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>>> THE HOUSE IMPEACHMENT
MANAGERS HAVE REPEATEDLY
REFERENCED PRESIDENT NIXON’S
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS.
IMPEACHMENT PROCESS. JUST THIS AFTERNOON JERRY NADLER
TALKED ABOUT NIXON’S SMOKING GUN
TAPE.
TAPE. >> THEN THE SMOKING TAPE CAME
OUT.
OUT. WITHIN A WEEK ALMOST EVERYONE
WHO SUPPORTED THE PRESIDENT A
WEEK BEFORE CHANGES POSITIONS
AND THE PRESIDENT WAS FORCED TO
RESIGN BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS
REVEALED ON THE SMOKING GUN
TAPE.
TAPE. WITHIN A WEEK SENATOR GOILDLDWAT
AND OTHERS FROM THE SENATE WENT
TO THE PRESIDENT AND SAID YOU
WON’T HAVE A SINGLE VOTE IN THE
SENATE.
SENATE. YOU MUST RESIGN OR YOU WILL BE
REMOVED FROM OFFICE BECAUSE OF
THE EVIDENCE ON THE SMOKING GUN
TAPE.
TAPE. WHAT WAS ON THE SMOKING GUN
TAPE?
TAPE? THE SMOKING GUN TAPE WERE
RECORDINGS OF PRESIDENT NIXON
INSTRUCTORING WHITE HOUSE
INSTRUCTING WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS TO PRESSURE THE CIA
AND FBI TO END THE WATERGATE
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. IT WAS NOT IN THAT SENSE A
CRIME, BUT PRESIDENT NIXON HAD
ABUSED HIS POWER.
HE HAD TRIED TO USE TWO
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, THE FBI AND
THE CIA FOR HIS PERSONAL
BENEFIT.
BENEFIT. >> MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR JILL
WINE-BANKS WORKED AS AN
ASSISTANT WATERGATE PROSECUTOR.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE IDEA
THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN BE
IMPEACHED EVEN IF HE DOESN’T
BREAK ANY LAWS.
>> IT’S CLEARLY THE CASE.
THAT’S WHAT THE CONSTITUTION
SAYS.
SAYS. YOU DO NOT NEED AN UNDERLYING
CRIME WHEN THE CONSTITUTION WAS
ADOPTED, THERE WAS NO STATUTE,
NO FEDERAL CRIMINAL CODE, AND
YET THERE WAS AN IMPEACHMENT
THAT SAID HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS, ABUSE OF POWER HAS
ALWAYS BEEN THE STANDARD FOR
WHAT IMPEACHMENT IS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE CHARGES
AGAINST RICHARD NIXON AND I WANT
TO ALSO STRESS THAT THAT SMOKING
GUN TAPE WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH A
TRIAL SUBPOENA.
TRIAL SUBPOENA. IT WAS AFTER THE INDICTMENT BY
IMPEACHMENT, AND SO SIMILARLY SI
ARGUE YOU SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO
HAVE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE THAT
WASN’T PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE
BEFORE THEY VOTED TO IMPEACH
WHICH IS THE INDICTMENT.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TRIAL
GETS MORE EVIDENCE BECAUSE MORE
THINGS COME OUT OR BECAUSE YOU
HAVE MORE TIME TO GATHER THEM.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE WITNESSES.
WE SHOULD HAVE DOCUMENTS THAT
ARE NEW, THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN
PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE.
YOU DON’T NEED A CRIME, ALTHOUGH
IN THIS CASE THERE ARE CRIMES.
I WOULD SAY THAT TRUMP HAS
VIOLATED THE EMPOWERMENT ACT.
HE HAS VIOLATED THE ELECTION
LAWS BY SOLICITING SOMETHING OF
VALUE FROM A FOREIGN ENTITY,
WHICH IS TOTALLY PROHIBITED AND
HE CERTAINLY KNOWS IT WAS
PROHIBITED BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT
WAS MADE CLEAR IN THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. >> JILL, YOU CROSS EXAMINED
RICHARD NIXON’S SECRETARY.
WE TALKED ABOUT FAIR TRIAL.
DO YOU THINK NO WITNESSES WITH
DIMINISH THE SENATORS
UNDERSTANDING OF THIS CASE?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. THERE’S A STRONG AND COMPELLING
CASE THE HOUSE MANAGERS LAID OUT
TODAY.
TODAY. THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB
POINTING OUT WHAT THIS MATTERS,
WHY IT VIOLATES THE
CONSTITUTION, WHY IT ENDANGERS
US.
US. HAVING THE LIVE WITNESSES DOES
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU CAN’T SUBSTITUTE ANYTHING
FOR IT.
FOR IT. I THINK THAT LOGICALLY EVERYONE
LISTENING NOW WILL UNDERSTAND
THAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THE
EVIDENCE, YOU CAN NEVER
EXONERATE SOMEONE BECAUSE YOU
DIDN’T KNOW EVERYTHING.
IF YOU ONLY PRESENT PART OF THE
CASE AND YOU DECIDE YOU’RE GOING
TO VOTE NOT TO CONVICT, IT’S NOT
A VALID DECISION BECAUSE YOU
DIDN’T HAVE ALL THE FACTS.
SO IF THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO
ACTUALLY BE EXONERATED, THEN HE
MUST ALLOW EVERYONE TO COME IN.
ON THAT SUBJECT, LET’S JUST TALK
A LITTLE ABOUT EKTSXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE. EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE IS A VALID
THING TO CLAIM, BUT IT DOES NOT
COVER FRAUD AND CRIME.
I DON’T CARE WHETHER YOU’RE
DISCUSSING NATIONAL SECURITY OR
FOREIGN POLICY, IF YOU’RE
PLANNING A CORRUPT SCHEME, THAT
IS NOT COVERED.
THAT’S WHAT THE DECISION OF THE
SUPREME COURT WAS IN THE CASE
AGAINST NIXON.
AGAINST NIXON. THEY SAID HE HAD TO TURN OVER
THE EVIDENCE AGAINST HIMSELF,
THE TAPES, BECAUSE THE EXECUTIVE
PRIVILEGE DID NOT APPLY WHEN THE
CONVERSATION INVOLVED COMMITTING
A CRIME.
A CRIME. KEEP THAT IN MIND.
THERE’S NO LEGITIMATE CLAIM.
THE CLAIM HE’S MADE SO FAR
HASN’T BEEN EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE.
IT’S I HAVE TOTAL IMMUNITY.
I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT.
THAT’S NOT TRUE.
WHEN RICHARD NIXON SAID TO DAVID
FROST, IF THE PRESIDENT DOES IT,
IT’S NOT ILLEGAL, THAT’S THE
SAME THING TRUMP IS SAYING NOW.