YOU WILL WANT TO STAY WITH US FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON
THAT ONGOING AND TERRIBLE
SITUATION IN VIRGINIA.
>>> WHILE WE AWAIT THAT NEWS
CONFERENCE, WHICH, AGAIN, WILL
HAPPEN SOME TIME THIS HOUR,
LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
OTHER NEWS BREAKING TONIGHT,
INCLUDING SURPRISING NEWS FROM
THE COURTS THAT HAS TO DO WITH
ONE OF THE SENIOR FIGURES FROM
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN CURRENTLY
AWAITING SENTENCING ON FELONY
CHARGES.
CHARGES. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THIS TIME
LAST WEEK WE GOT WORD OF A NEW
INDICTMENT RELATED TO THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THIS MAN WAS THE HEAD OF A SMALL
BANK IN CHICAGO THAT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE A BANK THAT
CATERED TO VETERANS.
DURING THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, HE
TURNED HIS BANK, INSTEAD, INTO
THE BANK THAT ALLEGEDLY BRIBED
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN,
PAUL MANAFORT.
PAUL MANAFORT. AND YOU MIGHT REMEMBER SOME OF
THE STORY TELLING FROM
MANAFORT’S TRIAL.
MANAFORT’S TRIAL. MANAFORT WAS IN A STICKY WICKET
FINANCIAL SPEAKING DURING THE
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. HE WENT TO THIS LITTLE BANK IN
CHICAGO THAT SPECIALIZES IN
LOANS TO VETERANS.
MANAFORT ISN’T A VETERAN, BUT HE
ASKED FOR LOANS THAT HE
FINANCIALLY PROBABLY SHOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR.
BANK EMPLOYEES OBJECTED TO HIS
LOAN APPLICATIONS, BUT THE HEAD
OF THE BANK INTERCEDED AND SAID
THAT MANAFORT SHOULD GET THE
LOANS.
LOANS. EVEN WHEN MANAFORT WAS CAUGHT
FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS TO SUPPORT
THE LOAN APPLICATIONS, EVEN WHEN
HE ADMITTED TO MISSTATING HIS
ASSETS AND LIABILITIES, HE SAID
IT WAS ALL FINE WITH HIM.
HE GREEN LIT THOSE LOANS ALL THE
WAY.
WAY. WHY WAS HE SO EXCITED TO GIVE
AWAY SO MUCH OF HIS LITTLE
BANK’S MONEY TO PAUL MANAFORT
WHO, AGAIN, WAS NOT A VETERAN
AND WHO WAS ASKING THE BANK FOR
SO MUCH MONEY, MANAFORT WOULD
ULTIMATELY BECOME THEIR SINGLE
LARGEST BORROWER AND HE WOULD
LOSE THE BANK MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
WHY WAS THE HEAD OF THAT BANK SO
PSYCHED TO DO THAT?
ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT, HE
WAS SO PSYCHED TO DO THAT
BECAUSE MANAFORT WAS ACCEPTING
THESE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
LOANS FROM STEVEN CAULK’S BANK
BASICALLY AS BRIBES BECAUSE
MANAFORT WAS HOOKING STEVEN
CAULK UP WITH THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. THIS IS THE PART THAT WAS
PITIFUL, RIGHT?
PITIFUL, RIGHT? YOU REMEMBER OUR EARLIER
REPORTING ABOUT THE DOCUMENT
THAT STEVEN CALLING SENT OVER TO
PAUL MANAFORT LISTING ALL THE
PERSPECTIVE ROLES HE MIGHT WANT
IN THE ADMINISTRATION.
THAT’S LITERALLY HOW HE SPELLED
IT.
IT. PERSPECTIVE AND THEN ROLLS LIKE
DINNER ROLLS OR SUMMER SALTS.
IT INCLUDED TEN DIFFERENT
CABINET POSITIONS, WOW, OR
AMBASSADOR TO ANY NUMBER OF
THESE 18 AWESOME COUNTRIES,
STARTING WITH THE UK, SECOND
PLACE FRANCE.
PLACE FRANCE. THIS GUY WAS GIVING THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
DOLLARS. WHY SHOULDN’T HE BE ABLE TO BE
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE OR
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR THEM?
BUT THE SPECIFIC JOB THAT
MANAFORT LED THIS GUY TO THINK
HE WAS GETTING IN EXCHANGE FOR
THESE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, HE
REALLY THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO
GET WAS SECRETARY OF THE ARMY.
WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE AT ONE
POINT MR. CALK CALLED THE
PENTAGON ASKING THEM WHY HE
WASN’T GETTING HIS BRIEFINGS
ALREADY GIVEN THAT HE WAS THE
INCOMING SECRETARY OF THE ARMY.
HE ASSURED THEM HE HAD HIS WHOLE
SENIOR STAFF ALL READY TO GO.
I MEAN, IT IS PITIFUL THIS WHOLE
SORTED ALLEGATION.
SORTED ALLEGATION. BUT IT HAPPENED.
THEY REALLY DID TRY TO DO IT.
I MEAN, BRIBING THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN WASN’T LIKE A
CON.
CON. IT WAS KIND OF A GOOD INVESTMENT
FOR A WHILE.
I MEAN, MANAFORT REALLY DID GET
STEVEN CALK A GIG AS AN ECONOMIC
ADVISER TO THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT HAPPENED.
THAT HAPPENED. AND STEVEN CALK REALLY DID GET A
HIGH LEVEL JOB INTERVIEW AT THE
PENTAGON.
PENTAGON. THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS WELL
WIRED TO PAY OFF ARRANGEMENTS
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. CALK’S INDICTMENT SHOWS HUMAN
FORT SENT JARED KUSHNER,
TRANSITION OFFICIAL NUMBER ONE,
A RECOMMENDATION THAT MR. CALK
BE APPOINTED SECRETARY OF THE
ARMY.
ARMY. THE SECOND DAY JARED KUSHNER IN
FACT FORWARDED THIS
RECOMMENDATION TO THREE OTHER
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDING, IN
FACT, THAT CALK BE CONSIDERED.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A TIME WHEN
MANAFORT WAS KICKED OFF THE
CAMPAIGN BECAUSE WHAT WAS
REVEALED ABOUT HIS SECRET TIES
TO RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS.
BUT HE’S STILL DECIDING WHO WILL
BE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY.
MANAFORT APPARENTLY FELT THAT
THINGS WEREN’T GOING FAST ENOUGH
SO HE CONTACTED TRANSITION
OFFICIAL NUMBER TWO TO ARRANGE,
IN FACT, AN INTERVIEW OF STEVEN
CALK TO BE SECRETARY OF THE
ARMY.
ARMY. THIS WAS WHILE MANAFORT HAD
ANOTHER $6.5 MILLION IN LOANS
PENDING AND HE WANTED TO HURRY
THAT MONEY ALONG.
TRANSITION OFFICIAL 2 ADVISED
MANAFORT THAT ANOTHER CANDIDATE
WAS LIKELY TO BE NOMINATED FOR
SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, BUT
AGREED TO ARRANGE FOR CALK TO BE
INTERVIEWED FOR UNDERSECRETARY
INSTEAD.
INSTEAD. UNDERSECRETARY.
UNDERSECRETARY. SO HE DIDN’T GET TO BE SECRETARY
OF THE ARMY IN EXCHANGE FOR
BRIBING PAUL MANAFORT.
BUT HE DID GET AN INTERVIEW TO
BE UNDERSECRETARY, THE NUMBER
TWO CIVILIAN JOB IN THE UNITED
STATES ARMY.
STATES ARMY. BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO
PROSECUTORS, THAT’S WHAT HE
BELIEVE PRESCRIBING THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN CHAIR WOULD PAY FOR.
QUOTE, AFTER THE $6.5 MILLION
LOANS CLOSED, AS ACHANGED BY
TRANSITION OFFICIAL 2, CALK IN
FACT INTERVIEWED FOR
UNDERSECRETARY OF THE ARMY.
THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE ON OR
ABOUT JANUARY 10th, 2017 AND WAS
CONDUCTED BY THREE
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TRUMP
TRANSITION TEAM AT THE MANHATTAN
OFFICES.
OFFICES. SO WE GOT THAT INDICTMENT LAST
WEEK.
WEEK. THAT INDICTMENT LAST WEEK IS
ABOUT WHAT YOU COULD APPARENTLY
GET FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND
THE TRUMP TRANSITION IF YOU PAID
BRIBES TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
THAT WAS LAST WEEK.
TODAY WE GOT NEWLY UNSEALED
DOCUMENTS RELATED TO TRUMP
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
MICHAEL FLYNN AWAITING
SENTENCING.
SENTENCING. THEY ALSO PERTAIN TO FLYNN’S
BUSINESS PARTNER WHO SERVED AS A
SENIOR OFFICIAL IN THE TRUMP
TRANSITION AND WHO IS HIMSELF
CURRENTLY AWAITING TRIAL.
THESE NEW DOCUMENTS SHOW THAT
DURING THE CAMPAIGN NOT ONLY WAS
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN’S TOP
NATIONAL SECURITY SECRETLY ON
THE PAYROLL OF ANOTHER COUNTRY,
BUT THE DELIVERABLES HE WAS
EXPECTED TO PRODUCE FOR THAT
FOREIGN PAYCHECK INCLUDED
STATEMENTS BY THE REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DEFENDING
THAT FOREIGN COUNTRY AND
PUBLICALLY RAISING QUESTIONS
ABOUT A CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY
WHO LIVES IN THE UNITED STATES
THAT THAT FOREIGN COUNTRY WANTED
TO SMEAR.
TO SMEAR. THEY WERE COMPLAINING -- THAT
FOREIGN COUNTRY WAS COMPLAINING
THAT FLYNN HADN’T DELIVERED ON
THAT YET BECAUSE APPARENTLY
FLYNN WAS SECRETLY BEING PAID BY
THAT FOREIGN COUNTRY TO MAKE
THAT HAPPEN.
THAT HAPPEN. I MEAN, WE KNEW BEFORE THAT
FLYNN WAS PAID BY THAT FOREIGN
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. HE WAS PAID BY TURKEY TO DO
THINGS LIKE WRITE OP EDS
DEFENDING THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT
AND ATTACKING THIS GUY THEY
WANTED EXTRADITED.
WANTED EXTRADITED. HE COMPARED THE GUY TO TO SA MA
BIN LADEN AND CASHED THE CHECK
FOR IT.
FOR IT. HE WAS PAID TO RAISE QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE SAME GUY THEY WANTED
SMEARED DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
AND BECAUSE OF THESE NEWLY
UNSEALED DOCUMENTS TODAY, WE
ALSO KNOW HE WAS PAID BY THAT
FOREIGN COUNTRY DURING THE
CAMPAIGN TO TRY TO FIND, QUOTE,
LAKES/TRAILS TO THE CLINTON
FOUNDATION AND THE CLINTON
CAMPAIGN AS WELL TO TRY TO LINK
THIS TURKISH GUY IN THE UNITED
STATES TO TERRORISM.
AND THEN THEY WANT TO LINK HIM
TO THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN TO HURT
CLINTON.
CLINTON. SO THAT PARTICULAR TACTIC
AGAINST CLINTON DURING THE
CAMPAIGN, THAT WAS BOUGHT AND
PAID FOR BY THE GOVERNMENT OF A
FOREIGN COUNTRY, A GOVERNMENT OF
TURKEY THROUGH ITS PAID SECRET
AGENT WHO WAS TRUMP’S NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER AND THROUGH THE
NUMBER TWO GUY RUNNING THE TRUMP
TRANSITION ON INTELLIGENCE
ISSUES, ALSO SECRETLY EMPLOYED
BY THAT FOREIGN
WHOLE TIME.
WHOLE TIME. I MEAN, ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL
BARR DOING THIS NEW INTERVIEW
WITH CBS WHERE HE SAID IT WAS
INEXPLICABLE, MAYBE SHORT OF
TREASONOUS THAT THE FBI MIGHT
HAVE WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT
ANYTHING INVOLVING THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN, YEAH, I CAN’T IMAGINE
WHY THEY WANTED TO DO THAT.
I MEAN, THE CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
QUIT AFTER IT WAS REVEALED HE
WAS ON THE PAYROLL OF TOUKRAINIA
OLIGARCHS.
OLIGARCHS. ONE TRUMP FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER
WAS BELIEVED BY THE FBI TO BE AN
ACTIVE AGENT OF THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT AND THEY TOOK THEIR
SUSPICIOUSES TO A FEDERAL JUDGE
TO PROVE IT.
ANOTHER TRUMP FOREIGN POLICY
ADVISERS HAD WEEKS OF NOTICE
THAT THE RUSSIANS STOLE E-MAILS
BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE KNEW THAT.
AND HIS TOP NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER DURING THE CAMPAIGN, THE
GUY HE NAMED NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER IN THE WHITE HOUSE
LITERALLY WAS A SECRET PAID
FOREIGN AGENT DURING THE
CAMPAIGN AND BEYOND.
AND THEN THE RUSSIANS STARTED
HELPING THAT CAMPAIGN AND
MEMBERS OF THE CAMPAIGN AND THE
CANDIDATE’S FAMILY STARTED
TAKING SECRET MEETINGS WITH
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT. HOW DARE THE FBI TAKE A LOOK AT
THAT!
THAT! THEY MUST HAVE BEEN ANTI-TRUMP
FANATICS.
FANATICS. WHY WOULD ANYBODY SEE ANYTHING
SUSPICION IN THOSE EVENTS?
THAT’S DEEP STATE WAHOOISM.
>>> SO THE NUMBER TWO GUY ON
INTELLIGENCE IN THE TRUMP
TRANSITION, THE GUY WHO BRAGS ON
HIS LINKEDIN PAGE IS AWAITING
TRAIL.
TRAIL. THAT’S WHERE WE GOT THESE NEW
DETAILS TODAY FROM THE COURT
ABOUT WHAT TURKEY THOUGHT THEY
WERE GETTING FROM HIM AND FROM
MIKE FLYNN, FROM THE PEOPLE THEY
WERE PAYING ON THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN AND THE TRUMP
TRANSITION.
TRANSITION. FLYNN HIMSELF IS AWAITING
SENTENCING.
SENTENCING. HE’LL BE BACK IN COURT BEFORE
THE JUDGE IN HIS CASE IN A
COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ON THAT POINT, AS OF TONIGHT, I
THINK IT IS ALSO FAIR TO SAY
THAT FLYNN IS AWAITING WHAT WE
EXPECT COULD BE A BRAND-NEW
EXPLOSION OF TEMPER FROM THE
JUDGE IN HIS CASE, AND IT WON’T
BE THE FIRST TIME.
A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE JUDGE
IN THE MICHAEL FLYNN CASE
ORDERED THE GOVERNMENT, ORDERED
PROSECUTORS TO RELEASE THREE
SETS OF DOCUMENTS RELATED TO
FLYNN’S CASE.
FLYNN’S CASE. THE FIRST WAS THE TRANSCRIPT OF
A VOICE MAIL THAT ONE OF THE
PRESIDENT’S LAWYERS HAD LEFT FOR
FLYNN’S LAWYER AROUND THE TIME
EVERYBODY STARTED TO REALIZE
THAT FLYNN WAS GOING TO PLEAD
GUILTY AND BECOME A COOPERATOR.
WE HAD SEEN BITS AND PIECES OF
THE TRANSCRIPT OF THAT VOICE
MAIL IN THE MUELLER REPORT, IN
THE SECTION ON POTENTIAL
CRIMINAL OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
BY THE PRESIDENT.
THE PIECES OF THAT TRANSCRIPT IN
THE MUELLER REPORT READ, AND I
REMEMBER REPORTING THIS AT THE
TIME RIGHT AFTER THE REPORT CAME
OUT, THAT VOICE MAIL READ LIKE A
KIND OF MAFIA-ESQUE THREAT TO
MICHAEL FLYNN THROUGH HIS
ATTORNEY SAYING, HEY, WE KNOW
WHAT YOU’RE COOPERATE.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE
GOING TO GIVE THEM ON THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THE OR ELSE WAS SILENT, BUT IT
WAS IMPLIED.
WAS IMPLIED. IT LITERALLY STARTS WITH THE
PRESIDENT’S LAWYER SAYING, LET
ME SEE IF I CAN’T STATE IT IN
STARKER TERMS.
STARKER TERMS. HAVE YOU EVER HAD LIKE A
PLEASANT CONVERSATION, A
NONTHREATENING CONVERSATION WITH
SOMEBODY THAT STARTED THAT WAY?
MAYBE IF YOU HAD A PAINTER.
I COULD PAINT THIS FOR YOU IN
STARKER TERMS.
STARKER TERMS. ANYWAY, SO WE HAD SEEN PORTIONS
OF THAT VOICE MAIL.
WE HAD NOT SEEN THE ENTIRE
THING.
THING. BUT TWO WEEKS AGO THE JUDGE IN
THE FLYNN CASE ORDERED
PROSECUTORS TO MAKE THAT FULL
TRANSCRIPT PUBLIC.
TRANSCRIPT PUBLIC. THAT WAS THE FIRST THING HE
ORDERED TO BE MADE PUBLIC.
THE SECOND THING HE ASKED FOR
AND TOLD PROSECUTORS TO RELEASE
TO THE PUBLIC WERE THE
TRANSCRIPTS OF FLYNN’S CALLS
WITH THE RUSSIANS, THE
TRANSCRIPTS OF FLYNN’S CALLS
ABOUT SANCTIONS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR DURING THE
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION.
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION. THESE ARE THE CALLS THAT FLYNN
PLED GUILTY TO LYING TO THE FBI
ABOUT.
ABOUT. THE THIRD THING THE JUDGE
ORDERED TO BE RELEASED TO THE
PUBLIC WAS ALL THE PORTIONS OF
THE MUELLER REPORT THAT HAVE TO
DO WITH MICHAEL FLYNN.
THE JUDGE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT
FLYNN THAT’S REDACTED IN THE
REPORT NEEDS TO BE UNREDACTED
FOR THE PUBLIC.
NOW, ANYTHING BLACKED OUT OF THE
REPORT ABOUT FLYNN, REMOVE THOSE
BLACKOUTS, SHOW THE PUBLIC.
SO THOSE WERE THE THREE THINGS.
THOSE WERE NOT THREE REQUESTS
FROM FLYNN’S JUDGE.
THOSE WERE THREE COURT ORDERS
FOR THE VOICE MAIL, FOR THE
CALLS WITH THE RUSSIANS AND FOR
UNREDACTING THE MUELLER REPORT.
WELL, TODAY WAS THE DEADLINE FOR
PROSECUTORS TO HAND THAT STUFF
OVER.
OVER. AND IT KIND OF DIDN’T HAPPEN.
THE FIRST ONE HAPPENED.
PROSECUTORS DID TURN OVER THE
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THAT VOICE
MAIL FROM THE PRESIDENT’S LAWYER
WHO WE NOW KNOW IS JOHN DOWD.
NOW THAT WE HAVE THE FULL
TRANSCRIPT, IT DOES PAINT A
CLEARER PICTURE OF HOW THE
PRESIDENT’S ATTORNEY WAS IN FACT
CALLING OVER TO MIKE FLYNN,
CALLING FLYNN’S LAWYERS TO ASK
WHAT FLYNN KNEW ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. AND WHAT HE WAS GOING TO TELL
PROSECUTORS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT
AND HOW FLYNN SHOULD KNOW HOW
THE PRESIDENT FELT ABOUT HIM.
I MEAN, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE
TONE, BUT WE GET MORE OF IT.
QUOTE, I UNDERSTAND YOUR
SITUATION, BUT LET ME SEE IF I
CAN’T STATE IT IN STARKER TERMS.
WHO TALKS LIKE THAT?
IT WOULDN’T SURPRISE ME IF YOU
HAVE GONE ON TO MAKE A DEAL WITH
AND WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
IF THERE IS INFORMATION THAT
IMPLICATES THE PRESIDENT, YOU
KNOW, WE NEED SOME KIND OF
HEAD’S UP JUST FOR THE SAKE OF
PROTECTING ALL OUR INTERESTS.
REMEMBER WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS
SAID ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
FEELINGS FOR FLYNN, BUT, WELL --
WE KNOW FROM THE MUELLER REPORT
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT VOICE
MAIL.
MAIL. I MEAN, WE CAN NOW SEE THE FULL
TRANSCRIPT OF IT.
WE KNOW FROM MUELLER’S ACCOUNT,
AROUND -- DESCRIBING THE
INCIDENTS AROUND THAT VOICE
MAIL, WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
HERE IS HOW MUELLER DESCRIBES
IT.
IT. FLYNN’S ATTORNEYS RETURNED THE
CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT’S
COUNSEL.
COUNSEL. FLYNN’S ATTORNEYS REITERATED
THEY WERE NO LONGER IN A
POSITION TO SHARE INFORMATION
UNDER ANY SORT OF PRIVILEGE.
THE PRESIDENT’S COUNSEL WAS
INDIGNANT AND VOCAL IN HIS
DISAGREEMENT.
DISAGREEMENT. THE PRESIDENT’S COUNSEL
INTERPRETED WHAT HE SAID TO THEM
AS A REFLECTION OF FLYNN’S
HOSTILITY TOWARDS THE PRESIDENT
AND THAT HE PLANNED TO INFORM
HIS CLIENT, MEANING HE PLANNED
TO INFORM THE PRESIDENT OF THAT
INTERPRETATION.
INTERPRETATION. FLYNN’S ATTORNEYS UNDERSTOOD
THAT STATEMENT TO BE AN ATTEMPT
TO MAKE THEM RECONSIDER THEIR
POSITION.
POSITION. MEANING, RECONSIDER THEIR
DECISION FOR FLYNN TO START
COOPERATING WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
SO NEEDLES TO SAY, TRYING TO
INTIMIDATE WITNESSES, TRYING TO
PREVENT WITNESSES FROM
COOPERATING WITH THE GOVERNMENT,
THAT IS HOW YOU EXPLAIN
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE TO
THREE-YEAR-OLDS.
THREE-YEAR-OLDS. THAT’S WHY THAT WAS PART OF
ROBERT MUELLER’S INVESTIGATION
INTO THE PRESIDENT.
NOW WE HAVE THE FULL TRANSCRIPT
OF THIS VOICE MAIL.
THIS IS CNN AND THEIR EXCELLENT
JUSTICE REPORTER HEADLINED THAT.
SHOWING POSSIBLE ATTEMPT TO
OBSTRUCT.
OBSTRUCT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING.
THAT VOICE MAIL TRANSCRIPT, THAT
WAS ONLY THE FIRST OF THREE
THINGS THAT THE JUDGE ORDERED
THE GOVERNMENT TO HAND OVER
TODAY.
TODAY. THE OTHER TWO, THE TRANSCRIPTS
OF FLYNN’S CALLS WITH THE
RUSSIANS AND THE FLYNN PORTIONS
OF THE REDACTED MUELLER REPORT,
PROSECUTORS BASICALLY TOOK THAT
ORDER FROM THE JUDGE AND SAID
NO.
NO. NO, YOUR HONOR, YOU’RE NOT
GETTING THAT.
GETTING THAT. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD DO
THAT.
THAT. I MEAN, TODAY PROSECUTORS TOLD
THE JUDGE THEY WOULDN’T GIVE THE
JUDGE THE TRANSCRIPT OF MICHAEL
FLYNN’S CALLS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR.
AMBASSADOR. THEY WOULDN’T GIVE THOSE
TRANSCRIPTS TO THE JUDGE OR TO
THE PUBLIC, NOR WOULD THEY TURN
OVER ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE
REDACTED MUELLER REPORT THAT
TALKS ABOUT FLYNN.
THEY TOLD THE JUDGE IN A WRITTEN
MOTION THAT ALL OF THE
INFORMATION IN THE MUELLER
REPORT RELATING TO MIKENCHAEL MI
HAS ALREADY BEEN REDACTED, EVERY
WORD OF IT.
AND THOSE OTHER CALLS HE ASKED
FOR TALKING ABOUT SANCTIONS,
THIS IS A STRANGE ARGUMENT,
PROSECUTORS BASICALLY TOLD THE
JUDGE THAT HE SHOULDN’T WANT TO
SEE THOSE BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT
RELEVANT.
RELEVANT. THEY’RE NOT RELEVANT TO FLYNN’S
SENTENCING, WHICH IS THE PORTION
OF THIS CASE THAT THEY’RE IN
NOW.
NOW. I MEAN, THIS IS WEIRD.
BUT THIS IS WHAT PROSECUTORS
SAID TO TONIGHT IN EXPLAINING TO
THE JUDGE WHY THEY WEREN’T
HANDING OVER THE TRANSCRIPT OF
FLYNN’S CALLS WITH THE RUSSIAN.
THIS IS THE EXACT QUOTE FROM
THEM.
THEM. THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT RELYING ON
ANY OTHER RECORDINGS OF ANY
PERSON FOR PURPOSES OF
ESTABLISHING THE DEFENDANT’S
GUILT OR DETERMINING HIS
SENTENCE.
SENTENCE. NOR ARE THERE ANY OTHER
RECORDINGS THAT ARE PART OF THE
SENTENCING RECORD.
SENTENCING RECORD. WHICH KIND OF SEEMS LIKE
REFRIGERATOR POETRY.
REFRIGERATOR POETRY. THAT’S BESIDE THE POINT.
WHAT THEY’RE TELLING THE JUDGE
HERE IS NO, YOUR HONOR.
YOU CAN’T SEE THAT.
AND THIS IS KIND OF WILD FOR A
FEW REASONS, RIGHT?
IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHO IS
OVERSEEING THE FLYNN PROSECUTION
AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NOW?
HAS THAT CHANGED?
ALSO, JUDGE’S ORDERS ARE NOT
OPTIONAL.
OPTIONAL. WHEN A JUDGE ORDERS YOU TO DO
SOMETHING, NO MATTER WHICH SIDE
OF THE CASE YOU ARE ON, YOU HAVE
TO DO WHAT THE JUDGE SAYS.
THAT’S THE POINT OF THE JUDGE.
THEY DECIDE ALL THE THINGS ABOUT
THE CASE, FULL STOP.
PROSECUTORS IN PARTICULAR
USUALLY TRY TO AVOID RUNNING
AFOUL OF A JUDGE, PARTICULARLY A
JUDGE THEY MAY HAVE TO APPEAR
BEFORE LOTS OF TIMES IN THE
FUTURE.
FUTURE. JUST ON ITS BASE IT IS A BOLD
MOVE BY PROSECUTORS HERE TO
REFUSE TO TURN OVER DOCUMENTS
THAT THE JUDGE EXPLICITLY ASKED
FOR.
FOR. BUT IT IS ALSO HARD TO WRAP YOUR
HEAD AROUND WHY THOSE CALLS ARE
IRRELEVANT TO THE PROOF OF
FLYNN’S GUILT OR TO FLYNN’S
SENTENCING.
SENTENCING. I MEAN, WHEN MIKE FLYNN MADE
THOSE CALLS TO THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR DURING THE
TRANSITION, THEY TALKED ABOUT
U.S. SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA.
MIKE FLYNN WENT ON TO LIE ABOUT
THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THOSE CONVERSATIONS. HE TOLD FBI AGENTS THAT HE
DIDN’T DISCUSS SANCTIONS ON
THOSE PHONE CALLS WITH RUSSIA.
THAT’S THE CRIME HE PLED GUILTY
TO, RIGHT?
TO, RIGHT? AND SO PRESUMABLY IF YOU ARE THE
GOVERNMENT LAWYERS PROSECUTING
THIS CASE, IF YOU ARE TRYING TO
PROVE, RIGHT, THAT MICHAEL FLYNN
LIED ON THOSE PHONE CALLS,
RIGHT, HE’S GUILTY OF THAT, HE
LIED WHEN HE SAID HE WAS NOT
TALKING ABOUT SANCTIONS,
WOULDN’T THE TRANSCRIPT OR A
RECORDING OF WHAT ACTUALLY
HAPPENED ON THOSE PHONE CALLS
KIND OF BE THE SPINE OF YOUR
CASE IN SPERMS OF DEMONSTRATING
FLYNN’S GUILT?
FLYNN’S GUILT? THIS WAS A SHOCK TONIGHT IN THE
FLYNN CASE.
FLYNN CASE. IT IS STILL TOTALLY AN OPEN
QUESTION AS TO WHAT THE JUDGE
WILL DO ABOUT THIS NOW THAT THE
PROSECUTORS AND HIS COURT APPEAR
TO BE DENYING HIS ORDER WITHOUT
MUCH OF AN EXPLANATION.
JUDGES ARE NOT TOLD NO ALL THAT
OFTEN.
OFTEN. I’M NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY IS
GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT HERE, BUT I
BET, BASED ON WHICH JUDGE THIS
IS, IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN FAST.