VAL DEMINGS, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
TONIGHT.
WE HAD YOU BOOKED TO TALK ABOUT
YOUR SENATE CANDIDACY, BUT LETS
BEGIN WITH THIS BREAKING NEWS OF
THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE.
WHATS YOUR REACTION TO THE
BREAKING NEWS THAT THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND BOTH TRUMPS
ATTORNEYS GENERAL PURSUED
INVESTIGATIONS OF ADAM SCHIFF,
HIS STAFF, THE COMMITTEE AND
EVEN THE CHILD OF ONE OF THE
STAFF MEMBERS?
>> LAWRENCE, ITS GREAT BEING
BACK WITH YOU, BUT LET ME SAY
THIS.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS BUT
NOT REALLY SURPRISING.
AS ONE WHO SERVES ON THE
JURISDICTION WHO INVESTIGATED
THE FORMER PRESIDENT WHO
PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS MANAGER, IT
IS NOT SURPRISING.
I ASK YOU TO THINK ABOUT, AS A
FORMER POLICE CHIEF, IMAGINE IF
I USED MY POSITION AS A POLICE
CHIEF TO INVESTIGATE MY
POLITICAL RIVALS.
WHAT WERE DEALING WITH IS A
FORMER PRESIDENT WHO HAS NO
REGARD FOR THE RULE OF LAW, NO
REGARD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
ENFORCED THE LAWS AND NO REGARD
FOR THE PEOPLE IN CONGRESS WHO
PROVIDE THE NECESSARY OVERSIGHT.
HES LAWLESS AND WE NEED TO
CONDUCT, AS WEVE HEARD EARLIER,
FROM ADAM AND FROM MY FRIEND
ROGER,ROJ
RA -- RAJA, WE NEED TO CONDUCT A
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND HOLD
EVERYONE RESPONSIBLE.
IF THAT MEANS CLEAN HOUSE OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THEN
THATS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO
DO.
>> LETS HEAR ADAM SCHIFF IN THE
PREVIOUS HOUR.
>> I DONT THINK I HAVE A ROLE
IN THAT GIVEN SOME OF MY RECORDS
WERE APPARENTLY THE SUBJECT OF A
SUBPOENA, BUT I THINK OTHER
COMMITTEES AS PART OF THEIR
OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES OUGHT
TO ASK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
OTHERS -- AND I THINK THE
DEPARTMENT OUGHT TO DO A FULL
REVIEW OF THESE CASES OVER THE
LAST FOUR YEARS.
>> OF COURSE, SPEAKER PELOSI
ISSUED A STATEMENT IN THE LAST
FEW MINUTES SUPPORTING CHAIRMAN
SCHIFF ON EXACTLY THAT, CALLING
FOR AN INVESTIGATION.
>> THE SPEAKER IS ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT.
EVERY TIME YOU THINK WEVE HEARD
IT ALL INVOLVING THE FORMER
ADMINISTRATION AND THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL -- THE FORMER ATTORNEY
GENERAL, DLS ALWAYS MORE TO
COME.
BUT THIS, LAWRENCE, IS
OUTRAGEOUS.
ITS VERY DISAPPOINTING.
AMERICA SHOULD BE ANGRY ABOUT
IT.
AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF IT.
AND WE WILL.
>> I WANT TO GET TO SOMETHING
ELSE THATS OF URGENT IMPORT IN
WASHINGTON TO INVESTIGATE, AND
THAT, OF COURSE, IS THE INVASION
OF THE CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6.
LETS LISTEN TO WHAT FBI
DIRECTOR WRAY SAID TODAY IN
RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM YOU.
>> ANY TIME THERE IS A
SUCCESSFUL ATTACK, SHMUCH LESS A
ATTACK OF THE KIND OF SCALE AND
SIGNIFICANCE THAT OCCURRED ON
JANUARY 6th, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY
SURE WERE ASKING WHAT ELSE CAN
WE DO, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, WA
WHAT WE CAN DO MORE OF IN TERMS
OF COLLECTING INFORMATION AND
DISSEMINATING IT.
IM NOT AS CONCERNED THAT WE
DIDNT SHARE THAT WE SHOULD
HAVE.
I AM CONCERNED THAT WE NEED TO
GET BETTER AND BETTER AT
DEVELOPING HUMAN SORTSZURCES TO
ABLE TO AFTERNOON ACTS LIKE THIS
IN THE FUTURE.
>> WHERE ARE WE AS OF TONIGHT IN
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6th AND WHAT
MORE DO WE NEED TO DO?
>> WELL, LAWRENCE, YOU KNOW,
LOOK, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT
FOR CHRIS FOFRTOPHER WRAY, BUT I
REALLY WISH HE WOULD HAVE TALKED
ABOUT WHAT ACTIONS HE AND OTHER
LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS
AND OTHERS, THE ADMINISTRATION
AND OTHERS, COULD HAVE TAKEN TO
PREVENT THE ATTACK.
I BELIEVE THAT AS A NATION, WE
FAILED LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE
FAILED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, EVEN
THOSE WHO WERE SCRAMBLING FOR
THEIR LIVES AND NOW SAY IT
WASNT THAT BIG OF A DEAL.
WE FAILED THE STAFFERS, WE
FAILED THE VICE PRESIDENT AND
HIS STAFF.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO DIRECTOR
WRAY WAS, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS A
FAILURE THAT DAY AND WHAT ROLE
DID THE FBI PLAY IN THAT
FAILURE?
SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS.
OF COURSE, THE INDEPENDENT
COMMISSION WOULD HELP US GET TO
THE BOTTOM OF IT.
YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
MATTER OF FACT, THE PERSON THAT
I AM RUNNING AGAINST, VOTED
AGAINST, THAT COMMISSION.
BUT, AGAIN, JUST LIKE THE ABUSE
OF POWER FROM THE FORMER
PRESIDENT, WE ARE GOING TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION, I
THINK, WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO
DO IT, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO
LET THIS GO AWAY.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT
GOING TO LET IT GO AWAY.
>> RUNNING FOR SENATE IN
FLORIDA, YOURE NOT JUST GOING
TO BE RUNNING AGAINST MARCO
RUBIO, YOURE GOING TO BE
RUNNING AGAINST DONALD TRUMP WHO
WILL BE ATTACKING YOU PRESUMABLY
EVERY DAY OF THE CAMPAIGN.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DEAL WITH
WHAT WILL BE THOSE TWO FRONTS,
THE CANDIDATE YOURE RUNNING
AGAINST ON THE BALLOT AND THE
FORMER PRESIDENT ATTACKING YOU
EVERY DAY?
>> LAWRENCE, FLORIDA IS MY HOME.
AND IN MY ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO, I
TALKED ABOUT GROWING UP POOR,
BLACK AND FEMALE IN THE SOUTH.
I WILL NEVER RUN AWAY FROM A
TOUGH FIGHT.
I SERVED, AS YOU WELL KNOW, 27
YEARS AT THE ORLANDO POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE NEVER RUN AWAY FROM A
TOUGH FIGHT.
BUT MY OPPONENT IS SOMEONE WHO
RUNS AWAY FROM EVERY FIGHT.
ANY WAY THE WIND BLOWS
POLITICALLY, IT IS COOL WITH
HIM.
FLORIDA CAN DO BETTER AND WE
WILL DO BETTER.
IF THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE
LISTENING WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE
THIS JOURNEY WITH ME AND GET