FINAL SECONDS.
LEBRON JAMES FEELING THE HEAT,
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, O LEBRON JAMES FEELING THE HEAT,
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, K
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, N
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY,
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, E
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, P
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY, R
HIS PREGAME OUTFIT TOP STORY,
INTO ANDREW MCKAY.
ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON
POST THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
HAS INTERVIEWED FORMER FBI
DIRECTOR JIM COMEY AS PART OF
NEW EFFORTS TO SEE IF ANDREW
MCCABE LIED TO FEDERAL AGENTS,
A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY A 5 YEAR
PRISON SENTENCE, THIS AFTER
MICHAEL HOROWITZ ACCUSED MCCABE
OF MISLEADING COMEY AND
INVESTIGATORS WHILE UNDER OATH.
JOINING THESE FORMER CRIMINAL
DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR OJ SIMPSON
AND THE AUTHOR OF THE CASE
AGAINST IMPEACHING TRUMP, ALAN
DERSHOWITZ, THANKS FOR WEIGHING
IN THIS MORNING.
YOUR TAKE ON THE MOST RECENT
NEWS WITH COMEY BEING
INTERVIEWED TO 0 IN ON MCCABE.
>> IT PROVES WE NEVER NEEDED AN
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL OR SPECIAL
COUNSEL, US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF DEALING
WITH THESE PROBLEMS IF AND WHEN
THEY COME UP AS A RESULT OF THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT.
THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS US
ATTORNEYS DON'T HAVE TARGETS ON
THE BACK OF PEOPLE AND DON'T
HAVE ENORMOUS BUDGETS THAT ARE
DIRECTED AT GETTING PARTICULAR
AMOUNTS WHEREAS SPECIAL
COUNSEL'S OFFICE IF THEY DON'T
END UP INVITING PEOPLE,
PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WHO ARE
TARGETED HAVING SPENT SO MUCH
MONEY REGARDED AS FAILURES AS
WE ARE SEEING THE 7 DISTRICT
INVESTIGATING IN THE DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA WE ARE -- WE DON'T
NEED SPECIAL COUNSEL AND THEY
POSE GREAT DANGERS TO
DEMOCRACY.
MARIA: IT IS COSTING $17
MILLION, COST TAXPAYERS $17
MILLION AND WE DON'T NEED THIS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WONDERING
WHEN THIS WILL END.
WHAT ABOUT WHERE WE STAND ON
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE DOJ AND
FBI, WE ARE WAITING ON A
FORTHCOMING IG REPORT FOR MORE
INFORMATION BUT THAT WILL FOCUS
ON HILLARY CLINTON
INVESTIGATION.
>> I WOULD THINK THE IG SHOULD
EXTEND THE SCOPE OF HIS
INVESTIGATION.
EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT.
THAT OPERATES AN EXISTING
GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES.
MAKES SO MUCH MORE SENSE IN
EXISTING STRUCTURES.
NOBODY HAS CHALLENGED THE IG
FOR ANY BIAS, HE IS NOT
POLITICAL, HE IS ESSENTIALLY A
CIVIL SERVANT, ALTHOUGH
APPOINTED BY POLITICAL FIGURES,
WE HAVE TO CREATE MORE
INSTITUTIONS
WE HAVE TO CREATE MORE INSTITUTIONS TO DO THESE
INSTRUCTIONS.
AND RECOMMENDING IMPEACHMENT,
WHAT WE ARE DOING IS FILING A
REPORT WHICH IS UP TO THE
HOUSE, THE HOUSE COULD HAVE
DONE IT.
A SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE
COMMITTEE, IMMEDIATELY GOING TO
SPECIAL COUNSEL AS SOON AS WE
SAW THE RECUSAL OF THE ATTY.
GEN. AND DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL SHOULDN'T BE RECUSED
BECAUSE HE WAS A WITNESS IN THE
CASE, WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAD
A SPECIAL COUNSEL APPOINTED AND
HISTORY AS IT DID IN THE
CLINTON CASE AND OTHER CASES
NOT LOOK KINDLY.
NEIL: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE
COST?
THE DOJ REPORT SAYS THE
DEPARTMENT SPENT $17 MILLION ON
THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION SINCE
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT
MUELLER'S APPOINTMENT LAST MAY.
>> COST IS ONE OF THE FACTORS.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT
IMPLICATIONS OF TELLING THE NEW
GOVERNMENT APPOINTEE YOU HAVE
TO LOOK AT A PARTICULAR ISSUE
AND GO AFTER PARTICULAR PEOPLE
AND UNLESS YOU DO WE WILL
REGARD YOU AS A FAILURE.
IT IS A FACTOR THAT TARGETING
COUPLED THE COST IS WHAT POSES
DANGERS TO DEMOCRACY.
MARIA: DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE
ANY JUSTICE HERE?
THE FACT THE CIVIL LIBERTIES
ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE DO
YOU THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
THIS AND WE WILL SEE JUSTICE AS
RESULT OF THE IMPACT TO OUR
CIVIL LIBERTIES?
>> I DON'T.
I WORRY ABOUT ITS IMPACT ON
JUSTICE.
IN THE END WE WILL SEE THE
REPORT AND IT WILL DETERMINE
THE OUTCOME OF THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS.
IF DEMOCRATS WIN THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN OR SOME
OF THEM CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE
OF LET'S IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT
WE WILL SEE THE IMPEACHMENT
PROCESS TURNED INTO A
COMPLETELY PARTISAN POLITICAL
PROCESS WHICH WAS NOT INTENDED
TO BE WHICH IS WHY THE FRAMERS
SET OUT CRITERIA FOR
IMPEACHMENT, TREASON, BRIBERY
AND OTHER HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS AND TWO THIRDS OF
THE SENATE TO REMOVE, THEY
DIDN'T WANT A PARTISAN PROCESS
THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED BY THE
OUTCOME OF THE MIDTERM
ELECTIONS.
I AM WORRIED FOR OUR
ELECTIONS. I AM WORRIED FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
MARIA: A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY IF
DEMOCRATS DO WIN AND TAKE BACK
THE HOUSE YOU WON'T HEAR
ANOTHER WORD ABOUT THESE
INVESTIGATIONS, YOU WILL SEE A
CHANGE AT THE TOP OF ALL THESE
COMMITTEES, THE INTEL
COMMITTEE, THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE, JUDICIARY AND WON'T
HEAR ABOUT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION OR HILLARY
CLINTON EMAIL INVESTIGATION
ANYMORE.
>> THAT IS WHY I HOPE FOR THE
APPOINTMENT OF A NONPARTISAN
COMMISSION LIKE THE 9/11
COMMISSION WHICH COULD
TRANSCEND PARTISAN POLITICS AND
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS ENTITLED
TO THE TRUTH.
RUSSIA DID TRY TO INFLUENCE
THIS ELECTION WAS WHETHER THEY
HAD ANY IMPACT OR NOT WE DON'T
KNOW AND WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A
COMMISSION MAKING SURE THIS CAN
HAPPEN AGAIN.
THIS WAS NOT A GREAT ELECTION
FROM AMERICA'S POINT OF VIEW.
THERE WERE TOO MANY ISSUES IN
WHICH POLITICS AND THE LEGAL
SYSTEM INFLUENCED POTENTIALLY
THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
WITHOUT POINTING FINGERS IN THE
PAST YOU SHOULD TRY TO PREVENT
IT IN THE FUTURE AND THAT IS
WHAT A NONPARTISAN COMMISSION
WOULD DO.
THAT IS NOT WHAT SPECIAL
COUNCILS DO OR CONGRESSIONAL
INVESTIGATIONS WHICH ARE VERY
PARTISAN.
MARIA: IT IS STILL IMPACTING
THINGS BECAUSE THEY ATTACHED
DONALD TRUMP TO THE MEDDLING
RUSSIA DID WHICH SO FAR THERE
IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY
CONNECTION.
WHAT ABOUT WASHINGTON -- GO
AHEAD.
THE WASHINGTON PRESIDENTIAL
PARDON, DENNIS DESOUSA HAS
RECEIVED A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
AFTER MAKING ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
DONATIONS IN 2014.
DONALD TRUMP IS CONSIDERING
ABSOLUTION FOR FORMER ILLINOIS
GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH AND
MARTHA STEWART HAVING SERVED
JAIL TIME.
>> LET ME INDICATE I WASN'T
CONSULTED ON THE MARTHA STEWART
CASE AND I DID CONSULT BRIEFLY
WITH THE LAWYER FOR DENNIS
DESOUSA SO I'M NOT AN UNBIASED
SOURCE.
BOTH OF THOSE WOULD BE
WARRANTED.
THERE WAS A WIDTH OF
THERE WAS A WIDTH OF WHAT SHE A WARRANTED.
THERE WAS A WIDTH OF WHAT SHE
ORIGINALLY INVESTIGATED FOR BUT
FOR SPEAKING TO THE US
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND SAYING
THINGS THEY DID NOT BELIEVE
WERE TRUTHFUL.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF SCOOTER
LIBBY, HE FELL ON HIS SWORD AND
TOOK THE BLAME AND I'M NOT SURE
WHAT HE DID WAS PERJURY.
THE DIFFERENCE WAS IN
RECOLLECTION.
I SUPPORT SEVERAL PRESIDENTS
PARDONS, I WAS INVOLVED, I AM
NOT A SUPPORTER OF THE SHERIFF
FROM ARIZONA, THAT WAS A VERY
QUESTIONABLE PARDON BECAUSE IT
COULD SEND A MESSAGE THAT
PEOPLE ARE ENTITLED TO VIOLATE
JUDICIAL RULES AND WILL BE
PARDONED IF THEY DO IT.
I AM FOUR FOR FIVE BUT NOT
100%.
MARIA: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM
THE IG REPORT?
>> IT WILL BE VERY FAIR.
HE HAS A REPUTATION FOR
FAIRNESS AND BALANCE AND
CREDIBILITY AND PEOPLE SHOULD
BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
IMPLICATIONS OF A FAIR AND
OBJECTIVE INVESTIGATION BUT IT
SENDS A MESSAGE, WE DON'T NEED
SPECIAL COUNSEL WE HAVE IN