>>> THERE IS A BIG STORY CAUSING BIG PROBLEMS SWIRLING AROUND
TRUMP RIGHT NOW, AND IT COULD
HAVE MAJOR LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE HEADLINE,
TRUMP’S COMPANY WAS DISCUSSING
GIVING VLADIMIR PUTIN A
$50 MILLION PENTHOUSE AS A KIND
OF GIFT TO SWEETEN THIS NOW
INFAMOUS SKY SCRAPER PLAN IN
MOSCOW.
MOSCOW. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY SPECIAL
REPORT, THAT OFFER ALONE,
$50 MILLION FOR A FOREIGN LEADER
COULD BE ILLEGAL, WE’LL GET INTO
WHY.
WHY. FIRST YOU HEARD THE LARGER
DEFENSE TO ALL OF THIS STUFF,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW TRUMP
DEFENDERS.
DEFENDERS. THEY SAY LOOK, DONALD TRUMP IS A
NOVICE, NEWCOMER, DISRUPTER AND
AS SUCH HE CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND
THE INTRICACIES HERE.
>> I THINK PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
LEARNING THE JOB AND SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT WERE SAID DURING THE
CAMPAIGN, I THINK HE NOW KNOWS
THAT SIMLY AREN’T THE WAY THINGS
OUGHT TO BE.
>> THEY ELECTED SOMEONE AN
OUTSIDER A PRESIDENT.
>> HE’S NEW AT GOVERNMENT, SO
THEREFORE I THINK THAT HE --
HE’S LEARNING AS HE GOES.
>> HE’S NEW, HE’S LEARNING, HE
DOESN’T KNOW HOW ANYTHING WORKS.
BUT ACTUALLY, ON THIS STORY,
DONALD TRUMP I’M GOING TO SHOW
YOU, IS INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH
THE CRIMINAL LAW.
HE’S KNOWN ABOUT THE MOST
IMPORTANT FEDERAL
IMPORTANT FEDERAL ANTI-CORRUPTION LAW THAT APPLIES
TO THIS POTENTIAL MOSCOW DEAL
FOR YEARS IT’S THE FOREIGN
CORRUPT POLICIES ACT AND IT
MAKES BRIBERY OF FOREIGN
OFFICIALS PUNISHABLE BY PRISON.
IN FACT, BEFORE HE TOOK OFFICE,
HE WAS DENOUNCEING THIS LAW.
>> IT’S A HORRIBLE LAW AND
SHOULD BE CHANGED.
WE’RE POLICEMAN FOR THE WORLD,
IT’S RIDICULOUS.
IT’S RIDICULOUS. EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
IS DOING IT.
WE’RE NOT ALLOWED TO.
IT PUTS US AT A HUGE
DISADVANTAGE.
DISADVANTAGE. LET THEM CLEAN THEIR ACT UP.
>> IT PUTS THEM AS A HUGE
DISADVANTAGE, THAT WAS HIS
PUBLIC VIEW AND THE LAW SHOULD
BE TAKEN OFF THE BOOKS.
AND DONALD TRUMP’S OWN DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A DIFFERENT
VIEW RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS FROM JUST LAST WEEK.
>> IT’S A HORRIBLE LAW.
AND IT SHOULD BE CHANGED.
I MEAN, WE’RE LIKE THE POLICEMEN
FOR THE WORLD, IT’S RIDICULOUS.
EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
IS DOING IT WE’RE NOT ALLOWED
TO.
TO. IT PUTS THEM AT A HUGE
DISADVANTAGE, LET THEM CLEAN UP
THEIR ACT.
THEIR ACT. >> YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT
WHILE DONALD TRUMP MIGHT LIKE TO
BE HIS OWN DEPUTY ATTORNEY
GENERAL, THAT’S A DIFFERENT
SOUND WE WANTED TO USE.
I’M REFERRING TO A SPEECH ROD
ROSENSTEIN USED LAST WEEK,
REFERRING TO WHY THIS LAW IS
IMPORTANT AND THE DOJ WILL KEEP
ENFORCING IT.
ENFORCING IT. IF ALL OF THIS SOUNDS LIKE WE’RE
GETTING DEEP INTO THE LAW, WE DO
THAT AROUND HERE, I ADMIT, THIS
IS A LAW THAT’S SO IMPORTANT AND
DRAMATIC, IT’S EVEN COME UP IN
HOLLYWOOD MOVIE PLOTS.
>> IT’S ILLEGAL TO OFFER GIFTS,
MONEY, OR ANYTHING OF MONEY TO
INFLUENCE FOREIGN OFFICIALS.
>> IS IT?
>> IS IT? I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEPN A BILL
FROM YOUR LAW FIRM TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF SAUDI ARABIA FOR
$36 MILLION.
$36 MILLION. >> THAT’S THE MOVIES.
BUT THIS HAS INSNARED A LOT OF
REAL CORPORATIONS IN CASES.
>> THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS
THIS COULD BE ILLEGAL.
IF BLACK WATER FOLLOWED THROUGH
WITH THE BRIBES THE COMPANY OR
ITS OFFICIALS COULD FACE CHARGES
OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND
VIOLATING THE FOREIGN CORRUPT
PRACTICES ACT.
PRACTICES ACT. >> WALMART, IS ACCUSED OF USING
BRIBELY TO HELP EXPAND ITS
BUSINESS IN MEXICO AND THEN
COVERING IT UP.
>> THOSE BIG STORIES HAVE LED TO
BIG CONSEQUENCES.
BIG CONSEQUENCES. AVON ONCE PAID OVER 100 MILLION
FOR THIS, A CONGRESSMAN FACED
OVER SP13 YEARS IN PRISON.
WHICH BRINGS US TO TRUMP MOSCOW,
THEY WERE LOOKING AT GIVING
VLADIMIR PUTIN THE $50 MILLION
PENTHOUSE.
PENTHOUSE. AND MICHAEL COHEN, HIS WORK ON
THE DEAL, WHICH HE LIED ABOUT
INITIAL, HIS WORK CONTINUED
UNTIL JUNE 2015.
AND WE DON’T KNOW IF TRUMP WAS
AWARE OF THE THIS AND THE
PROJECT WASN’T BUILT.
BUT WE HAVE SURVEYED MULTIPLE
ATTORNEYS HERE AT "THE BEAT" AND
THEY TELL US EVEN AN
UNSUCCESSFUL OFFER TO BE A
FELONY YOUS BRIBE UNDER THE LAW.
WE DON’T KNOW WHERE IT GOES
NEXT.
NEXT. IT COULD BE UNDER THE SEC,
ALTHOUGH THE MAN THAT TRUMP
APPOINTED TO RUN IT, JAY
CLAYTON, HAS BEEN CRITICIZING
THE LAW, SAYING ENFORCEMENT MAY
MAKE CORRUPTION WORSE.
THERE’S ANOTHER ROAD THIS CAN GO
DOWN AS WELL, IF THIS OFFER, I
SAY IF BECAUSE IT’S LEGAL
ANALYSIS -- IF IT WAS FOUND TO
BE IN COLLUSION WITH A FOREIGN
POLICY, IF IT RELATES TO BOB
MUELLER’S CHARGE TO LOOK AT
COLLUSION, THEN IT’S UNDER BOB
MUELLER’S JURISDICTION.
MUELLER’S JURISDICTION. HERE’S WHERE WE GO.
I’M ABOUT TO BRING IN EXPERTS
WHO ARE ALL OVER THE STORY.
MUELLER ACTS BY THE BOOK.
IF HE THINKS IT’S SINGLE
CORRUPTION HE’LL HAND IT TO THE
SEC.
SEC. BUT IF HE FINDS EVIDENCE IT WAS
PART OF THE LARGER POT YOU CAN
BET HE’LL STAY ON IT.
I’M JOINED BY ANTHONY CONSIDER
MAIER AND PAUL BUTLER.
ANTHONY, YOU BROUGHT THIS PLOT
TO LIGHT.
TO LIGHT. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT
ABOUT THE STORY NOW.
>> MICHAEL COHEN DIRECTLY ASKED
THE KREMLIN ABOUT THIS.
WE REPORTED FIRST HE WENT TO THE
ASSISTANT, DMITRY PESKOV, THIS
WASN’T A HAREBRAINED SCHEME WITH
HIM AND AN ASSOCIATE.
THIS WAS WITH THE KREMLIN.
IT’S INSTRUCTIVE TO LOOK INTO
THE FUTURE OR AT LEAST BEGIN TO
UNDERSTAND WHERE THE REPORTING
IS GOING TO GO.
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP KNEW ABOUT THIS DEAL, WE
KNOW THAT AT LEAST IVANKA TRUMP,
WE’VE REPORTED IN THE PAST, KNEW
ABOUT THE MOSCOW DEAL.
IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNLIKELY FOR
THOSE THREE FIGURES, DONALD,
IVANKA AND DON JUNIOR NOT TO
HAVE UNDERSTOOD IT WAS ON THE
TABLE IS HARD FOR ME BELIEVE.
>> YOU’RE SAYING YOUR REPORTING
DOESN’T CONFIRM THAT, BUT IT
POINTS THAT WAY?
>> MY REPORTING IS MICHAEL COHEN
WAS TAKING INSTRUCTIONS ON TRUMP
MOSCOW FROM THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS TWO CHILDREN.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY DIRECTLY
TOLD HIM TO TAKE THIS STEP, I
CAN’T REPORT YET.
BUT IT WOULD BE SURPRISING TO
ME --
ME -- >> DO YOU VIEW THE CORE OF YOUR
STORY THAT YOU BROKE HERE ON
TRUMP TOWER AS SOMETHING THAT IS
EMBE
EMBE EMBARRASSING AND UNSEEMLY OR --
>> I KNOW THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL
COUNCIL IS TAKING IT SERIOUSLY.
WE’RE NOT DONE HEARING FROM THE
OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNCIL ON
TRUMP MOSCOW.
TRUMP MOSCOW. >> WHICH IS A BROAD WAY OF
SAYING THEY THINK A FELONY MAY
BE IMPLICATED.
BE IMPLICATED. >> THEY’RE LOOKING AT THIS FOR
NOT THE FOREIGN CORRUPT
PRACTICES ACT BUT ALSO FOREIGN
COLLUSION.
COLLUSION. >> THAT’S BIGGER THAN.
>> I’M GOING TO QUOTE TODAY’S
LEGAL EXPERT, DMX, THE YEERK,JER
WORK, THE GAME.
SO MICHAEL COHEN IS CAUGHT UP IN
THE GAME.
THE GAME. IF DONALD JUNIOR AND IVANKA ARE
CAUGHT UP AS WELL, THEY’RE
GUILTY OF ONE FELONY.
THE ACT MAKES IT ILLEGAL TO
OFFER A BRIBE TO THE FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT IF YOU’RE A CITIZEN
OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO THE ISSUE IS, FIRST IT HAS TO
BE TO INFLUENCE A CORRUPT ACT.
THE DEFENSE AS WE KNOW IT, WE
WERE GOING TO GIVE PUTIN THIS
$50 MILLION CONDO BUT IT WAS A
PLOY TO GET OTHER RICH RUSSIANS
TO BUY IN THE BUILDING.
IF THAT’S TRUE, THAT’S A
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IF IT’S
ABOUT PUTIN APPROVING THE
CONSTRUCTION --
CONSTRUCTION -- >> THAT’S WHEN IT VIOLATES THE
LAW.
LAW. WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU IN
CONTRAST TO THE WAY CRITICS TALK
ABOUT HIM, HE’S BUMBLING, AN
IDIOT -- I’M PUTTING THIS IN
QUOTES -- TO THE FACT HE WANTS
THE LAW ELIMINATED.
TO YOU AND YOU.
>> THE QUESTION WITH TRUMP IS
ALWAYS CRIMINAL INTENT.
IS THERE MOWTIVE TO BE CORRUPT O
IS HE IGNORANT?
WE KNOW HE WASN’T IGNORANT ABOUT
THE ACT?
THE ACT? HE THINKS CITIZENS SHOULD BE
ABLE TO BRIBE FOREIGN OFFICIALS.
HE KNOWS IT.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH
DID MICHAEL COHEN COMMUNICATE TO
TRUMP WHEN THIS WAS GOING DOWN.
AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT SPECIAL
COUNSEL MUELLER, HE HAS TEXT
MESSAGES, HE HAS CELL PHONES, HE
HAS COMPUTERS.
HAS COMPUTERS. REMEMBER THAT RAID ON COHEN’S
OFFICES IN APRIL, HIS OFFICE,
HIS HOME, BOXES AND BOXES OF
DOCUMENTS, PRESIDENT TRUMP WENT
BALLISTIC.
BALLISTIC. NOW WE KNOW WHY.
>> I THINK -- I THINK THAT THE
CRITICAL QUESTION IS GOING TO BE
HOW MUCH PRESSURE -- HOW MUCH
DID DONALD TRUMP TELL MICHAEL
COHEN TO PURSUE THIS DEAL?
WE’VE SEEN SOME OF THE TEXT
MESSAGES AND THE E-MAILS THAT
WE’VE PUBLISHED.
WE’VE PUBLISHED. THAT MICHAEL WAS AFRAID OF
LOSING HIS JOB, AFRAID HE WAS
GOING TO EMBARRASS HIMSELF IN
FRONT OF MR. T., WHICH SUGGESTS
THE ORGANIZATION WAS DRIVING
THIS, THEY ASKED MICHAEL TO BE
QUIET BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET
THIS DONE.
THIS DONE. W BE NOT MAKE IT PUBLIC.
I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO BE
OTHER SHOES THAT DROP AND TRUMP
AND THE ORGANIZATION AND THE
KIDS ROLL IN IT.
>> IT’S SIGNIFICANT AND IT
SPEAKS TO WHEN YOU BROKE THE
STORY INITIALLY IT WAS ABOUT THE
OFFER AND THE WORK, AND NOW IT’S
BREAKING IN A WAY THAT SHOWS
IT’S CENTRAL TO MICHAEL COHEN’S
PLEAS AND WE’RE NOT DONE WITH
WHAT HE’S HANDED OVER.
ON A LIGHTER AND MORE
SUPERFICIAL NOTE BECAUSE PEOPLE
CAN TELL WHAT A HARD SCRABBLE
REPORTER YOU ARE, YOU’RE LIKE
THE SILICON VALLEY CEOs, THE
MORE IMPORTANT THEY ARE, THE
MORE UNDERDRESSED THEY ARE.
>> I WAS REPORTING ALL DAY, NOT
DONE YET.
DONE YET. >> AND THESE LAWYER TYPES ARE