Rep. Ted Lieu: Jared Kushner Should Have Security Clearance Revoked | AM Joy

>>> THE CURRENT STATE OF U.S./RUSSIA RELATIONS IS AT A
LOW POINT. THERE IS A LOW LEVEL OF TRUST
BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. AS TO THE QUESTION OF THE
INTERFERENCE WITH THE ELECTION, THAT IS FAIRLY WELL-ESTABLISHED
IN THE UNITED STATES. I THINK THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN TO
ON THE HILL, AS WELL, WITH THE CONGRESS.
AND IT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. IT'S ONE THAT WE IS SERIOUS
ENOUGH TO ATTRACT ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS.
>> DURING HIS FIRST VISIT TO MOSCOW AS SECRETARY OF STATE,
REX TILLERSON CONTINUED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S NEW TOUGH
TALK ON RUSSIA. DURING SERGEI LAVROV, THE FORMER
OIL EXECUTIVE AND RUSSIANS COULDN'T AGREE ON MUCH.
ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER BASHAR AL ASSAD CAN REMAIN THE
PRESIDENT OF SYRIA, TILLERSON AND THE RUSSIAN LEADERS WERE NOT
ON THE SAME PAGE. ON THE FACT THAT ASSAD WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHEMICAL WEAPONS BLAST THAT KILLED MORE
THAN 820 PARTIES, THE TWO COULD NOT DISAGREE MORE.
THERE WAS NO CONSENSUS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S TIES
TO RUSSIA CONTINUE TO RAISE CONCERNS HERE AT HOME.
TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER AND SON-IN-LAW, JARED KUSHNER, IS
THE LATEST OFFICIAL TO COME UNDER SCRUTINY.
IN JANUARY WHEN COMPLETING THE NATIONAL SECURITY QUESTIONNAIRE
REQUIRED FOR TOP SECURITY CLEARANCE, KUSHNER FAILED TO
DISCLOSE HIS DOZENS OF MEETINGS WITH FOREIGN LEADERS INCLUDING
THE LEADER OF A RUSSIAN STATE-OWNED BANK.
KUSHNER'S LAWYER SAID THE FBI QUESTIONNAIRE WAS SUBMITTED
PREMATURELY AND KUSHNER WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SOON. IN THE MEANTIME, FIVE DEMOCRATIC
CONGRESSMEN WROTE A LETTER TO THE FBI AND THE OFFICE OF
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ON THURSDAY TO REQUEST THE SUSPENSION OF
KUSHNER'S SECURITY CLEARANCE. JOINING ME NOW IS ONE OF THE MEN
WHO SIGNED THAT LETTER, REPRESENTATIVE TED LEW.
CONGRESSMAN, DO YOU HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT THIS LETTER
WILL RESULT IN KUSHNER'S SECURITY CLEARANCE WILL BE
PULLED OR IS THIS REALLY JUST TO GET IT ON THE RECORD THAT HE
ESSENTIALLY DID THE SAME THING MICHAEL FLYNN DID AND NOT
DISCLOSE HIS CONNECTIONS AND HIS CONVERSATIONS?
>> I THANK YOU, JOY, FOR THAT QUESTION.
KUSHNER SECURITY CLEARANCE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE SUSPENDED.
I HAVE FILLED OUT THESE FORMS BEFORE.
THEY'RE KNOWN AS SF-86 FORMS. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT YOU
HAVE THIS FORM IS TO FIGURE OUT IF THE PERSON HAD CONTACTS WITH
FOREIGN OFFICIALS. JARED KUSHNER INTENTIONALLY
OMITTED HIS VARIOUS CONTACTS, AND HE KNEW THESE CONTACTS WERE
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE OF THE WHOLE RUSSIA SCANDAL THAT HAS BEEN
DEVELOPING. SO HE LIED.
AND HE NEEDS TO HAVE HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE REVOKED.
>> JUST SO THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS.
SO THERE ARE RULES INVOLVED IN IT.
IT'S A QUESTIONNAIRE YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT IN ORDER TO GET YOUR
SECURITY CLEARANCE TO DO THE JOB THAT HE'S DOING.
ONE OF THE QUOTES FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRE FROM THE FBI THAT
HE'S REQUIRED TO FILL OUT SAYS THE U.S. CRIMINAL CODE, TITLE
18, SECTION 1001, PROVIDES THAT KNOWINGLY FALSIFYING OR
CONCEALING A MATERIAL FACT IS A FELONY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN
FINES AND UP TO FIVE YEARS IMPRISONMENT.
PEOPLE DON'T OFTEN GO TO PRISON FOR IT.
IS IT ENOUGH IN YOUR VIEW THAT KUSHNER SAYS HE WILL REVISE THE
FORMS, WHICH IS WHAT PEOPLE NORMALLY DO?
>> NO, IT IS NOT. IF I HAD DONE THIS ON MY OWN
FORMS, MY SECURITY CLEARANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED, AND
THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INVESTIGATION OPEN.
AND THE DIFFERENCE WITH KUSHNER IS, IT'S NOT AS IF HE OMITTED A
MEETING HE HAD FOUR YEARS AGO. HE HAD THESE MEETINGS WITH
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS RECENTLY, AND HE KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE,
BECAUSE OF THE RUSSIA SCANDAL. SO HE INTENTIONALLY OMITTED
THESE FACTS. THAT'S WHY THE SECURITY
CLEARANCE NEEDS TO BE OTHER SUSPENDED OR REVOKED.
>> IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, WHAT WILL BE YOUR NEXT MOVE AS A
MEMBER OF CONGRESS? >> YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE BACK THE
HOUSE IN A YEAR-AND-A-HALF, WE WILL OPEN INVESTIGATIONS TO TRY
TO FORCE HIM TO DO THAT. IN THE MEANTIME, I HOPE SOME
REPUBLICANS COME TO THEIR SENSES AND UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF
WHAT HAPPENED HERE. WHERE YOU HAVE A SENIOR-LEVEL
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL LYING ABOUT HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE FORM ON
THE ISSUE OF RUSSIA. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING
A CAMPAIGN ISSUE. ARE YOU SAYING THAT IF DEMOCRATS
TAKE BACK THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THEY'RE GOING
TO RAMP UP INVESTIGATIONS ON RUSSIA GATE, INCLUDING ON JARED
KUSHNER? >> WE WILL RAMP UP
INVESTIGATIONS ON ANY ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW OR OF
ETHICS. AND IF NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN
PEOPLE LIE ON THE SECURITY CLEARANCE FORMS, THAT'S
ABSOLUTELY A PROBLEM AND WE WILL ABSOLUTELY INVESTIGATE.
>> ARE YOU IMPLYING THERE THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT DOING A
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AT THIS MOMENT?
>> THAT'S CORRECT. I HAVE HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THEIR
INVESTIGATION OF PEOPLE WHO LIE ON THE SECURITY CLEARANCE FORMS,
INCLUDING JARED KUSHNER. >> ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL LEAVE IT THERE. CONGRESSMAN TED LIEU, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU.
>>> JOINING ME NOW, PROFESSOR OF
INTERNATIONAL AND THE MAN POISONED IN MOSCOW TWICE,
PRESUMABLY FOR HIS OPPOSITION TO THE CURRENT RUSSIAN LEADERSHIP.
I WANT TO FIRST COME TO YOU, NINA, ON THIS QUESTION OF WHAT
NOW APPEAR TO BE SOME OPEN DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND RUSSIA. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE
TRUMP SIDE OF THE LEDGER ARE SAYING THAT THE FACT THAT THERE
IS NOW DISAGREEMENT ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES, WHETHER IT'S ON
SYRIA OR WHETHER IT'S ON THE INTERFERENCE IN THE ELECTION
ITSELF, ARE PROOF THAT THERE WAS NO INTERFERENCE BY RUSSIA IN THE
ELECTION TO HELP DONALD TRUMP. YOU HAVE A UNIQUE TAKE ON THAT.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S UNIQUE. I'M JUST SAYING THAT PUTIN
CERTAINLY -- I THINK THE RUSSIANS CERTAINLY METTLED IN
THE ELECTIONS. I'M JUST NOT THAT CERTAIN THAT
THEY WERE MEDDLING TO SPECIFICALLY HELP TRUMP.
I THINK THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE DOWN HILLARY CLINTON.
AND IF TRUMP GETS ELECTED WITH ALL OF HIS POSITIVE OVERTURES
TOWARDS PUTIN ACTUALLY THEN FOLLOWS THE POLICY.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL. NOW ACTUALLY ANYBODY WHO WOULD
ANALYZE ANYTHING IN POLITICS OR FOREIGN POLICY WOULD KNOW THAT
THE RUSSIANS AND THE AMERICANS ARE ON EVERY SINGLE ISSUE
DIFFERENT. AND I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
IS THAT THIS TRUMP COWBOY MENTALITY THAT HE'S GOING TO
TAKE ON EVERYBODY AND BE FRIENDS WITH WHOEVER HE WANTS TO, JUST
COMES TO -- REALITY. JUST CLASHED WITH REALITY.
AND WE HAVE HEARD FOR TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, FROM ALLL
HIS CABINET MEMBERS, ALMOST ALL HIS CABINET MEMBERS, THAT RUSSIA
IS A PROBLEM, AND HE NEEDS TO ADDRESS IT, AND I THINK THAT
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW. THAT'S WHY SECRETARY TILLERSON
WAS DISPATCHED TO MOSCOW, TO SEE WHETHER THE GAP IS BRIDGEABLE
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT BRIDGEABLE.
>> AND JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, WITH HE HAD RUSSIA
VETOING A U.N. RESOLUTION ON SYRIA, CONDEMNING THEM FOR THE
ATTACKS AND WHAT HAPPENED IN SYRIA.
THEY GOT TEN VOTES. RUSSIA VETOED IT, CHINA
ABSTAINED. YOU ALSO HAD DONALD TRUMP DUMP
SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY SURPRISED THE PUTIN
ADMINISTRATION. AND THAT IS SENDING ADDITIONAL
MILITARY HARDWARE TO EASTERN EUROPE AS A SIGN THAT THE U.S.
REMAINS COMMITTED TO NATO, THAT THE ALLIANCE WILL CARRY OUT ITS
POLICY, BUILDING A FORCE TO THWART ANY RUSSIA ACTION IN THE
REGION. WHAT -- HOW DO YOU EXPECT THE
PUTIN REGIME TO REACT? >> WELL, INDEED, IN FACT, ON THE
SAME DAY THAT MR. TILLERSON WAS IN MOSCOW, THE RUSSIAN ACTING
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED NATIONS VETOED THE SYRIA
RESOLUTION AND MADE A VERY CRUDE AND VULGAR SPEECH IN LANGUAGE
MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A THIRD-RATE BEER HOUSE THAN FOR
THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL.
I KNOW MANY FELT A SINCE OF SHAME THAT SUCH A PERSON IS
REPRESENTING OUR COUNTRY AND SPEAKING ON BEHALF.
I SAY THAT FOR MYSELF. I THINK THE WAY THIS
ADMINISTRATION, YOU KNOW -- WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS
DISCOVERING IS THE SAME THING THAT THE PREVIOUS TWO U.S.
ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE DISCOVERED. AND DISCOVERED THE HARD WAY.
THAT THERE CAN BE NO CONVERGENCE OF INTEREST AND NO GENUINE
OPERATION BETWEEN A SYSTEM BASED ON THE RULE OF LAW AND RESPECT
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND ON THE OTHER
HAND, A CLEP TOE ACCURATIC AND AUTHORITARIAN REGIME, VLADIMIR
PUTIN'S REGIME IN OUR COUNTRY. AND, OF COURSE, WE REMEMBERED
GEORGE W. BUSH LOOKING INTO PUTIN'S EYES AND SEEING HIS
SOUL. AND BARACK OBAMA DECLARING A
RESET FROM THE PUTIN REGIME.
AND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS DISCOVERING THAT THIS IS NOT
LIKELY TO HAPPEN. AND I THINK IT -- THERE WAS A
VERY IMPORTANT SIGNAL THAT WAS MISSED, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS TIME
THAT SECRETARY TILLERSON WENT TO MOSCOW.
THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHETHER THERE WILL BE A MEETING
BETWEEN MR. TILLERSON AND VLADIMIR PUTIN.
AND MR. PUTIN KEPT HIM, FIRST OF ALL, GUESSING WHETHER THERE WILL
BE A MEETING OR NOT AND KEPT HIM WAITING FOR A FEW HOURS, WHICH
IS HIS USUAL HABIT, BY THE WAY, THIS PRIMITIVE POSTURE AND POWER
PLAY TO SHOW WHO IS THE BOSS. THIS MEETING DID HAPPEN IN THE
END, AS YOU JUST SAID. BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER MEETING
THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AND THAT'S THE MEETING BETWEEN
THE U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE AND REPRESENTATIVES OF RUSSIAN CIVIL
SOCIETY. THOSE KINDS OF MEETINGS HAPPENED
UNDER EVERY PREVIOUS SECRETARY OF STATE, BOTH PARTIES,
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT, THAT WAS A LONG-TIME TRADITION.
JUST LAST WEEK, THERE WAS
SEVERAL LETTERS SENT FROM THE U.S. CONGRESS, AGAIN, COMPLETELY
BIPARTISAN, SENIOR REPUBLICANS, AND SENIOR DEMOCRATS, URGING MR.
TILLERSON TO FIND TIME WHILE HE IS IN MOSCOW TO MEET WITH
REPRESENTATIVES, RUSSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY, AS WELL AS WITH
OFFICIALS FROM THE PUTIN REGIME. NOW REGRETTABLY, THAT MEETING
DID NOT HAPPEN. THIS WAS THE FIRST VISIT BY MR.
TILLERSON AS SECRETARY OF STATE TO MOSCOW AND I THINK MANY
PEOPLE WERE WATCHING FOR THOSE SIGNALS.
THAT MEETING DID NOT TAKE PLACE. THIS IS PROBABLY NOT A
DELIBERATE SNUB, AND OF COURSE IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF
HE DOES FIND TIME THE NEXT TIME HE GOES.
I THINK IT GOES TO A VERY IMPORTANT POINT.
THAT RUSSIA IS NOT ONLY ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND HIS REGIME.
AND WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT RELATIONSHIP AND TRUST AND
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA, THAT SHOULD
INVOLVE DIALOGUE ALSO WITH DIFFERENT VOICES IN RUSSIAN
SOCIETY AND WITH RUSSIAN CIVIL SOCIETY.
AND NOT JUST WITH THE PUTIN REGIME.
THAT, BY THE WAY, IS NOT DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED.
>> YEAH. I MEAN, THAT IS AN EXCELLENT
POINT. I THINK WE SORT OF LOOK AT
RUSSIA AND ONLY THINK ABOUT THE PUTIN END OF THE SPECTRUM,
RIGHT? BUT I MEAN, WHERE DO YOU SEE
THIS RELATIONSHIP GOING? IT FEELS LIKE IT'S DETERIORATING
OR PERHAPS DESTINED TO DETERIORATE.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT? >> WELL, I'M ACTUALLY NEVER
THOUGHT THAT IT'S GOING TO GO ANYWHERE.
IN FACT, I ACTUALLY -- I WROTE LAST SUMMER THAT PUTIN IS A
PRAGMATIC POLITICIAN. HE CANNOT POSSIBLY NOT THINK
THAT A DISASTER OF DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO WORK WONDERS FOR
HIM. HE COULD HAVE HOPED.
HE THOUGHT HE COULD MANIPULATE IT.
HE USED IT FOR AS LONG AS HE COULD HAVE.
BUT NOW THE REALITY, AS I SAID, KICKED IN.
FOR EXAMPLE, YES, NOT ONLY TILLERSON DID MEET WITH A CIVIL
SOCIETY MEMBERS, WHICH I AM -- I BELIEVE THAT PROBABLY IN HIS OWN
PRAGMATIC MIND HE REALLY COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.
BUT I DO HOPE TO SEE IT IN THE FUTURE.
BUT ALSO HE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING THAT WHAT RUSSIANS ABSOLUTELY
WANTED TO. AND THAT'S WHY PUTIN MET WITH
HIM, I BELIEVE. IS THAT THE ARRANGED MEETING
BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PRESIDENT PUTIN.
AND DIDN'T HAPPEN. SO AS MUCH AS RUSSIANS WANT TO
HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES, THEY CLEARLY
UNDERSTANDING THE LONGER THAT MEETING DOESN'T HAPPEN, THE MORE
PUTIN WOULD ACTUALLY RETURN TO HIS OWN DEVICES.
AND THAT IS A BIG, BIG DANGER. AND I AGREE COMPLETELY THAT IT
IS AN AUTHORITARIAN REGIME. IT NEEDS TO BE TALKED TO.
THEREFORE, THE LONGER IT'S NOT TALKED TO, THE MORE
AUTHORITARIAN IT BECOMES. >> VERY QUICKLY, THE FEAR THAT A
LOT OF AMERICANS HAVE IS THE SORT OF UNDERCURRENT, THAT THERE
IS SOME RETALIATION THAT REGIME MIGHT USE BECAUSE IT MIGHT HAVE
SOMETHING ON DONALD TRUMP. >> I'M CERTAIN.
BECAUSE PUTIN, AS I KEEP SAYING, I THINK ON THIS SHOW, HE IS AN
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OFFENDER. IF HE HAD HILLARY CLINTON --
THIS CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE TRUMP. AND THEY WILL BE VERY WILLING TO
ACT ON IT IN AN ACT OF CYBER WAR, AS MALCOLM NANCE ALWAYS
REMINDS ME. THAT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.
AND THEN REALLY CAN TURN THIS RELATIONSHIP INTO THE STAGE IT
IS IN. >> ABSOLUTE CHAOS.
ONE MORE QUESTION TO YOU, VLADIMIR.
ON THE PROTESTS WE SAW, PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY, PEOPLE TAKING TO
THE STREETS, PROTESTING THE PUTIN REGIME.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT MOVEMENT, THAT PROTEST MOVEMENT
AGAINST PUTIN, AND WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE?
>> ABSOLUTELY. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, END OF
MARCH, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WENT TO THE STREETS
ACROSS RUSSIA, EAST TO WEST. AND MOST OF THOSE WHO WENT OUT
TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE REGIME WERE YOUNG
PEOPLE. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, HIGH SCHOOL
KIDS IN MANY CASES. PEOPLE IN THEIR 20s AND THEIR
30s AND EVEN THEIR TEENS. AND THIS IS THE NEW GENERATION
OF RUSSIA. THESE ARE THE FACES OF
TOMORROW'S RUSSIA. AND THEY'RE SAYING NO.
THEY'RE SAYING ENOUGH. AND THERE'S FRANKLY NOT MUCH
THAT MR. PUTIN WILL BE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT IN THE LONG TERM OR
MEDIUM TERM. THERE IS A NEW WAY OF APPROACH
AS PLANNED FOR THE NEXT WEEKEND. IN FACT, A COUPLE -- FOLLOWING
WEEKEND, EXCUSE ME, A COUPLE WEEKS FROM TODAY.
AND ANOTHER FOR JUNE. AND I THINK THIS IS NOT GOING TO
STOP. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
THE YOUNG GENERATIONS OF RUSSIANS ARE REALIZING THIS
REGIME IS ROBBING THEM, NOT ONLY LITERALLY IN TERMS OF THE
EGREGIOUS CORRUPTION IT'S ENGAGING IN, AND THESE WERE THE
IMMEDIATE REASONS FOR THE PROTEST BUT ALSO ROBBING THEM OF
THE FUTURE. AND OF THEIR PROSPECTS.
RUSSIA DESERVES SO MUCH BETTER THAN A CLEPTO ACCURATIC
AUTHORITARIAN REGIME. AND THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
>> AND A TRAGEDY FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL A DIFFERENT KIND OF AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION
MIGHT BE ENCOURAGING THOSE PEOPLE.
>> MY NEPHEW WENT, 20-YEAR-OLD NEPHEW WENT AND SCREAMED AGAINST
PUTIN. SO HERE WE GO.
>> MAKES YOU WISTFUL FOR ANOTHER KIND OF SITUATION.
WE'LL PUT IT

Rep. Ted Lieu: Jared Kushner Should Have Security Clearance Revoked | AM Joy | MSNBC

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