INTENDED TO COLLUDE WITH
RUSSIA.
ERROL BARNETT, CBS NEWS NEW
JERSEY.
THE PRESIDENT'S ATTORNEY WAS
ON SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOWS
DEFENDING DONALD TRUMP JR.'S
MEETINGS SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT
ILLEGAL AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAD
NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MEETING.
ONE OF THE MOST OFTEN QUOTED
EXPERTS ON PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS
IN THE COUNTRY WAS THE CHIEF
ETHICS LAWYER FOR GEORGE W. BUSH
AND AS THE VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR
THE CITIZENS OF RESPONSIBILITY
AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON IS
PART OF THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT ARGUING PRESIDENT
TRUMP IS IN VIOLATION OF THE
CONSTITUTION.
THE PROFESSOR IS HERE WITH US
RIGHT NOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING
IN.
OKAY, THE PRESIDENT'S ATTORNEY
ON ALL THE TALK SHOWS SAYING
THAT DONALD TRUMP JR.'S MEETING
WAS NOT ILLEGAL WHAT IS YOUR
OPINION?
WHAT THIS IS ABOUT IS THAT
THESE PEOPLE WILL DO ANYTHING
IN ORDER TO WIN.
THAT IS A CLEAR MESSAGE.
THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO WIN.
WHEN YOU HAVE A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT KNOWN FOR CONDUCTING
ESPIONAGE IN THE UNITED STATES
A FOREIGN ADVERSARY APPROACHING
A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN AMERICA
AND THEY SAY WE HAVE DIRT LET'S
SET UP A MEETING THERE WAS ONLY
WANTING TO DO, CALL THE FBI.
DO YOU THINK THE MEETING WAS
ILLEGAL OR UNETHICAL?
I THINK IT WAS ILLEGAL.
WE HAVE A RANGE OF STATUTES TO
DEAL WITH THIS CONDUCT,
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
PROHIBITING FOREIGN NATIONALS
AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS FROM
ASSISTING WITH POLITICAL
CAMPAIGNS.
WE HAVE COMPUTER HACKING LAWS
AND IT IS CLEAR THE RUSSIANS
HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN COMPUTER
HACKING IN OUR COUNTRY FOR A
LONG TIME.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT SUBJECT CAME
UP BUT IT IS LIKELY THAT IT DID.
WE HAVE A LOT OF LAWS TO DEAL
WITH. A4 GOVERNMENT IS TRYING
TO INTERFERE THERE WAS ONLY ONE
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE, GO TO THE
FBI AND TELL THEM BECAUSE AT
THE END OF THE DAY DONALD TRUMP
IS AN AMERICAN, HILLARY CLINTON
IS AN AMERICAN.
IT IS TO BE MADE WITHOUT
INTERFERENCE.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE COUNCILS
TO GEORGE W. BUSH SO YOU HAVE
BEEN IN THE WHITE HOUSE, LET ME
ASK YOU, IN THIS MEETING WASN'T
THERE SOMETHING OF VALUE THAT
HAD TO BE EXCHANGED IN ORDER
FOR THIS TO BE AN ILLEGAL ACT?
AND WHAT DONALD TRUMP JR. HAS
SAID IS THERE IS NO
INFORMATION.
THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.
IF THERE WAS NOT GOING TO BE
ANY INFORMATION THEN WHY DID
THE TOP THREE PEOPLE IN THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN GO TO THIS
MEETING WITH A RUSSIAN AGENT?
NOT ONLY THE RUSSIAN LAWYER WAS
THERE BUT A RUSSIAN LOBBYIST
WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE
SANCTIONS ISSUE TRYING TO GET
THE SANCTIONS LIFTED.
IT APPEARS THERE WAS A QUID PRO
QUO AT LEAST IMPLICIT OF WHAT
THE RUSSIANS WANTED WAS THE
SANCTIONS LIFTED IF DONALD
TRUMP WON AND IN RETURN THEY
WOULD HELP DONALD TRUMP WIN BY
GIVING THE DIRT.
DONALD TRUMP JR. IS NOT PART
OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
HE IS RUNNING THE FAMILY
COMPANY, JARED KUSHNER IS PART
OF THE ADMINISTRATION A SENIOR
AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT.
IS HE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE IT
APPEARS HE DID NOT DISCLOSE
THIS MEETING OR SEVERAL OTHER
MEETINGS AS HE HAD TO REVISE
HIS DISCLOSURE.
THAT COULD VERY WELL BE A
PROBLEM.
ONE OF THE WAYS WE DEAL WITH
THIS CONDUCT WHEN PEOPLE MEET
WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS WHEN
THEY SHOULDN'T BE IS THROUGH
THE STATUTES THAT PROHIBIT
FALSE STATEMENTS TO THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT.
FALSE STATEMENTS CAN BE
PROSECUTED.
IF HE FEELS OUT FORMS SAYING HE
HAD NO MEETINGS AND HE DID THAT
IS A CRIMINAL ACT IN ITSELF.
WE HAVE A RANGE OF DIFFERENT
PEOPLE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
ADMINISTRATION WHO HAVE BEEN
LYING ABOUT CONTACTS WITH THE
RUSSIANS.
LET ME ASK YOU, THE LAWSUIT
CLAIMING PRESIDENT TRUMP IS IN
VIOLATION ENRICHING HIMSELF
FROM FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS, YOUR
ORGANIZATION BROUGHT THE
LAWSUIT.
DO YOU HAVE TO PROVE YOU HAVE
BEEN INJURED YOUR ORGANIZATION
HAS BEEN INJURED TO FILE THIS
CLAIM?
YES, THERE ARE SEVERAL AND
WE ALSO HAVE LAWSUITS FROM
CONGRESS AND THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL OF MARYLAND DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
ARE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT OUR
GROUP WHICH FOCUSES ON THE
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN
GOVERNMENT HAS HAD TO SPEND
TIME AND MONEY FOCUSING ON THE
ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS BROUGHT UP
THROUGH FOREIGN GOVERNMENT
PAYMENTS TO THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES WHICH
VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION.
THAT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
BECAUSE THE FOUNDERS UNDERSTOOD
THAT FOREIGN POWERS WOULD SEEK
TO MANIPULATE THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT THROUGH PAYMENTS
MADE TO US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
AND THAT IS WHY THE PAYMENTS
ARE PROHIBITED AND WE BELIEVE
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TAKEN
SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MONEY
FROM RUSSIA OR CHINA OR
WHEREVER.
WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE THE
MONEY IS COMING FROM IN THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE HE IS
COMPLY WITH THE CONSTITUTION.
PROFESSOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I KNOW PEOPLE MAGAZINE IS