>> VLADIMIR PUTIN DEFENDING
ADMITTED RUSSIAN AGENT MARIA
BUTINA.
TODAY, PUTIN SPOKE OUT.
A FEDERAL JUDGE GAVE MER 18
MONTHS ON CONSPIRACY CHARGES
YESTERDAY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
AFTER SHE SERVES HER SENTENCE,
BUTINA HEAD BACK TO RUSSIA.
>>.
>> IT IS AN OUTRAGE.
IT IS SO.
IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT SHE WAS
SENTENCED FOR.
WHAT CRIMES SHE COMMITTED.
THEY TOOK, CAUGHT, LOCKED THE
GIRL UP, NOTHING TO CHARGE,
NOTHING TO CHARGE.
IT WOULD SEEM TOTALLY
RIDICULOUS, THEY SENTENCED HER
TO 18 MONTHS.
LELAND: SPEAKING TO THE JUDGE
BEFORE HER SENTENCE, BUTINA
EXPRESSED REMORSE ADMITTED
INSTEAD OF BUILDING PEACE, I
CREATED DISCORD.
SHE'S GOING TO BE DEPORTED AFTER
SHE SERVES HER SENTENCE.
WITH THAT WE BRING IN HER
ATTORNEY, ROBERT DRISCOLL.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING WITH US.
ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF
RUSSIA, AT LEAST, THEY HAVE
NOTHING TO CHARGE, NOTHING TO
CHARGE.
WHY DID SHE PLEAD GUILTY?
>> SHE PLED GUILTY TO ACTING AS
A TORN AGENT.
NOT TO DEFEND VLADIMIR PUTIN, I
DON'T ENVY WHERE THE PRESIDENT
IS WHEN HE HAS TO SPEAK TO
PRESIDENT PUTIN ABOUT THIS, IT'S
DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN WHAT SHE
DID WRONG.
I THINK--
>> IF SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
WRONG, WHY IS AS HER LAWYER, DID
YOU HAVER HAD PLEAD GUILTY?
>> BECAUSE THE STATUTE THAT WE
HAVE, AS INTERPRETED BY THE DOJ,
ACTING AS AN AGENT FOR A FOREIGN
GOVERNMENT WITHOUT REGISTERING,
MEANS YOU VIOLATED THE LAW AND
ARE SUBJECT TO A 10-YEAR FELONY.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY YOU HAVE TO DO
IS KIND OF UNCLEAR AND IT'S BEEN
UNCLEAR IN THIS WHOLE CASE TO
THE SENTENCING.
LELAND: YOU SAW HER BE SENTENCED
YESTERDAY.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU DIDN'T WANT 18
MONTHS YOU WANTED TIME SERVE,
PUT HER ON THE PLANE YESTERDAY.
THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT THAT
POSSIBLY HAPPENING.
DO YOU WISH YOU'D GONE TO TRIAL
ON THIS AND GET A JURY TO
BELIEVE YOUR ARGUMENTS?
>> I'M GLAD WE DIDN'T BECAUSE OF
THE RISK AND I THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, YOU HAVE AN INDEPENDENT
LIFE TENURE FEDERAL JUDGE WHO
BOUGHT WHAT THE DOJ WAS SELLING
ON THIS, I'M NOT SURE I WOULD
HAVE DONE THAT MUCH BETTER WITH
A JURY.
LELAND: YOU KNOW WHAT I THOUGHT
WAS INTERESTING WAS IN THE
ENTIRE 400 PAGE MUELLER REPORT,
BUTINA'S NAME DOESN'T COME UP.
IT'S A COMPLETELY SEPARATE
INVESTIGATION.
YET, YESTERDAY IT CAME UP AT
SENTENCING, WHY?
>> THAT FRANKLY INFURIATED ME
BECAUSE MUELLER'S TEAM DID
INTERVIEW MARIA AND CHOSE NOT TO
INCLUDE HER IN THE REPORT AT
ALL.
LELAND: MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT
MARIA OR MISS BUTINA COOPERATED
EXTENSIVELY WITH THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT.
>> TOTALLY, 50 HOURS OF
INTERVIEWS WITH THE FBI, WITH
THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WITH
THE MUELLER TEAM FOR, I THINK
ONLY AN HOUR OR TWO WITH THEM,
BUT AND SHE HAD NOTHING--
THE MUELLER TEAM NEVER WANTED
ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER, NOTHING
TO DO WITH ELECTION INTERFERENCE
AND TO HAVE THE JUDGE RAISE THAT
AT SENTENCING WAS A BIT
FRUSTRATING, ALMOST AS IF THE
JUDGE HAD READ THE NEWS ACCOUNTS
RATHER THAN PLEADINGS, IT WAS--
>> WAS THIS LIKE A RED SCARE.
>> I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE
THAT ANYONE OF ANOTHER
NATIONALITY WOULD BE TREATED
LIKE THIS.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE SOMEONE WITH
CHARGES THIS NONSPECIFIC.
NOT ONE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT IN
THIS ENTIRE CASE.
FIVE TERRA BYTES OF DATA.
LELAND: AND I KNOW YOU'LL LOOK
OVER HERE THE NEXT NINE MONTHS
AS WELL.
AND ANOTHER PERSON YOU'RE
BECOMING A FIERCE ADVOCATE FOR,
IS CARL KLEIN, ASKED TO TESTIFY
ABOUT CLEARANCES.
AND JARED KUSHNER AND HIS
SECURITY CLEARANCE.
IMPORTANT QUESTION, HE'S GOING
TO TESTIFY THIS WEEK BEFORE
CONGRESS.
WHAT'S HE GOING TO SAY?
>> WELL, HE'LL ANSWER WHATEVER
QUESTIONS CONGRESS HAS UNLESS
HE'S INSTRUCTED NOT TO ANSWER MY
WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR BY ME.
I THINK HE'S TALK ABOUT THE
PROCESS BY WHICH PEOPLE GET
CLEARANCES, ANY CHANGES IN THE
PROCESS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING HE'S --
THE WHITE HOUSE'S POSITION I
FRANKLY CONCUR WITH IT, I DO NOT
THINK THEY'LL ALLOW HIM TO
TESTIFY ABOUT ANYBODY'S 86 FILE.
LELAND: AND PERM--
ASKING ABOUT WHETHER THE
PRESIDENT OR SOMEBODY PUT THEIR
FINGER ON THE SCALE WITH REGARD
TO--
YOU'VE TALKED TO HIM.
HAS HE INDICATED TO YOU THAT THE
PRESIDENT OR ANYBODY ELSE PUT
THEIR HAND ON THE SCALE.
>> I THINK WHEN IT'S OVER THERE
WILL BE NO EVIDENCE OF THAT.
LELAND: ON THE RECORD WITH THAT.
IF HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG
WHY DOES HE NEED WHITE HOUSE
COUNSELOR PERSONAL ATTORNEY
BEFORE THEY AGREE TO TESTIFY ON
CAPITOL HILL?
>> AND A MOB ANALOGY, AND MY
CLIENT IS A CIVILIAN.
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, ARE A
BUNCH OF MADE GUYS FOR THE
REPUBLICANS AND SHOOTING IT OUT
OVER HOW FAR CAN WE GO ON
EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE VERSUS
CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITY.
MY GUY IS JUST A CIVILIAN AND SO
HE NEEDS HIS OWN LAWYER.
LELAND: ARE YOU WORRIED THAT
HE'S GOING TO BE CONCEIVABLY
CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE AND
CONTEMPT BY CONGRESS OR--
>> I'M PROTECTING HIM ALL ALONG,
MAKING SURE WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE
INSTRUCTED HIM NOT TO GO, I MADE
SURE THAT I KNEW WHAT DO J'S
POSITION WAS ON THE
CONSTITUTIONALITY OF SUBPOENA.
I'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE MY GUY
ISN'T THE ONE THAT GOES TO JAIL
AT THE END OF THIS.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT THE FOCUS--
>> AND YOU SAID MAKE SURE,
YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE
PROCESS?
>> AND ANY TO BE WORRIED--