>> COME BY ANY TIME THAT IS "ALL IN" FOR THIS EVENING.
"THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" STARTS
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING. >> RACHEL.
>> RACHEL. >>> THANKS TO YOU AT HOME FOR
JOINING US THIS HOUR.
A VERY BUSY NEWS DAY TODAY.
WE HAVE SORT OF A PACKED SHOW
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. LOTS GOING ON, INCLUDING A
LITTLE BIT OF BREAKING NEWS THAT
WE’RE GOING GET TO IN JUST A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. BUT THE WAKE OF LAST NIGHT’S
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS,
PRESIDENT TRUMP TODAY, YOU MAY
HAVE NOTICED, HE DID NOT SET OFF
ON ANY KIND OF MESSAGE-DRIVEN
BUS TOUR OR ANY OTHER KIND OF
POLITICAL EVENT SOMEWHERE OUT IN
THE COUNTRY, TRYING TO SELL THE
ELEMENTS OF HIS STATE OF THE
UNION ADDRESS FROM LAST NIGHT.
PRESIDENTS ALWAYS USED TO DO
THAT.
THAT. I MEAN SUCCESSFULLY OR NOT, THEY
WOULD AT LEAST TRY.
YOU REMEMBER LIKE GEORGE W. BUSH
TRYING TO SELL HIS PRIVATIZED
SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN, RIGHT?
HE DID THIS TRAVELING ROAD SHOW
ON THAT.
ON THAT. WHICH ENDED UP MAKING THAT IDEA
LESS POPULAR EVERY TIME HE DID A
NEW EVENT.
NEW EVENT. BUT AT LEAST HE TRIED.
YOU MIGHT REMEMBER PRESIDENT
OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
GOING OFF ON A ROAD TRIP AND
MAKING APPEARANCES WITH
PRESCHOOLERS TO TRY TO PROMOTE
THE PREKINDERGARTEN INITIATIVE
FROM ONE OF THE OBAMA STATE OF
THE UNION ADDRESSES AT THE START
OF HIS SECOND TERM.
AND WHO KNOWS IF THESE KINDS OF
HAMMER HOME THE MESSAGE TOURS
ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING AFTER A
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS IN
TERMS OF PERSUADING CONGRESS TO
PASS LEGISLATION TO EFFECTUATE
THAT PRESIDENTIAL IDEA AND PASS
APPROPRIATIONS TO FUND IT.
BUT AT LEAST THOSE STUNTS, THOSE
TRIPS, THEY DID AT LEAST HAVE
THE EFFECT OF KEEPING THE PRESS
FOCUSED ON THE PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE FROM THE SPEECH.
FOR A FEW MORE DAYS AFTER THE
BIGGEST SPEECH OF THE YEAR WAS
OVER, AND THOSE EFFORTS DO AT
LEAST SHOW A PRESIDENT EXERTING
A LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY, TRYING
TO AT LEAST MAYBE MAKE A GESTURE
TOWARD SELLING HIS KEY IDEAS
FROM HIS BIGGEST SPEECH OF THE
YEAR.
YEAR. THIS YEAR DIDN’T HAPPEN.
THIS YEAR AFTER THE STATE OF THE
UNION ADDRESS LAST NIGHT, THEY
ARE NOT EVEN TRYING ANYTHING
LIKE THAT, NOT WITH THIS
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. AND MAYBE THAT MAKES SENSE TO
THE EXTENT THAT THE BIG TAKEAWAY
MESSAGE FROM THIS STATE OF THE
UNION WAS THE PRESIDENT’S
SOMEWHAT ODD DECLARATION THAT
THERE CAN BE NO MORE
INVESTIGATIONS OF HIM WITH THE
IMPLIED OR ELSE THREAT.
IF THAT’S THE POINT OF THIS
YEAR’S STATE OF THE UNION, THERE
REALLY IS NO NEED FOR ANY SORT
OF PRESIDENTIAL STUNT OR BUS
TOUR TRIP TO KEEP THE FOCUS ON
THAT WEIRD LINE IN THE
PRESIDENT’S SPEECH AND THAT KEY
ELEMENT OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
I MEAN, HE DOESN’T NEED TO DO
ANYTHING TO CHANGE THE FACT THAT
THE AMBIENT NEWS HOOK EVENTS
AROUND THIS STATE OF THE UNION
THIS YEAR WERE WHAT HAPPENED THE
DAY BEFORE THE ADDRESS, WHICH IS
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SUBPOENAING
HIS INAUGURAL COMMITTEE, AND
WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER HIS
ADDRESS, TODAY, WHEN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCED
THE PARAMETERS FOR ITS RENEWED
INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESIDENT.
INCLUDING SPELLING OUT THE LINES
OF INQUIRY THAT HAVE SINCE
ARISEN, THAT HAVE DERIVED FROM
THE ORIGINAL SIN INQUIRY INTO
RUSSIA INTERFERING IN THE 2016
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TO MAKE
DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENT IN THE
FIST PLACE.
FIST PLACE. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE PROBABLY
SEEN HEADLINES TODAY ABOUT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCING THE PARAMETERS OF ITS
NEW INVESTIGATION NOW, RIGHT?
YES, THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION
WHEN THE REPUBLICANS WERE IN
CONTROL.
CONTROL. THEY ENDED EARLY, CLOSED UP SHOP
AND SAID NO COLLUSION.
NOW THE DEMOCRATS ARE IN
CONTROL.
CONTROL. NOW ADAM SCHIFF IS THE CHAIRMAN
OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
CHAIRMAN SCHIFF AND THE
DEMOCRATS IN HIS COMMITTEE WILL
BE ABLE TO EMPLOY SUBPOENA POWER
FOR THAT INVESTIGATION.
AND YOU PROBABLY SAW HEADLINES
ABOUT THEM ANNOUNCING THE
PARAMETERS OF THAT INVESTIGATION
TODAY.
TODAY. BUT DID YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT
WHAT THEY ANNOUNCED?
I KNEW THEY ANNOUNCED SOMETHING.
THIS IS NOT WHAT I WAS
EXPECTING.
EXPECTING. THIS IS WAY MORE OF A CAPITAL D
DOOZY THAN ANYBODY WAS EXPECTING
OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
CHECK WHAT THEY ANNOUNCED.
QUOTE, IN THE MORE THAN TWO
YEARS SINCE THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY RELEASED ITS
ASSESSMENT OF RUSSIA’S MALIGN
INFLUENCE OPERATION TARGETING
THE 2016 U.S. ELECTIONS, MUCH
HAS BEEN LEARNED ABOUT THE SCOPE
AND SCALE OF THE ATTACK ON OUR
DEMOCRACY, INCLUDING HOW COVERT
AND OVERT RUSSIAN ACTIVITIES --
EXCUSE ME -- COVERT AND OVERT
RUSSIAN ACTIVITIES INTERSECTED
WITH INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH
DONALD TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN, TRANSITION,
CAMPAIGN, TRANSITION, ADMINISTRATION, AND BUSINESS
INTERESTS, INCLUDING THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. FROM LATE 2015 THROUGH EARLY
2017, INDIVIDUALS CLOSE TO
DONALD TRUMP ENGAGED IN A
SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CONTACTS
WITH AN ARRAY OF INDIVIDUALS
CONNECTED TO OR WORKING ON
BEHALF OF THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT, AND SEVERAL OF THESE
CONTACTS INVOLVED EFFORTS TO
ACQUIRE AND DISSEMINATE DAMAGING
INFORMATION ABOUT HILLARY
CLINTON AND HER CAMPAIGN OR
RELATED TO RUSSIA’S DESIRED
RELIEF FROM U.S. SANCTIONS.
QUOTE, DURING THE PRIOR
CONGRESS, THE COMMITTEE BEGAN TO
PURSUE CREDIBLE REPORTS OF
MONEYLAUNDERING AND FINANCIAL
COMPROMISE RELATED TO THE
BUSINESS INTERESTS OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP, HIS FAMILY, AND HIS
ASSOCIATES.
ASSOCIATES. UNFORTUNATELY, THESE AND
NUMEROUS OTHER AVENUES OF
INQUIRY WERE NOT COMPLETED
DURING THE LAST CONGRESS.
NOW THIS NEW CONGRESS, THE
COMMITTEE’S INVESTIGATION WILL
FOCUS PRINCIPALLY ON FIVE
INTERCONNECTED EDLINES OF INQUIR
BEGINNING WITH THESE, INCOMPLETE
OR UNEXAMINED INVESTIGATIVE
THREADS.
THREADS. SO THIS IS WHERE THEY SAY THE
INVESTIGATION IS GOING TO GO
FROM HERE ON OUT.
THERE IS FIVE ITEMS.
THE FIRST TWO ITEMS ARE GOING TO
SOUND A LITTLE BIT FAMILIAR TO
YOU.
YOU. THEY ARE IN SOME IMPORTANT WAYS
NEW, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO SOUND
FAMILIAR.
FAMILIAR. HERE IS THE FIRST ONE, QUOTE.
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SAYS
IT WILL INVESTIGATE NUMBER ONE,
QUOTE, THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT’S
OPERATIONS TO INFLUENCE THE U.S.
POLITICAL PROCESS AND THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE DURING AND
SINCE THE 2016 ELECTION.
SO THIS IS CLOSE TO THE SORT OF
REMENT THAT THE MUELLER MUELLER
INVESTIGATION WAS GIVEN TO LOOK
INTO RUSSIAN’S INSIDE INFLUENCE
IN THE 2016 ELECTION.
YOU WILL NOTE THIS IS A LITTLE
BROADER, RIGHT?
BROADER, RIGHT? THIS IS ABOUT INFLUENCING THE
U.S. POLITICAL PROCESS MORE
BROADLY, AND IT EXPANDS FROM
JUST THE 2016 ELECTION TO
INCLUDE TIME SINCE THE 2016
ELECTION AS WELL.
SO EVEN THOUGH THAT IS FAMILIAR,
THAT FIRST POINT, IT IS ALSO
EXPANDED.
EXPANDED. THAT’S ONE.
THAT’S ONE. TWO, THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
ALSO SAYS THAT IT WILL
INVESTIGATE THE EXTENT OF ANY
LINKS AND/OR COORDINATION
BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
OR RELATED FOREIGN ACTORS AND
INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH
DONALD TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN,
TRANSITION, ADMINISTRATION, OR
BUSINESS INTERESTS IN
FURTHERANCE OF THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT’S INTERESTS.
GOVERNMENT’S INTERESTS. AND, AGAIN, THIS SOUNDS
FAMILIAR, RIGHT?
FAMILIAR, RIGHT? IT SOUNDS FAMILIAR FROM THE
REMIT OF THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. THIS IS COLLUSION.
THIS IS LOOKING AT WHETHER THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN WAS INVOLVED IN
WHAT RUSSIA DID.
BUT IT IS A BROADER DEFINITION,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? LINKS OR COORDINATION.
BETWEEN ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE
ASSOCIATED WITH DONALD TRUMP AND
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OR
FOREIGN ACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH
THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
SO, AGAIN, IT LOOKS SIMILAR TO
WHAT MUELLER’S REMIT IS, BUT IT
IS A LITTLE BIT BROADER,
INCLUDING EXTENDING INTO THE
TRANSITION AND THE CURRENT
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. AND NOW LOOK AT THIS.
THIS IS BRAND-NEW.
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS
ALSO GOING TO INVESTIGATE,
QUOTE, WHETHER ANY FOREIGN ACTOR
HAS SOUGHT TO COMPROMISE OR
HOLDS LEVEL, FINANCIAL OR
OTHERWISE, OVER DONALD TRUMP,
HIS FAMILY, HIS BUSINESS, OR HIS
ASSOCIATES.
ASSOCIATES. THIS MEANS THEY’RE NOW
OFFICIALLY AND WITH SUBPOENA
POWER INVESTIGATING DIRECTLY THE
THING THAT YOU SHOUT OUT IN THE
DARK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
WHEN YOU WAKE UP SWEATING AND
YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A DREAM AND
YOU DIDN’T REALIZE YOU SAID IT
OUT LOUD.
OUT LOUD. YOU KNOW HOW YOU WAKE UP IN THE
NIGHT DRENCHED IN SWEAT SAYING
WHAT IF THE PRESIDENT IS A
FOREIGN AGENT?
FOREIGN AGENT? THAT’S POINT NUMBER THREE.
THEY’RE ACTUALLY JUST LOOKING AT
THAT.
THAT. HOW FOREIGN ACTORS SOUGHT TO
COMPROMISE OR HOLD LEVERAGE OVER
THE PRESIDENT, HIS FAMILY, HIS
BUSINESS, OR HIS ASSOCIATES
FINANCIALLY OR OTHERWISE.
YEAH.
YEAH. IS THE PRESIDENT A RUSSIAN
AGENT?
AGENT? OR HIS FAMILY OR HIS BUSINESS OR
HIS ASSOCIATES, HAVE THEY BE
COMPROMISED BY FOREIGN ACTORS,
INCLUDING RUSSIA?
INCLUDING RUSSIA? THAT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO
KNOW.
KNOW. IT WOULD HELP US ALL SLEEP, FOR
ONE THING.
ONE THING. BUT THERE IS MORE.
NUMBER FOUR, THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE WILL INVESTIGATE,
QUOTE, WHETHER PRESIDENT TRUMP,
HIS FAMILY OR HIS ASSOCIATES ARE
OR WERE AT ANY TIME AT
HEIGHTENED RISK OF OR VULNERABLE
TO FOREIGN EXPLOITATION,
INDUCEMENT, MANIPULATION,
INDUCEMENT, MANIPULATION, PRESSURE OR COERCION OR SOUGHT
TO INFLUENCE U.S. GOVERNMENT
POLICY IN SERVICE OF FOREIGN
INTERESTS.
INTERESTS. IN OTHER WORDS, HAS THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT OR ANY OTHER FOREIGN
INTEREST SUCCEEDED IN THESE
EFFORTS.
EFFORTS. HAVE THEY BY ANY MEANS SUCCEEDED
IN GETTING THE PRESIDENT OR HIS
FAMILY OR PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH
HIM TO ACT ON BEHALF OF FOREIGN
INTERESTS WHEN IT COMES TO U.S.
POLICY.
POLICY. SO NUMBER ONE, HAVE THEY BEEN
COMPROMISED.
COMPROMISED. NUMBER TWO, HAVE THEY BEEN
ACTING ESSENTIALLY AS A RUSSIAN
OR OTHERWISE FOREIGN AGENT IN
TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE UNITED
STATES AND OUR POLICIES.
GULP.
GULP. AND LASTLY, NUMBER FIVE,
WHETHER -- THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE, THE FIFTH OF THEIR
FIVE POINTS TODAY, HAPPY STATE
OF THE UNION, MR. PRESIDENT.
THEY’RE ALSO LOOKING INTO THIS.
THEY’RE LOOKING INTO WHETHER ANY
ACTORS FOREIGN OR DOMESTIC
SOUGHT OR ARE SEEKING TO IMPEDE,
OBSTRUCT, AND/OR MISLEAD
AUTHORIZED INVESTIGATIONS INTO
THESE MATTERS, INCLUDING THOSE
IN THE CONGRESS.
SO THAT’S BROADLY OBSTRUCTION,
RIGHT?
RIGHT? ANYBODY IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES OR
HERE, HAVE THEY LIED TO OR
MISLED OR BLOCKED OR ATTEMPTED
TO INTIMIDATE OR OTHERWISE
DIVERT THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION
OR ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT
INVESTIGATION RELATED TO THIS
MATTER OR ANY OF THE
CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES THAT
RELATE TO THIS MATTER.
FIVE POINTS.
FIVE POINTS. AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS HOPING FOR LAST
NIGHT WHEN HE DECIDED TO SAY IN
HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
THAT CONGRESS SHOULDN’T
INVESTIGATE HIM ANYMORE OR THE
COUNTRY GETS IT, BUT I CANNOT
IMAGINE THIS WAS THE DESIRED
RESULT OF THAT NOW INDELIBLE AND
PERMANENT LINE THAT WILL ALWAYS
BE PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE
TRUMP PRESIDENCY AND THE HISTORY
OF THE STATE OF THE UNION
ADDRESS IN AMERICA.
AND THESE FIVE THREADS THAT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SAYS
THEY’RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE,
THIS ISN’T JUST A DEMOCRATIC
WISH LIST FOR WHAT THEY HOPE
PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK INTO.
THIS ISN’T JUST LIKE A TABLE OF
CONTENTS FOR STUFF TO WORRY
ABOUT AND SWEAT OVER IN THE
NIGHT.
NIGHT. THIS IS NOW THE STATED
PARAMETERS OF THE NEW ACTIVE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES UNDER DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP WHO HAVE SUBPOENA
POWER.
POWER. TODAY IN THEIR FIRST ACT, THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE ALSO
VOTED TO CONVEY WITNESS
TRANSCRIPTS TO THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL, TO ROBERT MUELLER.
MUELLER, OF COURSE, HAS ALREADY
CHARGED TWO PEOPLE ASSOCIATED
WITH THE PRESIDENT FOR LYING TO
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. MUELLER HAS CHARGED -- OR
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE CHARGED
THE PRESIDENT’S LONG-TIME
POLITICAL ADVISER ROGER STONE,
ALSO, THE PRESIDENT’S LONG-TIME
PERSONAL LAWYER, MICHAEL COHEN.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS HAVE ALSO
MADE REFERENCE TO SAM PATTON
ALLEGEDLY LYING TO CONGRESS IN
THE PLEA DEAL THAT PATTON MADE
OVER HIS FUNNELS FOREIGN MONEY
INTO THE TRUMP INAUGURATION.
NOW WE DO NOT KNOW IF ANYBODY
ELSE THAT HAS TESTIFIED WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS LIKELY
TO FACE THE SAME KIND OF TROUBLE
IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL FELONY
CHARGES, POTENTIAL LEGAL
LIABILITY FOR HAVING LIED TO
CONGRESS UNDER OATH, BUT THIS IS
A WHOLE LOT OF TRANSCRIPTS THAT
MUELLER RECEIVED TODAY FROM THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. THESE ARE A LOT OF WITNESSES
THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE,
INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT’S ELDEST
SON AND HIS SON-IN-LAW JARED
KUSHNER, AND TRUMP CAMPAIGN
FIGURES INCLUDING BRAD PARSKAL
AND HOPE HICKS AND COREY
LEWANDOWSKI AND ERIK PRINCE OF
BLACK WATER FAME, RIGHT?
AND KEITH SCHILLER, THE
PRESIDENT’S LONG-TIME BODYGUARD.
ALEXANDER NIX FROM CAMBRIDGE
ANALYTICA, RHONA GRAFF.
LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE.
TRANSCRIPTS AMOUNTING TO
THOUSANDS OF PAGES.
AND, AGAIN, WE DON’T KNOW IF ANY
OF THOSE PEOPLE, ANY OF THOSE
WITNESSES WHO TESTIFIED UNDER
OATH BEFORE THE INTEL COMMITTEE,
WE DON’T KNOW IF ANY OF THEM ARE
FACING ANY KIND OF FELONY LEGAL
JEOPARDY THAT ROGER STONE AND
MICHAEL COHEN HAVE RUN UP
AGAINST AND SAM PATTON HAVE RUN
UP AGAINST IN THEIR DEALINGS
WITH FEDERAL PROSECUTORS.
BUT THE CONVEYING OF THESE
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS TO ROBERT
MUELLER’S OFFICE TODAY MEANS
THAT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL, IF
THEY DO WANT THE BRING LEGAL
CHARGES AGAINST ANYONE FOR FALSE
STATEMENTS IN THIS TESTIMONY,
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL NOW HAS THE
ABILITY TO DO THAT WITH THESE
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS.
OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS. SO IN TERMS OF WHAT’S GOING TO
HAPPEN NEXT HERE, DON’T EXPECT A
BUS TOUR FROM THE PRESIDENT TO
HIGHLIGHT HIS STATE OF THE UNION
MESSAGES, SUCH AS THEY WERE.
THE PRESIDENT’S LONG-TIME
PERSONAL LAWYER MICHAEL COHEN
HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO TESTIFY IN
CONGRESS IN PUBLIC TOMORROW, AN
OPEN DOOR HEARING IN CONGRESS
BEFORE THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. THAT HAS NOW BEEN DELAYED AFTER
MR. COHEN SAID HE FELT HIS OWN
SAFETY AND THAT OF HIS FAMILY
WAS IN JEOPARDY BECAUSE OF
THREATS FROM THE PRESIDENT.
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, MR.
COHEN HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO
TESTIFY BEHIND CLOSED DOORS TO
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
THAT AS OF TODAY HAS ALSO NOW
BEEN PUT OFF.
THEY HAVE RESCHEDULED THAT
TESTIMONY FOR FEBRUARY 28th.
A COUPLE OF THINGS INTERESTING
ABOUT THAT TESTIMONY BEING
RESCHEDULED.
RESCHEDULED. FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT’S
INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THESE
COMMITTEES, THESE MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS WHO ARE EXPECTING HIM
AND HIS TESTIMONY, NONE OF THEM
SEEM TO BE ANGRY OR DISSATISFIED
WITH MICHAEL COHEN FOR THIS
DELAY.
DELAY. EVERYBODY IS SAYING THAT COHEN
IS STILL BEING COOPERATIVE.
THEY’RE NOT UPSET WITH HIM.
THEY DO NOT THINK THAT HE IS
DODGING THEM.
DODGING THEM. CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER
TODAY, VETERAN MEMBER OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, SHE TOLD
REPORTERS TODAY THAT THIS DELAY
SHOULD NOT BE BLAMED ON COHEN.
SHE SAID, QUOTE, I THINK HE IS
BEING VERY COOPERATIVE.
SHE SAID THE DELAY IS, QUOTE,
NOT AT HIS REQUEST.
WELL, WHO DID WANT THE DELAY,
THEN?
THEN? CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF, THE NEW
CHAIRMAN OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE ADDED SOMEWHAT
CRYPTICALLY TODAY THAT THE DELAY
OF MICHAEL COHEN’S TESTIMONY
WAS, QUOTE, IN THE INTERESTS OF
THE INVESTIGATION.
THE INVESTIGATION. WHEN CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF WAS
ASKED BY REPORTERS TODAY TO
EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANT, HE
HELPFULLY SAID MR. COHEN’S
TESTIMONY WAS DELAYED IN THE
INTERESTS OF THE INVESTIGATION.
JUST REPEATED HIS PREVIOUS
CRYPTIC STATEMENT, BASICALLY
TELLING REPORTERS, LISTEN,
THAT’S ALL YOU’RE GETTING.
AND SO I THINK THERE ARE A
COUPLE OF THINGS TO WATCH HERE.
AS I MENTIONED ON MONDAY OF THIS
WEEK, ON THE EVE OF THE STATE OF
THE UNION ADDRESS, PROSECUTORS
FROM THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF
NEW YORK DID ISSUE A SUBPOENA TO
THE PRESIDENT’S INAUGURAL
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. NOW WE DON’T KNOW IF THAT
RELATES AT ALL TO THIS DELAY IN
MICHAEL COHEN’S CONGRESSIONAL
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. OR WHY DELAYING HIS TESTIMONY IS
SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
DONE IN THE INTERESTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. BUT KEEN-EYED OBSERVERS HAVE
NOTED THAT THE PROSECUTOR WHOSE
NAMED ON THE SUBPOENA TO THE
INAUGURAL COMMITTEE IS ONE OF
THE SAME PROSECUTORS WHO WAS
INVOLVED IN PROSECUTING THE
MICHAEL COHEN CASE IN THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
SO THAT SUGGESTS THAT PERHAPS
THERE IS SOME OVERLAP THERE.
IT HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED THAT
THE SUBPOENA TO THE TRUMP
INAUGURAL COMMITTEE ASKED
SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT ONE
SPECIFIC DONOR.
SPECIFIC DONOR. INTERESTINGLY, A DONOR WHO HAD
PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TO OBAMA AND
CLINTON, WHO NEVERTHELESS BECAME
A VERY ENTHUSIASTIC TRUMP DONOR
ONCE TRUMP WON THE ELECTION.
HE IS MENTIONED IN THE SUBPOENA,
SPECIFICALLY, HE IS REPORTED TO
HAVE HAD DEALINGS WITH MICHAEL
COHEN.
COHEN. SO IT’S POSSIBLE THAT WHATEVER
IS GOING ON WITH THIS FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION AND THIS FEDERAL
GRAND JURY SUBPOENA TO THE
PRESIDENT’S INAUGURAL COMMITTEE
THIS WEEK, IT’S POSSIBLE THAT
THAT IS QUITE SUBSTANTIVELY
RELATED TO MICHAEL COHEN, TO
WHATEVER IS GOING ON IN HIS
CRIMINAL CASE RIGHT NOW AS HE
AWAITS THE START OF HIS FEDERAL
PRISON SENTENCE A MONTH FROM
TODAY.
TODAY. IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE
DELAYS TO WHAT HAD BEEN EXPECTED
OTHERWISE TO BE HIS
CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY THIS
WEEK.
WEEK. ALSO, THERE IS THIS NEW
REPORTING FROM CNN AS OF LAST
NIGHT, AS YET UNMATCHED BY ANY
OTHER NEWS ORGANIZATION, BUT CNN
REPORTED LAST NIGHT THAT
PROSECUTORS FROM THE SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ARE ALSO
NOW SEEKING INTERVIEWS WITH
TRUMP ORGANIZATION EXECUTIVES,
MEANING WITH EXECUTIVES FROM THE
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS.
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS. NOW WHY WOULD FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS BE SEEKING
INTERVIEWS WITH TRUMP
ORGANIZATION EXECUTIVES NOW?
WE DON’T KNOW.
WE KNOW THE SPECIAL COUNSEL’S
OFFICE SUBPOENAED THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION ALMOST A YEAR AGO,
LAST MARCH.
LAST MARCH. WE KNOW MICHAEL COHEN HAS SINCE
BEEN CHARGED BY PROSECUTORS IN
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK IN THAT HUSH MONEY CASE,
WHICH IMPLICATED THE PRESIDENT
HIMSELF IN EFFECTIVELY
LAUNDERING MONEY THROUGH THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION IN ORDER TO
MAKE AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION.
CONTRIBUTION. WE KNOW MUELLER HAS SINCE
CHARGED COHEN WITH LYING TO
CONGRESS ABOUT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION AND THEIR DEALINGS
WITH THE TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW
PROJECT DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. SO, AGAIN, WE DON’T HAVE ANY
CLEAR WINDOW INTO WHY MICHAEL
COHEN IS ALL OF THE SUDDEN NO
LONGER TESTIFYING TO CONGRESS
THIS WEEK, AND MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS WHO WERE EXPECTING HIS
TESTIMONY SEEM TO BE NOT AT ALL
BOTHERED BY THAT TODAY, NOT AT
ALL BOTHERED BY THAT TONIGHT.
THEY SAY THE DELAYS ARE IN THE
INTEREST OF THE INVESTIGATION,
AND THEY WON’T EXPLAIN ANY
FURTHER.
FURTHER. SO WE DON’T HAVE A CLEAR WINDOW
INTO WHAT ALL OF THAT MEANS, BUT
WE CAN SEE THE VARIOUS DOTS
HERE.
HERE. IT’S JUST A QUESTION OF HOW THEY
CONNECT.
CONNECT. IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT SOMETHING IS