TO UKRAINIAN AND THE 2020 DEBATE OVER INCOME EQUALITY.
NEWS TODAY FROM THE
SELF-DESCRIBED DEMOCRATIC
SELF-DESCRIBED DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST.
SOCIALIST. WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH BREAKING
NEWS INSIDE THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT AND ANOTHER EXPLOSIVE
AND UNUSUAL DEVELOPMENT.
NBC NEWS REPORTING ATTORNEY
GENERAL WILLIAM BARR TAPPED AN
OUTSIDE PROSECUTOR TO REVIEW
TRUMP AIDE MICHAEL FLYNN’S CASE.
SOURCES ARE SAYING THE
INVESTIGATION COULD BE AIMED AT
SEVERAL FORMER OFFICIALS.
TRUMP HAS REPEATEDLY CRITICIZED
PUBLICLY AND THIS HIGHLY UNUSUAL
MOVE FROM BARR COMING AFTER
PUBLICLY SAID CONVICTED TRUMP
AIDE ROGER STONE SHOULD HAVE HIS
SENTENCE REDUCED.
SENTENCE REDUCED. WE’RE SEEING A PATTERN FROM BARR
THAT IS BEGINNING TO EMERGE.
ESSENTIALLY QUESTIONING ANYONE
WHO TRIED TO INVESTIGATE TRUMP
OR HIS NEW YORK ALLIES.
LOOKING AT REVIEWING ANYTHING
POLITICALLY SENSITIVE AND THEY
STARTED GRILLING LINE
PROSECUTORS IN THE WASHINGTON
OFFICES ABOUT VARIOUS CASES.
AND NOW TRUMP’S ALLIES IN
CONGRESS ARE DOING EXACTLY THE
SAME THING.
SAME THING. LEVERAGING THE POWERS OF
GOVERNMENT BARR TAPPED JOHN
DURHAM.
DURHAM. AND THEN SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM
IS NOW DEMANDING DOJ EMPLOYEES
INTERVIEW WITH THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ABOUT THE
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. TODAY, TRUMP BLUNTLY SAYING
CO-INTERFERE IN WHATEVER
CRIMINAL PROBE HE WANTS AND
TRUMP’S ATTACK ON THE RULE OF
LAW, AS YOU CAN MANNING, THAT
HAS BEEN A CONSTANT.
>> EVERYBODY SEES WHAT’S GOING
ON IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
I ALWAYS PUT JUSTICE NOW WITH
QUOTES.
QUOTES. >> WE HAVE THE WORST LAWS OF ANY
COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
>> JAMES COMEY WAS UNFAIR TO
THIS COUNTRY.
THIS COUNTRY. WHAT DID HE WAS A DISGRACE.
>> YOU A THESE INVESTIGATORS,
THEY’RE DEMOCRATS.
THEY’RE DEMOCRATS. >> YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF
JUDGES.
JUDGES. WE’RE BUCKING A COURT SYSTEM
THAT NEVER, EVER RULES FOR US.
>> I THINK IT IS A KISS GRACE.
AND MR. MUELLER HAS A LOT OF
CONFLICTS ALSO.
CONFLICTS ALSO. >> MANY HAVE SAID YOU SHOULD
FIRE HIM.
FIRE HIM. >> ON THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
I WOULD STAY UNINVOLVED.
I MAY GET INVOLVED AT SOME POINT
IF IT GETS WORSE.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY INSIGHT AS TO
WHY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WILLIAM
BARR IS DOING THIS AND DOING IT
NOW?
NOW? >> WELL,.
>> WELL,. >> WHAT WE KNOW IS THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL ASKED IN THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF MISSOURI TO LOOK
INTO THE FLYNN CASE,
SPECIFICALLY AT FLYNN’S FBI
INTERVIEW AT THE CENTER OF HIS
CASE.
CASE. THAT’S WHERE HE PLED GUILTY TO
LYING TO INVESTIGATORS IN A
COOPERATION DEAL WITH ROBERT
MUELLER.
MUELLER. HE WHO IS SINCE SAID HE WANTS TO
WITH YOU W DRAW THAT PLEA AND HE
DIDN’T LIE DURING THAT
INTERVIEW.
INTERVIEW. IT COMES AT A TIME WHEN HE IS
SAYING HE DIDN’T DO THIS.
THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING
UNTOWARD THAT HAPPENED WITH HIS
CASE AT THE SAME TIME THE
PRESIDENT IS SAYING THAT MICHAEL
FLYNN IS GETTING, HAS GOTTEN A
RAW DEAL.
RAW DEAL. AND ALSO, A LOT OF FOCUS HAS
BEEN ON THE ROGER STONE
SENTENCING THAT HAPPENED THIS,
THE ISSUE THAT HAPPENED THIS
WEEK.
WEEK. A VERY SIMILAR THING WITH THE
FLYNN CASE WHERE PROSECUTORS PUT
FORWARD A SENTENCING
RECOMMENDATION THAT INCLUDED
PERHAPS SOME JAIL TIME FOR
FLYNN.
FLYNN. THEY THEN PRESSURED THE
PROSECUTORS AND ULTIMATELY THAT
SENTENCING WAS REVERSED.
THEM, ACTUALLY, PROBATION WOULD
BE FINE.
BE FINE. THE ISSUE IS THAT TO OBSERVERS,
IT LOOKS LIKE AN ATTEMPT BY THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL TO GET ANOTHER
BITE AT THE APPLE IN TERMS OF
THE FLYNN CASE.
THEY GO BACK TO JM, PETER
STRZOK, PEOPLE PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS REALLY TARGETED AND SAY THEY
SHOULD FACE THEIR OWN CRIMINAL
PENALTIES AND HAVE NOT.
SO WHAT THE GOALS ARE, WHEN IT
WOULD FINISH, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT
THE ANSWERS ARE.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE PROSECUTOR
LOOKING IS THAT THIS FROM THE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI.
IS THAT IN ITSELF SOMEWHAT
UNUSUAL?
UNUSUAL? THAT YOU’RE BRINGING A
PROSECUTOR VERY FAR REMOVED,
AWAY FROM THE TRAPPINGS OF
WASHINGTON?
WASHINGTON? THE INER WORKINGINGS OF THIS
PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION FROM
THE BEGINNING?
THE BEGINNING? TO HAVE A LOOK AT IT?
>> THAT’S A GREAT POINT.
IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT
ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR DID IN
TERMS OF TAPPING THE U.S.
ATTORNEY IN CONNECTICUT TO FOR
THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE I
TALKED TO SAY IT IS TIM CAL, IF
THERE IS AN ISSUE, YOU THOUGHT
SOMETHING MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED
CORRECTLY IN THE FLYNN CASE OR
IN THE HANDLING OF THE INTERVIEW
BY THE TWO FBI AGENTS.
THEN WOULD YOU FIRST GO TO THE
FBI.
FBI. THERE ARE SYSTEMS IN PLACE
WITHIN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
THERE’S AN INSPECTOR GENERAL
WITHIN THE FBI.
THERE ARE OFFICES TASKED WITH
LOOKING INTO WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT
HAVE GONE WRONG.
TO REACH OUTSIDE INTO THE FIELD
IS UNUSUAL IN AND OF ITSELF.
>> ALL RIGHT.
STAY WITH ME.
I WANT TO ASK OUR FORMER FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS, FIRST OF ALL
TORSION GIVE ME THEIR TAKE.
GIVE ME YOUR TAKE ON WILLIAM
BARR’S DECISION TO OPEN AN
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. ESSENTIAL
ESSENTIAL ESSENTIALLY INTO THE FBI.
>> YES.
>> YES. SO THERE ARE INVESTIGATIONS AS
PEOPLE PERCEIVED AS THE
PRESIDENT’S ENEMIES, AN
INTRODUCE McCABE, HILLARY
CLINTON, JAMES COMEY.
WHEN THEY’RE DONE IN GOOD FAITH
AND THEY CLEAR THE NAMES OF
THOSE PEOPLE, BARR AND TRUMP
ORDER DOOVERS.
ORDER DOOVERS. TODAY WE LEARNED THAT BARR HAS
APPOINT SOMEDAY RANDOM
PROSECUTOR FROM ST. LOUIS TO
LOOK AT THE MICHAEL FLYNN GUILTY
PLEA.
PLEA. WELL, MICHAEL FLYNN PLED GUILTY.
HE PUT HIS HAND UP AND SWORE
UNDER OATH THAT HE COMMITTED
CRIMES.
CRIMES. THERE IS NO LEGAL REASON TO
REEXAMINE THIS CASE.
IT IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BARR
WEAPONIZING THE AWESOME POWER OF
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO CARRY
OUT TRUMP’S PART SANDAL
POLITICS.
POLITICS. >> LET ME GET THAT SPECIFIC BIT
THAT PAUL RAISED.
ABOUT THE FACT MICHAEL FLYNN
RAISED HIS HAND AND SAID I AM
GUILTY OF WHAT YOU’RE ACCUSING
ME OF DOING.
DO YOU KNOW LEGAL SYSTEM BETTER
THAN I DO.
HOW RARE IS IT THAT THE
GOVERNMENT COMES TO SOMEONE WHO
SAYS, I COMMITTED A CRIME AND
THEY SAY, HEY, WE’RE GOING TO
REINVESTIGATE THEY.
REINVESTIGATE THEY. SOMETHING DOESN’T LOOK RIGHT ON
WHY YOU PLED GUILTY TO
COMMITTING THIS CRIME.
>> THAT’S A SOFTBALL QUESTION.
LET ME TELL WHAT YOU A GUILTY
PLEA HEARING IS.
PROFESSOR PAUL BUTLER CAN TELL
YOU THE SAME THING.
WHEN A DEFENDANT GOES INTO A
GUILTY PLEA HEARING, THEY RAISE
THEIR HAND AND UNDER OATH, THEY
SAY I’M GUILTY.
MICHAEL FLYNN ONE OF THE BEST
COMPANIES IN THE COMPANY
REPRESENTING HIM.
REPRESENTING HIM. THERE WAS A STATEMENT OF FACT
THAT HE SIGNED.
WHEN I DID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF GUILTY PLEAS, MYSELF OR
ASSUME ADVISED IN MY 30 YEARS
WITH DOJ, THAT PERSON SIGNS
THAT.
THAT. THAT STATEMENT OF FACTS BACK’S
CONFESSION.
CONFESSION. THAT CAN BE USED IN A TRIAL IF
MR. FLYNN WITHDRAWS FROM THE
PLEA.
PLEA. SO IF HIS PLEA IS REMOVED, IT IS
AN APPARENT VICTORY.
IF IT GOES TO TRIAL, HE WOULD BE
A MORON IF HE DID, THE STATE OF
FACTS THAT HE AGREED TO WILL BE
EXHIBIT 1 OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THAT’S HOW A GUILTY PLEA WORKS.
IT IS RARE THAT A DEFENDANT
WITHDRAWS FROM A GUILTY PLEA AND
IT IS DOUBLY RARE THAT A JUDGE
WILL ALLOW IT.
>> THIS IS WHAT I THINK.
MY OPINION, HE SEEMS TO
CONTRADICT HIMSELF.
CONTRADICT HIMSELF. HE SAYS HE’S NOT INFLUENCED BY
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> I CAME IN TO SERVE AS
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL. THE THING I’M MOST RESPONSIBLE
FOR ARE THE THINGS BROUGHT TO ME
FOR DECISION.
FOR DECISION. I WILL MAKE THOSE DECISIONS
BASED ON WHAT I THINK IS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO.
I’M NOT GOING TO BE BULLIED OR
INFLUENCED BY ANYBODY.
>> THIS IS THE SAME GUY WHO
SAID, THE PRESIDENT’S TWEETING
IS MAKING HIS JOB IMPOSSIBLE.
SO HE’S LIKE, HEY, HE CAN TWEET
WHATEVER HE WANTS.
IF THAT’S THE CASE, THEN WHY IS
HE ALSO BY HIS OWN WORDS, SAYING
HE’S NOT UNDER ANY KIND OF
INFLUENCE?
INFLUENCE? >> IT IS HARD TO SQUARE.
IT IS OBJECTION HE HAS TAKEN
DECISION THAT’S SEEM TO BE IN
RESPONSE TO THE PRESIDENT’S
TWEETS AND OUTRAGEOUS OVER TIME
OF HE’S INSTALLED LAYERS OF
POLITICAL OVERSIGHT ON THE SAME
DEPARTMENT HE LEADS.
HE’S THE BOSS.
THERE ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE.
THERE IS AN I.G.
HE IS PUTTING THESE PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT WHO REPORT BACK TO
HIM.
HIM. I THINK THERE ARE TWO AUDIENCES
FOR IT.
FOR IT. THE FIRST IS PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
THE SECOND IS ONGOING CASES