.
. >>> LET ME MAKE SOMETHING 100%
CLEAR.
CLEAR. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANY PERSON TO
SOLICIT, ACCEPT OR RECEIVE
ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM A FOREIGN
NATIONAL IN CONNECTION WITH A
U.S. ELECTION.
U.S. ELECTION. ANYONE WHO SOLICITS OR ACCEPTS
RISKS BEING ON THE WROND END OF
A FEDERAL ELECTION.
THOSE ARE NOT MY WORDS.
THROWS WORDS OF ELLEN WINETRAUB
TWEET THAT WHEN TRUMP INDICATED
HE WOULD ACCEPT HELP FROM
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR ELECTION
IN HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND
NOW DONALD TRUMP IS THE SUBJECT
OF AN IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION
FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT ELLEN
WEINTRAUB TOLD HIM NOT TO DO.
AFTER THE SECOND WEEK OF
CONSISTENT REPETITION OF THE
LATIN WORDS QUID PRO QUO IN NEWS
COVERAGE, IT’S TIME FOR A
REMINDER OF WHAT WORDS ARE
ACTUALLY IN THE LAW THAT THE
PRESIDENT APPEARS TO HAVE
VIOLATED.
VIOLATED. AND THERE IS NO ONE BETTER TO
GUIDE US THROUGH THAT LAW THAN
OUR NEXT GUEST, ELLEN WEINTRAUB,
THE CHAFRT FEDERAL ELECTION
COMMISSION.
COMMISSION. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
HAVE THE WORDS QUID PRO QUO BEEN
DRIVING YOU CRAZY SINCE THEY’RE
NOT ACTUALLY RELEVANT?
>> I DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I AM NOT
OPINING ON ANYONE’S CONDUCT.
I AM ONLY HERE TO EXPLAIN THE
LAW.
LAW. THAT IS MY JOB.
I WAS NOT TO EXPLAIN THE LAW SO
EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS IT AND
HOPEFULLY EVERY ONE WILL COME
APPLY WITH IT.
>> WELL, GO TO IT.
JUST CLARIFY WHAT QUID PRO QUO
MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAVE TO DO
WITH THE LAW.
>> WELL, QUID PRO QUO IS A
BRIBERY MATERIAL.
BRIBERY MATERIAL. THAT’S IN THE CRIMINAL LAW.
I HAVE CIVIL ENFORCEMENT
AUTHORITY OVER THE CAMPAIGN
FINANCE LAWS.
FINANCE LAWS. SO QUID PRO QUO REALLY DOESN’T
ENTER INTO IT FROM THE
STANDPOINT OF THE FEC.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FOREIGN
NATIONAL BAN, IT IS AS I TWEETED
AND AS YOU JUST READ, PRETTY
SIMPLE.
SIMPLE. IT IS A ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE TO
SOLICIT, ACCEPT OR RECEIVE
ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM ANY
FOREIGN NATIONAL IN CONNECTION
WITH A U.S. ELECTION.
PERIOD.
PERIOD. >> AND I WANT TO GO OVER ONE
OTHER CONCEPT.
OTHER CONCEPT. THAT’S THE NOTION OF PRESSURE.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
WAS AT THE U.N. AND SPEAKING
WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP PUBLICLY,
THE PRESIDENT SAID HE DIDN’T USE
THE WORD PUSH.
HE DID NOT FEEL PUSHED.
THE WORD IN THE LAW IS SOLICIT.
AND SO SOLICIT, A SOLICITATION
COULD BE DONE VERY POLITELY
WITHOUT ANY AIR OF PRESSURE
AROUND IT.
AROUND IT. >> AGAIN, NOT TALKING OF ANY
INDIVIDUAL.
INDIVIDUAL. BUT AS A MATTER OF LAW, IT
DOESN’T REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF
PRESSURE.
PRESSURE. >> AND WHEN YOU SAW IT, YOU CAME
OUT WITH YOUR TWEET ABOUT THIS
AFTER WE SAW WHAT THE PRESIDENT
SAID TO GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS
WHICH WAS AT THE TIME, STUNNING.
THAT AFTER THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION, THE MUELLER
REPORT, HE WOULD ACTUALLY SAY TO
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS THAT HE
WOULD BE WILLING TO ACCEPT HELP
FROM OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
GOVERNMENT.,
GOVERNMENT., FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
YOU LAID THE LAW OUT THERE.
HOW SURPRISED ARE YOU THAT WE
ARE WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT?
>> THESE ARE SURPRISING TIMES,
LAWRENCE.
LAWRENCE. I JUST KEEP TRYING TO INSTRUCT
PEOPLE ON THE LAW.
I THINK IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
INAN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE IN OUR
LAW.
LAW. IT IS ENSHRINED IN LAW BUT IT IS
ALSO A PRINCIPLE DISCUSSED BY
THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND A
PRINCIPLE THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE
ABLE TO AGREE ON ON A
NONPARTISAN BASIS THAT WE WANT
ELECTIONS TO BE RUN AND
ADMINISTERED AND FUNDED BY
AMERICAN CITIZENS, AND WE WANT
AMERICAN CITIZENS TO BE THE ONES
MAKING CHOICES IN OUR ELECTIONS
SGEFL DON’T WANT FOREIGN
INTERFERENCE.
INTERFERENCE. >> ELLEN WEINTRAUB’S GETS