UNITED STATES FEDS ARE PROBING CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATIONS.
>>> FIRST, OTHER BREAKING NEWS.
TONIGHT BOB MUELLER SCORED
ANOTHER FIRST, THE FIRST FORMER
TRUMP CAMPAIGN AIDE TO GET A
JAIL SENTENCE.
JAIL SENTENCE. NOW, THIS CONVICTED FELON IS NOT
AS HIGH LEVEL AS PAUL MANAFORT,
THE SENTENCE NOT AS LONG AS MANY
PEOPLE COULD FACE BUT IT’S
ANOTHER STEP IN THE PROGRESS OF
THIS MUELLER PROBE.
NOW, WHAT YOU SEE IS MUCH TO THE
WHITE HOUSE’S DISMAY, NEITHER
THE COMPLAINTS IN RUDY
GIULIANI’S INTERVIEWS NOR THE
ENDLESS WITCH HUNT TWEETS ARE
STOPPING THIS FORWARD GRINDING
PROGRESS OF WHAT MUELLER WANTS
AND WHAT HE’S GETTING.
SO HERE’S THE NEWS.
A JUDGE HANDING DOWN A TWO-WEEK
JAIL SENTENCE TO THE FORMER
TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER WHO SET
THE RUSSIA PROBE IN MOTION,
GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS.
GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS. NOW, THE VERY LIGHT SENTENCE FOR
THE CRIME OF LYING TO THE FEDS.
BUT IT’S ALSO IN ITS LIGHTNESS
AND ITS LENIENCY, A VALIDATION
OF THE LARGER MUELLER STRATEGY.
DEFY HIM, AND FACE AN ENDLESS
LEGAL SLEDGE HAMMER.
PAUL MANAFORT, OF COURSE,
LOOKING AT YEARS IN JAIL WITH UP
TO TWO TRIALS REMAINING.
OR THE ALTERNATIVE, COOPERATE
WITH MUELLER, FLIP AND TELL, AND
GET A SENTENCE SO LIGHT YOU
MIGHT REASONABLY FORGET ABOUT IT
SOME DAY.
SOME DAY. NOTE, THE PAPADOPOULOS SENTENCE
IS LESS TIME THAN ANY OTHER
PERSON WHO HAVE BEEN SENTENCED.
NOW, IN THIS HEARING, LATE
TODAY, AND THAT’S WHY WE HAVE SO
MUCH DIFFERENT BREAKING NEWS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS TOLD THE
JUDGE HE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE
AND WANTS TO REDEEM HIMSELF.
HE PUBLICLY ARGUED HE LIED TO
INVESTIGATORS PARTLY BECAUSE HE
WANTED TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM
WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS PROBABLY AN
ILLEGAL ACTION FOR DANGEROUS
INFORMATION WITHIN THE TRUMP
WORLD ITSELF.
WORLD ITSELF. PAPADOPOULOS NOT ONLY FLIPPED,
WHICH OF COURSE IS FORMALIZED
TONIGHT, HE ALSO TOOK ANOTHER
PARTING SHOT AT HIS OLD BOSS
DONALD TRUMP ON HIS WAY INTO
JAIL.
JAIL. HIS LAWYERS ARGUING TRUMP
HIMSELF HINDERED THIS
INVESTIGATION MORE THAN
PAPADOPOULOS EVER COULD.
>> GEORGE WAS LISTENING TO HIS
PREFERRED CANDIDATE, AND HIS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
OPINING THAT THIS WAS A WITCH
HUNT.
HUNT. BUT WHEN GEORGE WENT IN ON
JANUARY 27th, HE WAS OF THE
MIND-SET THIS WAS NOT AS
SIGNIFICANT AS WE HAVE NOW ALL
LEARNED IT TO BE.
>> THAT IS LEGALIZE FOR A
VERSION OF THE COFFEE BOY
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. TRUMP ALSO ARGUING PAPADOPOULOS
NOT SIGNIFICANT.
NOT SIGNIFICANT. >> I SEE PAPADOPOULOS TODAY.
I DON’T KNOW PAPADOPOULOS.
I DON’T KNOW HIM.
I SAW HIM SITTING IN ONE PICTURE
AT A TABLE WITH ME.
THAT’S THE ONLY THING I KNOW
ABOUT HIM.
ABOUT HIM. I DON’T KNOW HIM.
BUT THEY GOT HIM ON, I GUESS, A
COUPLE OF LIES IS WHAT THEY’RE
SAYING.
SAYING. NOW, FLYNN, WHERE THE FBI SAID
HE DIDN’T LIE, BUT MUELLER’S
PEOPLE SAID HE DID LIE.
SO I DON’T WANT TO BE SET UP
WITH A PERJURY TRAP.
>> NOW, HERE IS THAT PICTURE OF
THAT TABLE.
THAT TABLE. WE’LL PUT IT UP FOR YOU IN THAT
MEETING IN MARCH 2016,
PAPADOPOULOS LAWYERS ALSO
PUNCHED BACK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
IN THAT ROOM YOU’RE LOOKING.
THEY SAY WHILE SOME REBUFFED IT,
TRUMP NODDED, DEFERRING TO
SESSIONS WHO APPEARED TO LIKE
THE IDEA.
THE IDEA. NOW, MUELLER IS NOW EFFECTIVELY
DONE WITH THAT DEFENDANT.
BUT TODAY HE WAS PUTTING ANOTHER
WITNESS INTO THAT INTIMIDATING
GRAND JURY ROOM.
IT WAS A BUSY DAY FOR MUELLER,
RANDY CREDITCO WHO HAS LINKS TO
JULIAN ASSANGE AND ROGER STONE
WAS BACK THERE TESTIFYING.
OF COURSE, IT MAKES YOU WONDER,
WAS MUELLER INTERESTED IN
WIKILEAKS TODAY OR ROGER STONE
OR BOTH?
OR BOTH? WE LEARNED THE ANSWER.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> HOW MUCH OF THE QUESTIONING
HAVE YOU -- OF ASSANGE?
>> VERY LITTLE.
NO, DON’T -- THE MAJOR -- THE
MAJORITY OF THE QUESTIONING HAD
TO DO WITH ROGER STONE.
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WE’RE NOT
GOING TO GET INTO.
>> YOU SAW THE LAWYER TRYING TO
GET CREDITCO NOT TO ANSWER.
THAT IS BIG NEWS TONIGHT.
ROGER STONE WAS THE FOCUS OF THE
QUESTIONS TODAY IN THAT GRAND
JURY ROOM.
JURY ROOM. LET’S TAKE IT TOGETHER.
BOB MUELLER IS HUNTING RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. TRUMP’S LAWYERS, MEANWHILE,
SENDING THEIR OWN MIXED SIGNALS
ABOUT WHETHER DONALD TRUMP WILL
EVER FACE MUELLER.
RUDY GIULIANI ANNOUNCED TO MUCH
FANFARE THAT TRUMP WOULDN’T
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, EVEN IN
WRITING.
WRITING. THAT MADE HEADLINES, HE ADDED
LATER, WELL, NOTHING’S TOTALLY
OFF THE TABLE.
THAT IS THE PUBLIC MESSAGE FROM
TRUMP’S LAWYER.
TRUMP’S LAWYER. BUT REMEMBER THE PRIVATE
MESSAGE, ACCORDING TO BOB
WOODWARD’S REPORTING JUST THIS
WEEK IS THAT IT’S ALL THE
OPPOSITE AND THAT TRUMP HIMSELF
TOLD ONE OF HIS OWN LAWYERS HE
DIDN’T WANT TO FACE MUELLER
EVER.
EVER. I’M JOINED NOW BY MAYA WILEY,
FORMER COUNSEL TO THE MAYOR OF
NEW YORK CITY.
AND MSNBC CHRISTIAN FERRAGUS AND
BILL KRISTOL.
BILL KRISTOL. >> MAYA, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
RUDY ARGUMENT THERE, IF
EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE
POTENTIALLY, THAT MEANS MUELLER
WOULD FACE TRUMP IN A CERTAIN
SITUATION, BY WOODWARD’S
REPORTING UNDERCUTTING THAT AND
WOULD MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THIS IS
ALL POSTURING.
ALL POSTURING. PUT THAT NOT CONTEXT OF BOB
MUELLER SENDING A TRUMP AIDE TO
JAIL TODAY.
JAIL TODAY. >> WELL, IF -- FIRST OF ALL,
LET’S JUST SAY, A BROKEN CLOCK
IS RIGHT TWICE A DAY.
AND THE BROKEN CLOCK OF DONALD
TRUMP HAS SAID HE’S AFRAID OF A
PERJURY TRAP.
PERJURY TRAP. THAT’S ACTUALLY RUDY GIULIANI
TALKING POINT, WHICH IS
INTERESTING THAT THE PRESIDENT
USED THAT TODAY.
I THINK WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM
THE PRESIDENT IS THAT HE IS
CONCERNED, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
HE HAS REPEATEDLY EXPRESSED HIS
WILLINGNESS.
WILLINGNESS. IF I’M DONALD TRUMP, I’M GOING
TO LISTEN TO MY LAWYERS AND I’M
NOT GOING TO TALK TO BOB
MUELLER.
MUELLER. THE REALITY IS, IT’S GOING TO
CALL INTO QUESTION WHETHER OR
NOT MUELLER’S GOING TO THEN TAKE
THE STEP OF A GRAND JURY
SUBPOENA.
SUBPOENA. I DON’T THINK YOU’RE GOING TO
SEE THAT ANYTIME SOON BECAUSE OF
THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS,
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. BUT IF YOU’RE DONALD TRUMP, YOU
ARE THINKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT
YOU HAVE MADE INCONSISTENT
STATEMENTS PUBLICLY AND
REPEATEDLY.
REPEATEDLY. AND THEREFORE GOING IN AND
HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH BOB
MUELLER, VERY TOUGH TO THREAD
THAT NEEDLE IN A WAY THAT
DOESN’T CREATE A POTENTIAL
PERJURY CHARGE.
PERJURY CHARGE. >> BILL KRISTOL, WHAT MESSAGE DO
YOU READ IN THE LEGAL STRATEGY
OF BOB MUELLER GIVING
PAPADOPOULOS EFFECTIVELY TWO
WEEKS IN JAIL?
>> THEY ASKED FOR MORE, THE
JUDGE DECIDED ON TWO WEEKS.
LIGHT SENTENCE.
LIGHT SENTENCE. YOU SHOULD COOPERATE WITH
MUELLER, WITH THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL INVESTIGATION, WITH THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, YOU
SHOULDN’T LIE TO THE FBI.
BUT IF YOU DO, YOU WILL BE
TREATED BETTER.
TREATED BETTER. IF IT’S A SMALL LIE IN THE
CONTEXT OF OPERATION, IT’S A BIG
LIE.
LIE. IT WAS INTERESTING THAT TRUMP
CITED FLYNN, THAT’S VERY MUCH ON
HIS MIND, SPEAKING OF PEOPLE
COOPERATING, MICHAEL FLYNN WHO
KNOWS A LOT MORE THAN
PAPADOPOULOS I’M GOING TO GUESS
IS CONTINUING TO COOPERATE, I
BELIEVE, WITH THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL AND HAD HIS SENTENCING
PUT OFF TWO OR THREE TIMES TO
CONTINUE THE COOPERATION.
SO THE INVESTIGATION GOES ON.
IT LOOKS PRETTY SAFE FOR THE
NEXT TWO MONTHS.
I HATE TO SAY THAT, DON’T WANT
TO JINGX IT.
FOR TRUMP TO DO GOD KNOWS WHAT.
I DO THINK ON NOVEMBER 6th,
NOVEMBER 7th, IF THE DEMOCRATS
WIN THE HOUSE, WHICH IS LIKELY,
THE DEGREE TO WHICH THINGS WILL
START HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY
CAN’T BE -- IT’S JUST GOING TO
BE REMARKABLE.
BE REMARKABLE. I ASSUME MUELLER KNOWS THAT AS A
POLITICAL MATTER.
POLITICAL MATTER. I WONDER HOW MUCH HE’S AIMING
FOR THAT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
WINDOW TO BRING THINGS TO A
CLOSE, TO WRAP IT UP AND HAVE A
REPORT.
REPORT. >> CHRISTIAN?
>> CHRISTIAN? >> I’M TELLING YOU THE CLOCK IS
TICKING, I DON’T THINK, TO BE A
CONTRARYIAN, I DON’T THINK
MUELLER IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. TRUMP IS NOT ON THE BALLOT BOX.
NEITHER ARE HIS CAMPAIGN AIDES,
HE’S GOING TO KEEP GOING WITH
HIS WORK, ALL THE HEARINGS LINED
UP IN THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS,
THE COMING TRIAL OF MANAFORT,
MANAFORT NOW IN TALKS TO
POSSIBLY WORK OUT A PLEA DEAL.
HE’S GOING TO KEEP WORKING.
HE IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT
POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS BECAUSE
NONE OF THE PEOPLE SO FAR
INVOLVED IN THIS ARE UP FOR
ELECTION.
ELECTION. SO HIS WORK IS GOING TO CONTINUE
UNIMPEDED.
UNIMPEDED. AND THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO
CONTINUE RAGING AGAINST HIS WORK
ONLY TO HIS DETRIMENT AND THE
DETRIMENT OF HIS ALLIES.
>> I WANT TO REACH MORE INTO THE
PAPADOPOULOS PART, MAYA, SO NEW,
AND IF YOU THINK BACK TO THIS,
WE DON’T OFTEN KNOW THIS MUCH IN
REALTIME.
REALTIME. BUT WE LEARNED FROM "NEW YORK
TIMES" REPORTING IT WAS
PAPADOPOULOS WHO UNCORKED THE
ENTIRE INVESTIGATION THAT BEGAN
OF COURSE BEFORE THERE WAS ANY
NOTION TRUMP WOULD BE PRESIDENT
AND THEN OF COURSE TURNED INTO A
SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE.
HERE WAS HIS LAWYER IN COURT
SAYING, LOO CK, HE WAS
UNSOPHISTICATED, NAIVE, A FOOL,
AND HE MISLED INVESTIGATORS TO
SAVE HIS PROFESSIONAL
ASPIRATIONS AND SERVE A
MISGUIDED LOYALTY TO HIS MASTER.
HOW DOES THAT FIT IN, AGAIN, TO
THE CHOICES THAT OTHER FORMER
TRUMP AIDES ARE MAKING HERE?
>> WELL, I THINK IT FITS INTO IF
YOU TRY TO PROTECT DONALD TRUMP
RATHER THAN TELLING THE TRUTH
YOU WILL ONLY END UP NOT
PROTECTING YOURSELF.
PROTECTING YOURSELF. YOU CAN’T PROTECT SOMEONE IF
THEY HAVE ACTUALLY COMMITTED A
CRIMINAL ACT, OR TAKEN STEPS
THAT MAKES IT APPEAR THAT
THEY’VE COMMITTED A CRIMINAL
ACT, AND YOU’RE ACTUALLY GOING
TO DO MUCH MORE BY COMING
FORWARD AND BEING HONEST.
AND I THINK WITH GEORGE
PAPADOPOULOS AND HIS SITUATION
HAS MADE CLEAR IS TELL THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. AND WE KNOW FROM McGAHN, RIGHT,
THAT McGAHN’S APPROACH HAS BEEN
TO COOPERATE, TO COOPERATE
FULLY.
FULLY. HE OBVIOUSLY IS DOING THAT IN
HIS OWN VIEW FOR A VARIETY OF
REASONS, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER
INDICATION TO THE TRUMP CAMP, IF
YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE
WORKING FOR DONALD TRUMP, THAT’S
A SIGNAL ON HOW YOU SHOULD
BEHAVE.
BEHAVE. >> I WANT THE PANEL TO STAY WITH
MANY E.
MANY E. I MENTIONED THE BREAKING NEWS.
CONTROL ROOM TELLS ME WE HAVE
THE REPORTER WHO BROKE THIS
STORY.
STORY. THIS IS FROM BLOOMBERG, JOINING
ME ON A BREAKING STORY, THAT
ACCORDING TO A NEWS SOURCE,
CONFIRMING THE TRUMP EXECUTIVES
FACE A FEDERAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE
PROBE FROM THE NEW YORK FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS HANDLING THE COHEN
CASE.
CASE. GREG, THIS IS YOUR STORY.
WHAT DID YOU FIND?
>> HI, ARI.
BASICALLY AFTER COHEN PLEADED
GUILTY LAST MONTH THERE WAS A
QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE
PROSECUTORS AT THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT WERE GOING TO STAND
DOWN.
DOWN. AND MOVE ON TO OTHER THINGS OR
KEEP GOING.
KEEP GOING. AND THEY’RE KEEP GOING, THEY’RE
GOING TO LOOK AND SEE WHETHER
THE CONDUCT THAT COHEN PLEADED
GUILTY TO, THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS, WHICH INVOLVED
PAYMENTS APPROVED BY SEVERAL
EXECUTIVES AT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION, IF THIS PATTERN OF
CONDUCT WAS MORE WIDESPREAD.
IN OTHER WORDS, THEY SEEM TO
BELIEVE THAT THIS DIDN’T JUST
HAPPEN ON THIS OCCASION WITH
STORMY DANIELS, BUT THERE MIGHT
HAVE BEEN OTHER CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS.
VIOLATIONS. SO THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE
INVESTIGATING.
INVESTIGATING. IT’S NOT CLEAR THAT THEY’VE
FOUND ANYTHING YET, BUT JUST
THAT THEY HAVEN’T CLOSED THE
DOOR ON THIS PROBE.
>> WHAT YOU’RE SAYING IS
SIGNIFICANT, IT’S NOT
PRE-JUDGING WHERE THE PROBE
GOES, BUT IT SAYS THAT MICHAEL
COHEN IN THE EYES OF THE NEW
YORK FEDS IS THE BEGINNING, NOT
THE END OF THOSE NOW A CAMPAIGN
VIOLATIONS THAT HE HIMSELF PLED
GUILTY TO, AS YOU KNOW FROM YOUR
REPORTING AND AS MANY OF OUR
VIEWERS HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION COULD
SOUND LIKE A BIG LARGE THING TO
MANY PEOPLE WHO WATCH THE
APPRENTICE, BUT ACTUALLY HAS A
SMALL NUMBER OF EXECUTIVES
INCLUDING TRUMP’S FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. DOES YOUR REPORTING SHED ANY
LIGHT?
LIGHT? >> WELL, AS YOU POINTED OUT,
RIGHT, IT’S NOT LIKE A HUGE
GENERAL ELECTRIC OR IBM, THERE
AREN’T MANY PEOPLE AND A LOT OF
THEM ARE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE
THERE.
THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, IF ANY OF THEM, IF
IT TURNS OUT WERE INVOLVED IN
ANY KIND OF APPROVALS OR
TRANSACTIONS THAT WERE LABELED
BUSINESS EXPENSES, BUT TURNED
OUT TO BE CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD
BE A PROBLEM.
SO CLEARLY THE GUY IN THE MIDDLE
OF THIS IS THE CFO, ALLEN
WEISSELBERG, AND IT’S CLEAR THAT
WEISSELBERG COOPERATED ON THE
VERY NARROW WAY IN THE COHEN
PLEA, JUST AROUND THE STORMY
DANIELS PAYMENTS AND THOSE
ISSUES.
ISSUES. NOW, THE QUESTION HERE IS
WHETHER OR NOT HE’S GOING TO
COOPERATE, YOU KNOW, WIDESPREAD
BECAUSE HE SAW OR MUST HAVE
APPROVED PRETTY MUCH EVERY TYPE
OF EXPENDITURE THAT WENT OUT, OR
NOT.
NOT. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE QUESTION
ONE IS TO WHAT DEGREE HE’S GOING
TO BE HELPFUL BECAUSE HE
LITERALLY KNOWS LIKE ALL THE
FINANCES AND ALL THE, YOU KNOW,
PAYMENTS THAT GOT MADE AND
APPROVED, ET CETERA.
>> CAN YOU RULE IN OR RULE OUT
TRUMP FAMILY MEMBERS?
>> NO, TO RULE OUT BECAUSE IF
THEY WERE INVOLVED, AND CLEARLY
SEVERAL OF THEM WERE INVOLVED
WITH THE CAMPAIGN.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> THEREFORE IT’S QUITE POSSIBLE
SOME OF THEM GAVE A GREEN LIGHT
LIKE TO PAINT IT THIS WAY OR
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. WE DON’T KNOW THAT.
>> WE DON’T KNOW THAT.
BUT YOU’RE NOT ABLE TO RULE THEM
OUT, AND YOUR REASONABLE
INFERENCE, BASED ON REPORTING
YOU’VE DONE IS THAT THE PEOPLE
WHO OVERLAP BETWEEN THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN THE MOST WERE THE
FAMILY MEMBERS AND MICHAEL
COHEN, MICHAEL COHEN BEING THE
PERSON WHO PLED GUILTY HIMSELF
TO THE CAMPAIGN CRIME.
I WANT TO READ FROM YOUR STORY
AND PRESS YOU A BIT NOT ON THE
IDENTITY OF YOUR SOURCE,
OBVIOUSLY AS A FELLOW
JOURNALIST, I’M NOT ASKING YOU
THAT, BUT I WILL NOTE YOUR LEAD
SAYS AFTER THIS CONVICTION OF
MICHAEL COHEN YOU HAVE A PERSON
FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER TELLING
YOU FEDERAL PROSECUTORS IN
MANHATTAN ARE INVESTIGATING
THIS.
THIS. DOES THAT MEAN THIS ENTIRE
STORY, IN YOUR REPORTING, RESTS
ON A SINGLE SOURCE?
>> I’M NOT GOING TO GO BEYOND
THAT.
THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT GETS A LITTLE
TOO CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, THAT’S
WHAT WE’RE SAYING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON’T JUST GO
OUT WITH STUFF UNLESS WE HAVE AN
EXTREMELY HIGH DEGREE OF
CONFIDENCE.
CONFIDENCE. I’LL LEAVE THAT AT THAT.
>> ARE YOU SAYING THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING BEYOND A SINGLE PERSON
THAT GIVES YOU THAT CONFIDENCE?
>> NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
I’LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
>> WHEN YOU SAY NOT SAYING
ANYTHING, THAT’S SEVERAL WORDS
RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT THERE. TECHNICALLY, YOU ARE SAYING
WORDS, GREG.
WORDS, GREG. IT’S MY JOB TO PRESS YOU.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT I THINK YOU’RE
TRYING TO CONVEY, WHICH IS THAT
YOU STAND BEHIND THE STORY.
IT’S A BIG STORY.
BEFORE I LET YOU GO, ANYTHING
ELSE THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO GET
TO THAT WE DIDN’T?
>> NO, EXCEPT THERE’S A LOT OF
NEWS COMING OUT TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A GREAT STORY ON
MANAFORT AS WELL OVER AND ABOVE
GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS, WHICH WE
WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT, THERE’S
A FEW OTHER SCOOPS WE’VE GOT
HERE, ONE ON, YOU KNOW, TALKS IN
MANAFORT’S CASE OF MAYBE A DEAL.
SO ANYWAY --
>> I’M SORRY, GREG, YOU’RE
REPORTING NEW INFORMATION ABOUT
A POTENTIAL PLEA BY PAUL
MANAFORT?
MANAFORT? >> THAT’S OUT ON BLOOMBERG NOW.
CHECK THAT OUT AS WELL.
NOT ME, MY COLLEAGUES.
>> WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
THAT?
THAT? >> I HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN IT TO
HER YET.
HER YET. I JUST FINISHED MY STORY.
>> IT’S ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS.
I THINK WE’LL STAY ON ALL OF
THEM.
THEM. GREG FARRELL, THANKS FOR JUMPING
ON THE PHONE.
MAYA, YOUR REACTION?
>> MY REACTION IS THAT THIS IS
BOTH MEANINGFUL, NOT SURPRISING.
IT WOULD BE MORE SURPRISING TO
ME IF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK DID NOT FOLLOW UP ON
INDICATIONS THAT THERE WERE WAYS
IN WHICH THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION
WORKED AS WE KNOW FROM MICHAEL
COHEN THAT SUGGEST THAT THERE
MAY BE A LOT OF IMPROPRIETIES
HERE IN HOW THE FINANCING
WORKED.
WORKED. I ALSO THINK THAT IT SUGGESTS
THAT THIS SOURCE IS NOT SOMEONE
FROM WITHIN THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, BUT IS
SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE WITHIN THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
TRUMP ORGANIZATION. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT
WEISSELBERG DID NOT COOPERATE.
THAT’S THE WRONG WORD LEGALLY.
WHAT HE DID WAS HE NO LONGER HAD
THE ABILITY TO ASSERT THE FIFTH
AMENDMENT RIGHT NOT TO
INCRIMINATE HIMSELF BECAUSE THEY
SAID WE WON’T COME AFTER YOU FOR
WHAT YOU SAY TO US ON THIS POINT
SO THAT HE HAD TO COME AND
TESTIFY.
TESTIFY. >> WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION.
DISTINCTION. >> A BIG DISTINCTION.
>> WE ARE OVER ON TIME GIVEN ALL
THE BREAKING NEWS.
BILL KRISTOL, A FINAL THOUGHT
FROM YOU ON HOW THIS ALL PLAYS
OUT IF DONALD TRUMP, GIVEN THE
WEEK HE’S HAD, IS LEARNING AS HE
DOES REPORTEDLY THING THROUGH
TELEVISION, THAT THERE’S THIS
INVESTIGATION INTO HIS
ORGANIZATION WHICH INCLUDES, OF
COURSE, HIS FAMILY AS OFFICERS,
AS WELL AS A SINGLE SOURCE
REPORT FROM BLOOMBERG, AGAIN
REIGNITING SPECULATION THAT MR.
MANAFORT HIMSELF COULD PLEA.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE THE
INVESTIGATION IS PULLING ON MANY
THREADS.
THREADS. AND A LOT OF THEM ARE PROVING
FRUITFUL, OR AT LEAST ARE
LEADING TO FURTHER THINGS, WHICH
IS HOW SUCCESSFUL INVESTIGATIONS
WORK, HOW WATERGATE WORKED TO GO
BACK TO THE ONE THAT EVERYONE
THINKS OF, BUT IT’S HOW
GENERALLY GOOD INVESTIGATIONS
WORK.
WORK. THE COHEN THREAD, THE THIN