE TAPING
SYSTEM, OF COURSE, IT REMINDS OF ALL OF US OF RICHARD NIXON HAD
AND HE PRESS WAS ORDERED TO TURN OVER THE TAPE.
THAT PRESIDENT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND WE DO NEED TO
KNOW WHETHER IT EXISTS AND WE DO NEED ACCESS TO THEM.
I CANNOT IMAGINE SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER IS GOING TO WANT ACCESS
TO THOSE TAPES. >> THE PRESIDENT TWEETED THIS
MORNING SAYING JAMES COMEY IS A LEAKER.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE TESTIMONY WHERE HE GAVE OVER THE QUESTIONS
AND WHO THEN GAVE IT TO NEW YORK TIMES.
IS THAT A LEAK AS WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND IT PER SE?
>> I CONSIDER THAT TO BE A GOVERNMENT WORK PRODUCT.
AFTER ALL, IT WAS PRODUCED ON AN FBI COMPUTER.
IT WAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS VARIOUS MEETINGSTINGS WITH THE
PRESIDENT. HE MEMORALIZED THEM IN EACH
MEMO. WHEN I ASKED HIM THAT QUESTION,
I DID OUT OF CURIOSITY BECAUSE THERE IS BEEN SO MANY REPORTS IN
THE PRESS ABOUT THESE MEMOS -- HOW DID IT GET THERE?
I ASKED HIM NEVER DREAMING THAT HE WOULD SAY THAT I GAVE IT TO A
COLUMBIA PROFESSOR WITH EXPRESSED DIRECTION FOR HIM TO
GET IT OUT IN THE PRESS IN THE HOPES OF PROMPTING THE
APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL COUNSEL.
>> DID IT CONCERN YOU THAT HE PASSED THAT DOCUMENT ON?
>> JAMES COMEY I BELIEVE TO BE AN HONORABLE INDIVIDUAL AND A
PERSON OF INTEGRITY. FOR HIM TO TURN OUT TO HAVE
LEAKED A DOCUMENT -- >> WAS IT A LEAK?LEAK?
>> I VIEW IT THAT WAY REGARDLESS OF HIS MOTIVATION.
I THINK HIS MOTIVATION MAY HAVE BEEN A GOOD ONE.
>> HOW COULD YOU CALL IT A LEAK? >> IT WAS NOT A CLASSIFIED
DOCUMENT. >> IT WAS NOT A CLASSIFIED
DOCUMENT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
IF IT IS A GOVERNMENT'S WORK PRODUCT, IT BELONGS TO THE FBI
AND NOT A PRIVATE CITIZEN. A BETTER WAY WAS TO GIV GIVE IT
OUR COMMITTEE OR TO THE SPECIAL COUNSEL, SINCE A SPECIAL COUNSEL
WAS APPOINTED. >> I FIND HIM TO BE A CREDIBLE
CANDIDATE AND THOROUGH. HE TESTIFIED UNDER OATH.
>> THE FOLLOW UP THEN DO YOU FIND THE PRESIDENT TO BE AN
HONEST AND TRUST WORTHY MAN. >> I PUT MORE CREDANCE IN
TESTIMONIES THAT'S GIVEN UNDER OATH.
I THINK HE SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE PRESIDENT WHEN HE MADE AN
OUTRAGEOUS AND UNACCEPTABLE REQUEST THAT HE DROPPED OR LET
GO THE MICHAEL FLYNN INVESTIGATION.
HE SHOULD HAVE SAID MR. PRESIDENT, I CANNOT DO THAT AND
YOU SHOULD NOT BE ASKING ME TO DO THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT. I WILL TAKE THAT AN ANSWER.
>> SUSAN COLLINS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US.
>> IS IT REMARKABLE WHEN YOU