>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
I WANT TO BRING INTO THE
CONVERSATION NOW ONE OF THE
SUBJECTS OF THIS STORY, ONE OF
APPARENTLY TWO, WE BELIEVE,
DEMOCRATS ON THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WHO HAD
HIS RECORDS SEIZED.
NOW CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF.
MR. CHAIRMAN, DID YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
THIS IS SHORT NOTICE FOR YOU AS
WELL.
I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE
TIME.
>> YOU BET.
>> WHAT MIKE SCHMIDT JUST TOLD
US IS THAT YOUR RECORDS, THE
RECORDS OF YOUR ENTIRE STAFF,
AND THE CHILD OF ONE OF YOUR
STAFF MEMBERS WERE ALL SEIZED
SECRETLY BY THE TRUMP JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THIS
INVESTIGATION.
DOES THAT COMPORT WITH YOUR
UNDERSTANDING NOW THAT THE GAG
ORDER HAS APPARENTLY BEEN LIFTED
ON APPLE AND THEY WERE ABLE TO
NOTIFY YOU AT LEAST OF SOME OF
THE SCOPE OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE?
>> I DONT KNOW WHETHER IT WAS
THE FULL STAFF OR NOT, AND WERE
TRYING TO OBVIOUSLY OBSERVE THE
PRIVACY OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS SO
WERE RELIANT ON PEOPLE WHO WANT
TO REPORT WHAT THEY HAVE
RECEIVED.
WE ALSO DONT KNOW WHETHER IT
EXTENDED BEYOND DEMOCRATS ON THE
COMMITTEE TO REPUBLICANS.
I GUESS THE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT
SAYING.
WERE OBVIOUSLY DEEPLY
SUSPICIOUS OF WHAT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WAS DOING.
MORE THAN THAT, THIS LOOKS LIKE
A PATENT ABUSE OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE
PRESIDENT POLITICIZING, USING
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AS A
CUDGEL TO GO AFTER HIS ENEMIES.
HE WOULD REPEATEDLY ATTACK OUR
COMMITTEE, ATTACK ME PERSONALLY,
CALL FOR INVESTIGATIONS OF OUR
COMMITTEE WHILE WE WERE DOING AN
INVESTIGATION OF HIM.
AND APPARENTLY THOSE PLEAS WERE
MET WITH A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE AT
THE VERY TOP LEVEL OF THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, AMONG
SESSIONS AND BILL BARR, EVEN
THOUGH THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO
SUPPORT A LEAK COMING FROM OUR
COMMITTEE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, LOOK, ITS
GOING TO TAKE A DECADE, I THINK,
BEFORE THE DEPARTMENT RECOVERS
FROM THIS POLITICIZATION.
I SPENT ALMOST SIX YEARS WITH
THE DEPARTMENT.
I REALLY VENERATE THE
DEPARTMENT, AND ITS
HEARTBREAKING TO SEE WHAT HE DID
TO IT AND HOW -- YOU KNOW, HOW
DIFFICULT IT IS TO RELY NOW ON
THE IMPARTIALITY OF THE
DEPARTMENT GIVEN THIS SORDID
FOUR-YEAR HISTORY.
>> YOU RELEASED A STATEMENT
TONIGHT, AND YOU SPOKE WITH "THE
TIMES" AS WELL, CALLING ON THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL, THE
INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR GENERAL
INSIDE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT,
TO LOOK INTO THIS, TO
INVESTIGATE THIS ESSENTIALLY AS
THE POTENTIALLY -- THE
WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO OUR AUDIENCE,
TO PEOPLE WHO HEAR THIS AS KIND
OF AN EXTENSION OF WHAT THEYVE
HEARD ABOUT GOING AFTER
REPORTERS RECORDS, WHO MAY NOT
NECESSARILY GRASP WHY THIS IS --
WHY THIS IS A BIG DEAL, WHY THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT HASNT
HAPPENED BEFORE?
WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL?
WHY WOULD IT BE PERHAPS
UNPRECEDENTED, AT LEAST VERY
UNUSUAL THING FOR A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS TO HAVE RECORDS LIKE
THIS SEIZED BY A JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT?
>> WELL, ITS, YOU KNOW, REALLY
NORM WITHIN NORM WITHIN NORM
BEING BROKEN HERE.
THE FIRST IMPORTANT NORM
POST-WATERGATE IS THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT
GET INVOLVED IN PARTICULAR CASES
AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT,
DOESNT URGE THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE
PARTICULAR PEOPLE.
THATS ONE VERY IMPORTANT NORM.
BEYOND THAT, THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES DOESNT URGE
THE DEPARTMENT ADVERSARIES OR HI
POLITICAL ENEMIES.
THAT IS EVEN A MORE IMPORTANT
NORM.
AND THEN I THINK EVEN BEYOND
THAT, YOU HAVE THE SPECTER OF A
PRESIDENT WHO IS HIMSELF UNDER
INVESTIGATION BY OUR COMMITTEE,
CALLING FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED
SUBPOENA -- UNPRECEDENTED
SUBPOENAS FOR ACCOUNT
INFORMATION PERTAINING TO
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, TO STAFF
MEMBERS, TO FAMILY MEMBERS, EVEN
TO A MINOR CHILD, AND THAT IS, I
THINK, A TERRIBLE ABUSE OF
POWER.
IT VIOLATES, I THINK, THE
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
BUT IT ALSO MAKES THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE JUST A FULLY OWNED
SUBSIDIARY OF THE PRESIDENTS
PERSONAL LEGAL INTERESTS AND
POLITICAL INTERESTS.
AND THAT DOES SUCH DAMAGE TO THE
DEPARTMENT.
SO ITS EXTRAORDINARY, MAYBE
UNPRECEDENTED FOR THE DEPARTMENT
TO SEEK RECORDS LIKE THIS OF A
MEMBER OF CONGRESS OR STAFF OF A
COMMITTEE, TO DO SO IN A
PARTISAN WAY, TO DO SO WHEN
THEYRE INVESTIGATING HIM, TO DO
SO OPENLY CALLING ON HIS
DEPARTMENT.
ITS HARD TO EXPRESS JUST HOW
SHOCKING AN ABUSE OF POWER THIS
REALLY IS.
>> MR. CHAIRMAN, DO YOU KNOW WHO
THE OTHER DEMOCRATIC MEMBER IS
ON THE COMMITTEE WHOSE RECORDS
WERE TARGETED?
>> YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOME OF THE
INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVED SUBPOENAS.
OUT OF RESPECT FOR THEIR
PRIVACY, I WILL LET THEM SPEAK
OR NOT SPEAK.
BUT THE TRUTH IS I DONT KNOW
HOW BROAD THESE SUBPOENAS WERE
EXCEPT THAT I KNOW THEY WERE
EXTRAORDINARILY BROAD.
WENT OUT TO STAFF WHO WERENT
EVEN RELATED TO THE COMMITTEE,
WHO HAD NO RESPONSIBILITIES ON
THE COMMITTEE.
AND IN TERMS OF HOW MANY MEMBERS
WERE AFFECTED, PART OF THE
DIFFICULTY IN KNOWING FOR SURE
IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO GOT THIS
NOTICE FROM APPLE THOUGHT IT WAS
SPAM.
AND WE MAY LEARN MORE NOW THAT
THE STORY HAS COME OUT ABOUT
OTHERS WHO SIMILARLY GOT THESE
NOTICES AS THEY GO BACK AND THEY
CHECK THEIR OLD EMAIL TO SEE
WHETHER THEY GOT A NOTICE LIKE
THIS AS WELL.
SO WE MAY LEARN MORE.
I WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO KNOW,
AND WEVE ASKED THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, AND THEYVE NOT BEEN
FORTHCOMING, WHETHER THIS WAS
JUST DIRECTED AT DEMOCRATS OR
WHETHER THIS WAS A
COMMITTEE-WIDE INVESTIGATION.
I WOULDNT BE SURPRISED IF THIS
WAS A PURELY PARTISAN
INVESTIGATION, REALLY TARGETING
ONE PARTY.
BUT THERES A LOT WE STILL DONT
KNOW, AND I IMAGINE WELL FIND
OUT MORE.
>> AND WHILE ON THAT POINT,
THOUGH, ARE YOU GOING TO FIND
OUT MORE?
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT MERRICK
GARLAND, AS THE NEW ATTORNEY
GENERAL, INHERITED NOT JUST THE
AWESOME RESPONSIBILITIES OF
BEING ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES BUT A WHOLE EXTRA
AWESOME RESPONSIBILITY THAT
NOBODYS HAD TO DEAL WITH SINCE,
YOU KNOW, THE ERA OF NIXON AND
JOHN MITCHELL PERHAPS AT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS
THAT THERES ALL THIS STUFF THAT
HAPPENED IN THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING PEOPLE --
INCLUDING WITH THE INVOLVEMENT
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL THERE.
THAT IS A PROFOUND DEPARTURE
FROM PREVIOUS NORMS.
IN MANY CASES, THAT IS A
PROFOUND AND SHOCKING VIOLATION
OF JUSTICE DEPARTMENT POLICY.
EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW,
INTERVENTION IN CRIMINAL CASES
INVOLVING THE PRESIDENTS
FRIENDS TO THE WAY THAT
REPORTERS WERE APPARENTLY
SURVEILLED, AND NOW WHAT YOURE
DESCRIBING HERE.
IN TERMS OF GETTING TO THE
BOTTOM OF THIS, DO YOU EXPECT
MERRICK GARLAND TO PUBLICLY
TESTIFY ABOUT THIS, TO MAKE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS WHO
WERE INVOLVED IN THIS TESTIFY?
DO YOU WANT CONGRESS TO EXERCISE
ITS OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES
HERE, OR DO YOU WANT THIS JUST
HANDLED QUIETLY BY THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL ON THE I.G.S OWN TERMS?
>> WELL, LOOK, I THINK CONGRESS
HAS CERTAINLY HAD A ROLE HERE.
MERRICK GARLAND WILL TESTIFY
BEFORE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES IN
CONGRESS.
IM SURE HE WILL BE ASKED ABOUT
THESE ACTIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT,
ACTIONS IN GOING AFTER MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS WITH BASELESS
SUBPOENAS, ACTIONS IN GOING
AFTER REPORTERS THE WAY THAT
THEY HAVE, THE GAG ORDERS THAT
WERE ISSUED.
BUT ALSO AS YOU POINT OUT, THE
INTERVENTION OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL APPARENTLY IN THIS
INVESTIGATION INVOLVING OUR
COMMITTEE BUT ALSO TO REDUCE THE
SENTENCE OF ROGER STONE, SOMEONE
WHO COMMITTED PERJURY, LYING TO
COVER UP FOR THE PRESIDENT.
THE DISMISSAL OF THE CASE
AGAINST MICHAEL FLYNN, ANOTHER
PERSON CONVICTED OR PLED GUILTY
TWICE TO LYING TO FEDERAL
AUTHORITIES.
SO I THINK THAT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL HAS AN OBLIGATION TO
CLEAN HOUSE, TO ESSENTIALLY
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE
DEPARTMENT WAS DOING OVER THE
LAST FOUR YEARS, MAKE SURE
THERES ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE
THAT WERE ENGAGED IN POLITICAL
AND PARTISAN INVESTIGATIONS
WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE
OVERSIGHT BY CONGRESS, I DONT
THINK I HAVE A ROLE IN THAT
GIVEN THAT 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 DO THINK THE DEPARTMENT
NEEDS TO DO A WHOLESALE REVIEW
OF THE POLITICIZATION OF THESE
CASES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
>> YEAH, CLEAN HOUSE, I THINK,
IS AN APPROPRIATE TERM THERE.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WAS USED
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN WAYS
THAT CANT JUST BE LEFT TO SORT
OF DRIFT INTO THE ETHER WITHOUT
US KNOWING THE EXTENT OF IT AND
WITHOUT IT BEING CORRECTED, IF
YOULL FORGIVE ME SAYING SO.
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF, THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
SIR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON
SHORT NOTICE.
I AM SORRY THIS HAPPENED TO YOU
AND YOUR STAFF AND THEIR
FAMILIES IN PARTICULAR.