THOUGHT AS I WATCHED HIM UP ON THAT DAIS.
THAT DAIS. JILL WINE-BANKS AND MATT MILLER,
GREAT TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> FOR MORE ON THE ACTING A.G.
AND STATUS OF THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION, I’M JOINED BY
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE
WATERS OF CALIFORNIA, CHAIR OF
THE HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES,
MEMBER OF THE DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP TEAM.
LEADERSHIP TEAM. CONGRESSWOMAN, FIRST YOUR
REACTION TO THE ACTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL MAKING THAT
PRONOUNCEMENT, THE FIRST TIME AN
OFFICIAL HAS SAID ANYTHING LIKE
THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS
PROBE.
PROBE. >> WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THAT
THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF
SPECULATION ABOUT WHEN MUELLER
IS GOING TO COMPLETE THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. I CONSIDER IT JUST SPECULATION.
THEY DON’T KNOW.
MUELLER HAS NOT SHARED THAT KIND
OF INFORMATION, I DON’T THINK,
WITH ANYONE.
WITH ANYONE. HE HAS HELD THIS INVESTIGATION
CLOSELY TO THE CHEST, AND SO I
JUST TAKE IT AS SPECULATION.
>> WAIT, YOU DON’T THINK HE’S
SHARED THAT WITH THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES,
THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL?
>> NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
I DON’T THINK SO.
>> THAT’S VERY INTERESTING.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THERE’S ALSO THE QUESTION
ABOUT PUBLIC HEARINGS IN ALL
THIS.
THIS. MICHAEL COHEN AGREED TO PUBLIC
TESTIMONY ON FEBRUARY 7th.
HE THEN BACKED OUT, CITING
THREATS FROM THE PRESIDENT.
HE’S NOW AGREED TO CLOSED DOOR
TESTIMONY ON FEBRUARY 8th.
DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
HE GIVE OPEN, PUBLIC TESTIMONY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I AM ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO ALL OF
THESE CLOSED TESTIMONY HEARINGS
WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE WHO ARE
INVOLVED WITH THIS WHOLE
QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THE
PRESIDENT WAS INVOLVED WITH
COLLUSION OR OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE,
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
NO, I DON’T LIKE THE FACT THAT
COHEN WILL BE IN A CLOSED
HEARING WITH MEMBERS TESTIFYING
ON ANYTHING THAT HE SAID, HE’S
NOT SAID.
NOT SAID. I THINK IT SHOULD BE OUT IN THE
PUBLIC.
PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC WANTS TO KNOW.
THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN
GOING ON FOR A CONSIDERABLE
AMOUNT OF TIME.
NOT ONLY SHOULD WE HEAR FROM ALL
OF THOSE WHO ARE CONTINUING TO
BE CALLED, BUT WHEN THIS REPORT,
THIS INVESTIGATIVE REPORT IS
COMPLETED, I WANT IT TO BE
PUBLIC AND I’M STARTING RIGHT
NOW SAYING THAT I AND MANY
OTHERS DO NOT AGREE THAT IT
SHOULD BE SO REDACTED THAT YOU
CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT, THAT IT
WON’T BE RELEASED, THAT ONLY
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS CAN GET IT.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE WHAT IS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. I DEMAND IT AND I’M TRYING TO
ORGANIZE EVERYBODY THAT I CAN TO
CALL FOR THIS REPORT TO BE
RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC.
>> THERE’S SENATE LEGISLATION,
IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, INTRODUCED
TODAY BY CHUCK GRASSLEY AND
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL THAT WOULD
ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE A PUBLIC
VERSION OF THE REPORT, I THINK,
WITH EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR
REDACTING CLASSIFIED
REDACTING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. DO YOU FORESEE SOMETHING LIKE
THAT PASSING OUT OF THE HOUSE IN
SHORT ORDER?
SHORT ORDER? >> WELL, I THINK IT COULD PASS
OUT OF THE HOUSE.
LET ME JUST SAY THIS.
THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN VERY
PATIENT.
PATIENT. THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING.
WE HAVE HEARD BITS AND PIECES
HERE AND THERE.
AND WE WANT TO KNOW, AND THE
PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW.
AND SO I SUPPORT THE LEGISLATION
THAT IT SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC.
AND IF THERE’S CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION THAT HAS TO BE
REDACTED
REDACTED REDACTED, SO BE IT, BUT MAKE
THIS REPORT PUBLIC.
>> STEVE MNUCHIN WAS ONE OF THE
PEOPLE WHO’S BEEN MAKING THE
CASE ABOUT THE SANCTIONS FOR
OLEG DERIPASKA, THE RUSSIAN
OLIGARCH, WHO ALSO EMPLOYED PAUL
MANAFORT, A SINCE INDICTED
INTERMEDIARY WHO WOULD GO BACK
AND FORTH BETWEEN THEM.
DERIPASKA HAS ESCAPED THE
SANCTIONS ACT BECAUSE THEY
REORGANIZED IN WAYS THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY’RE HAPPY
WITH.
WITH. A LOT OF PEEP UNOPLE UNHAPPY WIT
ON CAPITOL HILL.
WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
ACTION?
ACTION? >> I’M NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT AT
ALL.
ALL. AT THE CENTER OF THIS QUESTION
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE
PRESIDENT COLLUDED WITH RUSSIA
OR PUTIN OR THE OLIGARCHS ET
CETERA IS THE QUESTION OF
SANCTIONS.
SANCTIONS. WE KNOW THAT PUTIN WANTS THESE
SANCTIONS LIFTED.
SANCTIONS LIFTED. I’VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING
THAT I BELIEVE, AND I DON’T HAVE
THE PROOF, BUT I BELIEVE THAT
MANAFORT WAS SENT TO THE
CAMPAIGN TO BE THERE TO ENSURE
THAT THEY GET TRUMP ELECTED IN
EVERY WAY THAT THEY POSSIBLY
COULD, AND THIS IS IN EXCHANGE
FOR HIM LIFTING THE SANCTIONS.
AND DON’T FORGET, OUR PRESIDENT
HAS SAID THAT HE BELIEVES THE
SANCTIONS SHOULD BE LIFTED ONE
WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO I JUST BELIEVE THAT MNUCHIN
IS, OF COURSE, GUIDED BY THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. THEY’RE ALL A PART OF, YOU KNOW,
THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAVE
WITH RUSSIA AND WITH PUTIN AND
WITH OLIGARCHS.
WITH OLIGARCHS. I MEAN WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT
ALL OF THE ALLIES OF THIS
PRESIDENT THAT’S INVOLVED IN
THIS WHOLE QUESTION, YOU CANNOT
HELP BUT ASK YOURSELF WHAT’S AT
THE BOTTOM OF THIS?
AND I THINK IT HAS BEEN ASKED
MORE THAN ONE TIME, WHY ARE THEY
ALL LYING?
ALL LYING? I THINK IT’S ABOUT SANCTIONS,
AND I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR US TO CONTINUE TO PRESSURE,
TO GET THOSE SANCTIONS CONTINUED
AND ENFORCED AND NOT TO DO WHAT
WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED THEY ARE
TRYING TO DO, AND THAT IS BE
INVOLVED WITH DELISTING ON THESE