Chris Murphy: ‘Clear As Day’ Donald Trump Would Fire Comey Before Dep. AG Memo | MTP Daily

SINCE JEFF SESSIONS RECUSED HIMSELF.
JOINING ME NOW, ONE OF THE SENATORS THAT WENT TO THAT
BRIEFING. CHRIS MURPHY OF CONNECTICUT, A
MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> I'M GOING TO GET A LITTLE
CLARITY FROM YOU. DID YOU HEAR THAT ROD ROSENSTEIN
KNEW THE PRESIDENT WOULD FIRE JAMES COMEY BEFORE HE WROTE HIS
RECOMMENDATION? >> CLEAR AS DAY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. IT WAS IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT.
HE LAID OUT THE NARRATIVE THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE DECISION
TO FIRE COMEY. NOW THERE ARE LOTS OF HOLES IN
THAT NARRATIVE. IN HIS OWN OPENING STATEMENT HE
TOLD US VERY CLEARLY THAT HE FOUND OUT THE PRESIDENT WAS
PLANNING ON FIRING TRUMP AND THEN HE WROTE THE MEMO WHICH WAS
USED AS THE JUSTIFICATION FOR IT.
THE DATES ON THE MEMO ALREADY HINTED THAT'S HOW THE TIME LINE
WORKED BUT HE CONFIRMED THAT THIS MORNING.
IT MEANS THE PLER DONALD TRUMP DELIVERED TO JAMES COMEY WHICH
SAID HE RELIED ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DEPUTY
ATTORNEY GENERAL JUST ISN'T TRUE.
>> DID HE INDICATE THAT HE REALLY ALSO WANTED COMEY TO GO?
DID HE BELIEVE THIS AS WELL? >> HE DID.
NOW HE WAS TOTALLY UNABLE TO DISCUSS HIS CONVERSATION WITH
THE PRESIDENT. HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE MEMO.
HE DID STAND BY WHAT EVENTUALLY ENDED UP IN IT.
HE BELIEVED THE CONDUCT MERITED HIS DISMISSAL BUT HE WOULD NOT
CONFIRM THAT WAS THE REA REASONT LED THE PRESIDENT TO MAKE THAT
DECISION. HE HINTED THAT WAS NOT
ULTIMATELY THE REASON. WE ALL KNOW NOW THAT WASN'T.
>> DID HE SAY WHY HE DECIDED TO APPOINT A SPECIAL COUNSEL TO
BRING IN BOB MUELLER? >> AGAIN, HE WAS VERY RELUCK THE
TANLT TO GO INTO DETAILS. I THINK HE SAID IT WAS
COMBINATION OF THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE INVESTIGATION AND HE
WOULDN'T GO INTO ANY MORE DETAIL.
AND THE FACT THE PUBLIC FAITH ERODED IN THE ABILITY OF THE FBI
AND HE WANTED TO RESTORE THAT FAITH.
AND I TAKE HIM AT FACE VALUE. I'M GLAD HE APPOINTED NOT ONLY A
SPECIAL COUNSEL WILL BUT SOMEBODY BOTH PARTIES SHOULD
HAVE FAITH IN. AND HE MADE SEVERAL ASSURANCES
DURING THAT MEETING THAT HE WOULD LET MUELLER BRING THIS
INVESTIGATION WHEREVER IT LED. THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO HAVE TO
COME BACK AND CHECK WITH ROSENSTEIN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
INVESTIGATION WAS AS EXPANSIVE AS IT NEEDED TO BE.
>> ARE YOU CONFIDENT NOW IN THE DEPUTY AG?
THE AG? >> I WOULD HAVE LIKED HIM TO
ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS TODAY. I TOOK HIS CAREFULNESS AROUND
GIVING DETAILS AS AN INDIC INDI AS TO HOW EXPANSIVE THAT HE
THINKS THIS CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WILL BE.
HE WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO HIS
MEMO BEING RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH SUGGESTS HE THINKS
THAT THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT EVEN HIS MEMO IS SUBJECT OF AN
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CASE, THAT THE NEW SPECIAL COUNSEL MAY
BE PURSUING. HE TOOK PAINS TO TELL US THAT
THERE WAS GOING TO BE NO POLITICAL CHECK ON THE SCOPE OR
SIZE OF THIS INVESTIGATION. AND I'M TRYING TO TAKE HIM AT
HIS WORD. >> WHAT ELSE DID YOU WANT TO
HEAR FROM HIM? >> I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE
SHOCKED AT HOW LITTLE HE WAS ABLE TO TELL US ABOUT THE EXACT
NATURE OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MEMO
THAT LED TO COMEY'S FEARING. AND THE REASON FOR THAT SEEMED
PRETTY CLEAR. THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CASE SURROUNDING THE WAY COMEY WAS
FIRED AND HE FELT HE COULDN'T SHARE THOSE DETAILS WITH US.
HE SAID I STAND BY THE MEMO BUT I CAN'T TALK TO YOU ABOUT ALMOST
ANYTHING ELSE SURROUNDING THE DECISION TO FIRE COMEY BECAUSE
THAT'S POTENTIALLY WITHIN THE SCOPE THE OF THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL. THAT WAS A LITTLE STUNNING TO
MANY OF US. >> DID HE SAY HE THOUGHT IT
COULD BE A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION?
OR THAT IT IN FACT WAS A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION?
>> EMTHIS ALL COULD BE WITHIN THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
I THINK HIS MAIN MESSAGE BALTIMORE HE WANTED TO ALLOW FOR
MUELLER TO BE ABLE TO DECIDE THE SCOPE OF THAT INVESTIGATION
BEFORE HE GAVE US ANY THE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT END UP
BEING INSIDE THAT SCOPE. SO NO.
I DON'T THINK HE WAS TELEGRAPHING THAT THERE WAS
DEFINITELY A CRIMINAL CASE TO BE MADE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIS
MEMO OR THE FIRING OF COMEY. BUT HE CERTAINLY DIDN'T RULE IT
OUT. >> SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW DOES
THIS AFFECT SENATE INVESTIGATION IN LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WOULD LIMIT THE AUTHORITY THAT
CONGRESS HAS TO CALL CERTAIN WITNESSES BECAUSE THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL COULD PUT THE KABOSH ON THAT.
ARE YOU CONCERNED THIS WILL JAM UP YOUR INVESTIGATION?
>> I THINK THAT WAS ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL.
IF THERE IS A CRIMINAL CASE MOVING FORWARD, WHETHER IT WAS
UNDER THE FBI OR A SPECIAL COUNSEL, THAT WOULD LIMIT THE
INVESTIGATION THAT COULD GO TO THE SENATE OR THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE. SO THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE
RESTRAINTS ON OUR PROCESS. THAT'S WHY WE WANTED THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL. IN THE END OUR JOB IS DIFFERENT.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO COME UP WITH CHARGES.
WE ARE ON A FACT FINDING MISSION IN PART TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER
THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE NEED TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST EXECUTIVE
BRANCH AND WILL BE INFORMED BY THAT INVESTIGATION.
WE WON'T BE COMING UP WITH OUR OWN CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS.
>> WHAT IF CONGRESS DOESN'T AGREE THE FINDINGS THAT ROBERT
MUELLER GETS? >> THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING TO BE
DOING AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE INFORMATION THEY GLEAN.
I THINK ONCE THEY HAVE GOTTEN TO THE LOGICAL END OF A POTENTIAL
CRIMINAL CASE, THEY CAN FORWARD INFORMATION TO US.
AND THEY CAN DO SO ALONG THE WAY AS WELL.
I THINK THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WILL BE GETTING
INFORMATION ARE PLENTY OF OTHER SOURCES THEY HAVE INDEPENDENTLY
SUBPOENAED. SO THERE IS

Chris Murphy: ‘Clear As Day’ Donald Trump Would Fire Comey Before Dep. AG Memo | MTP Daily | MSNBC

Latest Posts