>>> WE ARE NOW THREE HOURS OUT FROM DONALD TRUMP’S BIGGEST
SPEECH OF THE YEAR.
WHILE HE MAY WANT TO FOCUS ON
THE STATE OF THE UNION, I CAN
TELL YOU THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER
NEWS, RARELY TO PRESIDENTS
ADDRESS THE NATION UNDER THIS
KIND OF CLOUD.
THE WHITE HOUSE AND CAMPAIGN
UNDER INVESTIGATION AND PROBES
INTO TRUMP’S BUSINESS FOUNDATION
AND NOW THE TRANSITION TEAM AND
THE COMMITTEE THAT PLANNED HIS
INAUGURATION.
INAUGURATION. FEDERAL PROSECUTORS DEMANDING
DOCUMENTS ON DONORS AND
SPENDING, THESE SUBPOENAS WITH
COMING FROM NEW YORK.
IT’S AN OFFSHOOT OF AN
INVESTIGATION INTO MICHAEL
COHEN.
COHEN. SOME OF HIS ALLIES WARN THIS
CARRY MORE RISK THAN THE MUELLER
PROBE.
PROBE. I AM JOINED BY GUY LEWIS, WHO
WORKED WITH MUELLER, COMEY,
ROSEN
ROSEN ROSENSTEIN AND THE PRESIDENT AND
CEO.
CEO. SO BEFORE WE GET TO WHAT THE
FEDS ARE LOOKING FOR, I WANT TO
ASK YOU WHAT IS PUBLICLY KNOWN
ABOUT THE WAY THE COMMITTEE RAN
AND SPENDS MONEY, DOES IT LOOK
NORMAL TO YOU, CLEAN?
PROBLEMATIC?
PROBLEMATIC? IN THERE THE WAY THEY SET UP
THEIR INAUGURAL COMMITTEE, HOW
THEY RAISED IT AND HOW MUCH
THEY’VE SPENT IS CORRUPTION FROM
THE BEGINNING.
THE BEGINNING. THE STRUCTURE, HOW THEY ARE TO
OVERSPEND AT THE TRUMP HOTEL,
UNDER LAW THEY DON’T REPORT
THEIR EXPENDITURES ALLOWS FOR A
REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CORRUPTION,
LEGAL ACTIVITY.
LEGAL ACTIVITY. TO BE IN AN INAUGURAL SLUSH
FUND, WHEN YOU RUN UNDER THE
INAUGURAL SYSTEM, THE PEST WAY
TO INGRATIATE YOURSELF IS TO
GIVE UNLIMITED UNFETTERED
AMOUNT.
AMOUNT. >> THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT
POTENTIAL CORRUPTION, LISTEN TO
CHRIS CHRISTIE BLASTING THE
PEOPLE WORN TRUMP’S VERSION OF
YOU EXCEPT YOU HAVE SO FAR NOT
BEEN ACCUSED OF ANYTHING LIKE
THIS.
THIS. TAKE A LOOK.
>> RICK GATES IS RUNNING THE
INAUGURAL.
INAUGURAL. RAKE DEARBORN WAS RUNNING THE
DAY-TO-DAY OF THE TRANSITION.
I MEAN, YOU COULDN’T HAVE FOUND
TWO WORSE PEOPLE.
GATES IS NOW A CRIMINAL.
AND COOPERATING WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. >> A GUY THAT’S A FORMER
PROSECUTOR LIKE YOURSELF TALKING
ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT HERE IN THIS
STORY?
STORY? >> WELL, YOU GOT TO LOOK AT IT.
TAKE A STEP BACK.
FOLLOW THE MONEY.
I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT THE
PROSECUTORS IN MANHATTAN WILL BE
DOING, FOLLOW THE MONEY.
WHEN YOU PUT A HUNDRED MILLION
DOLLARS THROUGH A SYSTEM, STEVE
WAS TALKING ABOUT VERY FEW
CHECKS AND BALANCES, WILL YOU
SEE PROBLEMS.
SEE PROBLEMS. WHETHER IT’S CORRUPTION OR NOT,
IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
LOOK WHA THEY’VE DONE, THEY’VE
GOTTEN COHEN, A FORMER LAWYER
WHOSE TESTIFIED.
WHOSE TESTIFIED. HE CERTAINLY KNOWS SOME SECRETS,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? THEY’VE IMMUNIZED ALAN WEISEL
BERG, WHO IS THE CEO AT THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
TRUMP ORGANIZATION. WHY DID THEY IMMUNIZE HIM?
WHY DID THEY NEED IMMUNITY?
THERE ARE FAST BALLS AHEAD.
THEY ARE GETTING DOCUMENTS,
INTERVIEWING WITNESSLES.
INTERVIEWING WITNESSLES. THERE’S GOING TO BE MORE ISSUES
COME UP.
COME UP. I THINK IT’S PROBLEM FOR TRUMP
AND TRUMP’S LAWYERS.
>> TAKE A LOOK AT ONE EXAMPLE
GATES WAS ASKING PEOPLE.
CAN YOU RIDE AROUND THE
STRUCTURE AND GIVE MONEY TO
DONORS, DO YOU SEE THAT AS
SOMETHING ANYONE CAN BE INDICTED
FOR?
FOR? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUBPOENA THAT
WAS FIRST I THINK CNN GOT AHOLD
OF, IT LISTS THE CRIMES, SOME OF
THE CRIMES, ARI, THAT THEY ARE
INVESTIGATING.
INVESTIGATING. CONSPIRACY, FINANCIAL CRIMES.
LOOK AT, THESE GUYS IN
MANHATTAN, YOU DON’T THINK THEY
KNOW HOW TO INVESTIGATE, LOOK AT
A FINANCIAL BALANCE SHEET AND
INVESTIGATE FINANCIAL CRIMES.
THAT’S THEIR BREAD AND BUTTER.
THAT’S WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
AGAIN, I THINK IT’S BIG
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. >> STEVE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF
MONEY SPENT 40 AND $50 MILLION
RAN HIM FOR BUSH AND OBAMA.
TRUMP 107 MILLION.
WHY SO MUCH MORE MONEY?
>> THE ONLY REASON FOR THAT IS
EITHER COLOSSAL MISTAKES
MANAGEMENT, WHICH THIS PRESIDENT
IS SUPPOSED TO BE SO GOOD AT
MANAGING.
MANAGING. THEIR CONCERT AT LINCOLN
MEMORIAL COST FIVE TIMES THAN
OURS IN 2009.
WE HAD ALMOST A MILLION PEOPLE
ATTENDED.
ATTENDED. IT AMOUNTS TO --
>> YOU ARE DRAWING ATTENTION
THAT MORE PEOPLE ATTENDED THAN
TRUMPS FROM.
TRUMPS FROM. >> BOTH.
>> BOTH. >> DO YOU DO THAT TO BOTHER HIM?
>> A LOT OF REASONS.
REALLY, THIS IS A MATTER, HE DID
PROBABLY A QUARTER OF THE EVENTS
WE DID AND THE BUSH INAUGURALS
DID WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF THE
STAFF.
STAFF. THERE IS SOMETHING THERE.
I’M GLAD OTHERS FRANKLY SHOWS
LIKE YOURS AREN’T LETTING UP ON
THIS.
THIS. I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS
ON TWITTER FOR 407 DAYS, IF YOU
SPEND $100 MILLION ON AN
INAUGURAL RAKES OF THAT CALIBER,
THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN ALL OVER IT.
I HEARD MOST PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN
TO YOUR TWEETS.
WE READ LONGER THAN TWEET