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>>> WELCOME BACK TO KGW NEWS AND WE WELCOME TO THE STUDIO
OREGON SENATOR RON WYDEN.
SO NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> LET'S START WITH THE
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY NANCY
PELOSI ANNOUNCED.
PELOSI ANNOUNCED. YOU ANNOUNCED YOUR SUPPORT FOR
AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY LAST
MONTH, LONG BEFORE ALL THESE
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS. I WANT YOUR TAKE ON THE
PRESIDENT'S CALL WITH THE
PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE AND THE
WHISTLEBLOWER REPORT.
WHISTLEBLOWER REPORT. WHAT TROUBLES YOU MOST ABOUT IT
ALL?
ALL?
ALL? >>
ALL? >> WHAT I SAID SEVERAL MONTHS
AGO REALLY IS HIGHLIGHTED BY
WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS.
THE PRESIDENT ACTUALLY SAID
THAT HE COULD DO WHATEVER HE
WANTED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION
WHICH, OF COURSE, IS A COMPLETE
MISREADING OF WHAT THE FOUNDING
FATHERS AND OUR WHOLE SYSTEM OF
GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN
ABOUT IS THAT WE ARE ALWAYS
TETHERED TO THE RULE OF LAW.
THIS
THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT I THINK IS
VERY TROUBLING BECAUSE IN
EFFECT WHAT THE PRESIDENT WAS
SAYING IS I WANT YOU TO DO ME A
FAVOR AND I WANT YOU TO HELP ME
AND IT REALLY WASN'T ABOUT
HELPING THE COUNTRY.
>> YOU REMEMBER THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND
YESTERDAY YOUR COMMITTEE HEARD
FROM THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT
CLOSED DOOR MEETING AND WHETHER
YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE
WHISTLEBLOWER THEMSELF?
WHISTLEBLOWER THEMSELF? >> FIRST OF ALL, I'M GOING TO
INSIST WE HEAR FROM THE
WHISTLEBLOWER.
WHISTLEBLOWER. I'M THE CO-CHAIR OF THE
WHISTLEBLOWER CAUCUS AND, IF
ANYTHING, WHISTLEBLOWERS ARE
VERY FRIGHTENED RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE
PRESIDENT IN EFFECT CRITICIZING
THE WHISTLEBLOWER AND THERE ARE
SOME BIG GAPS IN THE LAW.
I CAN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,
BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT NOW
WE KNOW ON THE BASIS OF WHAT'S
UNCLASSIFIED IS THAT THE
TRANSCRIPT PUT OUT BY THE WHITE
HOUSE IS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH
WHAT THE WHISTLEBLOWER WAS
SAYING.
SAYING.
SAYING. AND THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN
ANY OTHER TIME PEOPLE ASKED
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP'S CONDUCT
BECAUSE IN THE PAST IT WAS
ALWAYS KIND OF SIX DEGREES OF
SEPARATION.
SEPARATION. HE'D HAVE ONE OFFICIAL WHO
WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO ANOTHER
WHO WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO A
THIRD PERSON.
THIRD PERSON. THAT'S THE THE CASE HERE.
IT IS ONE PRESIDENT TO ANOTHER.
THERE ARE NO BUFFERS AND I
THINK MOST PEOPLE CAN'T IMAGINE
THE HEAD OF OUR COUNTRY IN
EFFECT ASKING FOR A PERSONAL
FAVOR FROM A FOREIGN LEADER TO
HELP HIM POLITICALLY.
>> ABOUT IMPEACHMENT, THERE ARE
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS WILL
ONLY EMBOLDEN DONALD TRUMP
SUPPORTERS.
SUPPORTERS. ALREADY THEY'RE SEEING MORE
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CAMPAIGN
AND THAT IT WILL JUST HELP HIM
GET REELECTED.
GET REELECTED. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THE ONLY THING
YOU CAN EXPECT FROM AN
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS IS THE
UNEXPECTED AND IN EFFECT THERE
IS A VERY WIDE BERTH IN TERMS
OF BEING ABLE TO LAY OUT THE
RULES.
RULES.
RULES. MY
RULES. MY SENSE IS THAT THE HOUSE IS
GOING TO TRY TO MOVE VERY
QUICKLY AND IF THEY DO, I THINK
IT WILL PROBABLY FOCUS ON THIS
PARTICULAR CONDUCT THAT WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
CONNECTION BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
THE NRA THAT YOU FOUND IN A
REPORT YOU JUST RELEASED TODAY
IS THE RESULT OF AN 18 MONTH
INVESTIGATION BY YOU AND YOUR
STAFF AND IT SAYS THAT THE NRA,
WHICH IS A TAX EXEMPT
ORGANIZATION, MISLED THE PUBLIC
WHEN MEMBERS TOOK A TRIP TO
MOSCOW IN 2015.
IT ALSO SAID THAT THE
ORGANIZATION MAY HAVE BROKEN
TAX LAWS AND THAT IT MAY HAVE
BEEN A FOREIGN ASSET ACTED FOR
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE
U.S. ELECTION IN 2016.
THAT'S A LOT THERE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE IN THIS
REPORT?
REPORT?
REPORT? >> THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE NEXT
STEP I'M GOING TO ADVANCE IS TO
HAVE THE IRS TAKE A LOOK AT
WHETHER YOU CAN KEEP YOUR TAX
EXEMPTION GIVEN THAT KIND OF
CONDUCT.
CONDUCT.
CONDUCT. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE
TO GET A TAX EXEMPTION IF YOUR
ORGANIZATION SEEMS TO BE
PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT ON THE
BEHALF OF THE INSIDERS AND
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WAS GOING ON
IS YOU HAD THESE RUSSIAN
NATIONALS IN EFFECT TRYING TO
MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE NRA
INSIDERS TO SEE GREAT PROMISE
IN TERMS OF BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKING GREAT
MONEY IN RETURN FOR THE RUSSIAN
NATIONALS GETTING INFLUENCE IN
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. >> WHAT WOULD BE THE
CONSEQUENCES IF YOU TOOK AWAY
THE TAX EXEMPT STATUS FOR THE
NRA?
NRA?
NRA? >>
NRA? >> GIVEN THE REST OF THE NRA'S
PROBLEMS, AS YOU KNOW, THEY
HAVE BEEN LOSING STAFF.
THEY'VE BEEN HEMORRHAGING
REVENUE.
REVENUE.
REVENUE. I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A
HOST OF PROBLEMS AND THEY DON'T
SEEM TO EVER GET THE MESSAGE.
I MEAN JUST TODAY WE WERE
HEARING REPORTS THAT WAYNE
LaPIERRE, THEIR VERY PROMINENT
EXECUTIVE, WAS TALKING TO THE
PRESIDENT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
-- AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE
READ ABOUT THIS EVENING --
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY
WOULD HELP THE PRESIDENT
FINANCIALLY IN TERMS OF
GENERATING FUNDS FOR HIS LEGAL
DEFENSE IF THE PRESIDENT DROPS
SUCH COMMON SENSE MEASURES AS
BACKGROUND CHECKS.
BACKGROUND CHECKS. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO
BUSINESS THAT WAY IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. A FLAGRANT QUID PRO QUO.
>> IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT
THERE IS RUSSIAN INFLUENCE WITH
THE NRA HEADING INTO THE 2020
ELECTION?
ELECTION?
ELECTION? >> LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY AND I
CAN'T TALK ABOUT CLASSIFIED
MATTERS.
MATTERS.
MATTERS. WHAT I WILL TELL YOUR VIEWERS
RIGHT NOW AND I'VE BEEN ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE FOR A
NUMBER OF YEARS, I THINK WHAT
WE WERE LOOKING AT IN 2020 IN
TERMS OF FOREIGN INTERFERENCE
OF OUR ELECTIONS AND IT WILL
NOT JUST BE THE RUSSIANS.
IT WILL BE A NUMBER OF SUPER
POWERS.
POWERS.
POWERS. WE'RE GOING TO FACE IN 2020
UNLESS WE PASS MY LEGISLATION
FOR PAPER BALLOTS AND AUDITS
AND KEEPING REMOTE ACCESS
SOFTWARE OUT OF THESE SYSTEMS,
IF WE DON'T DO THAT, I THINK
WHAT WE WILL FACE IN 2020 IS
GOING TO MAKE 2016 LOOK LIKE
CHILD'S PLAY.
CHILD'S PLAY. >> THAT'S SERIOUS.
LET ME ASK YOU ONE MORE
QUESTION ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
BECAUSE IT'S ON EVERYBODY'S
MIND.
MIND.
MIND. THE
MIND. THE U.N. CAME OUT WITH A REPORT
THAT REALLY SHOWS SOME DIRE
CONSEQUENCES.
CONSEQUENCES. WE SEE THE OCEANS WARMING
FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT.
YOU HAVE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD OVERHAUL THE TAX
CODE, TALKING ABOUT TAXES, THAT
YOU SAY WOULD HELP COMBAT
CLIMATE CHANGE.
CLIMATE CHANGE. HOW?
HOW?
HOW? >>
HOW? >> WELL, WHAT I HAVE PROPOSED,
THERE ARE 46 SEPARATE TAX
BREAKS IN THE TAX CODE AS IT
RELATES TO ENERGY.
MOST OF THEM ARE MONUMENTS THAT
RELATE TO DIRTY ENERGY AND
LOBBYISTS FROM DECADES AGO.
I HAVE PROPOSED GETTING RID OF
THOSE MORE THAN 40 TAX BREAKS,
THROWING THEM IN THE GARBAGE
CAN AND SUBSTITUTING ONE FOR
CLEAN ENERGY, ONE FOR CLEAN
TRANSPORTATION FUEL AND ONE FOR
TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY.
TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY. I HAVE BEEN SAYING YOU ALL HAVE
WANTED TO GET RID OF SUBSIDIES.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
IT.
IT.
IT. WE'LL
IT. WE'LL GET MORE GREEN FOR LESS
GREEN.
GREEN.
GREEN. I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THIS WILL BE
A CHANCE TO BRING BOTH SIDES
TOGETHER TO HELP US ATTACK
CLIMATE CHANGE.
CLIMATE CHANGE. >> SENATOR