Leon Panetta full reaction to Comey

>> NICE TO BE WITH YOU.
>> FIRST QUESTION.
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THE
BREAKING NEWS THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE HAS REACHED OUT TO LEGAL
HELP TO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE
IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS.
>> WELL, IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME.
WE ARE WITNESSING, AGAIN, THIS
IS PROBABLY THE THIRD TIME IN MY
LIFETIME, A SCANDAL, A HUGE
SCANDAL IN WASHINGTON THAT IS
IMPACTING ON THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
IT IS GOING TO BE THAT OUR
INSTITUTIONS AND OUR LEADERSHIP
IN THIS COUNTRY AND OUR WHOLE
SYSTEM WILL BE TESTED TO
DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN
WITH STAND THE IMPACT OF THIS
SCANDAL.
IT'S GOING TO CREATE A LOT OF
CONSTERNATION AND GOING TO PUT
THE PRESIDENT IN A POSITION
WHERE HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO
SEEK OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
>> WHEN YOU SAY SCANDAL, WHAT IS
MOST CONCERNING TO YOU?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
>> I THINK WE HAVE A SITUATION
WHERE THERE IS A NUMBER OF
ISSUES THAT BROKE OUT NOT ONLY
THIS WEEK, BUT THE PAST FEW
WEEKS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE
SUBJECT OF AN INVESTIGATION NOW
BY A SPECIAL COUNSEL THAT WILL
LOOK AT EACH OF THESE ISSUES TO
DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED AND
THERE THERE WERE VIOLATIONS OF
LAW.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT EACH OF THOSE
ISSUES, OBVIOUSLY IT RAISES
CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THE PRESIDENT STEPPED OVER A
LINE.
THE ISSUE WITH MIKE FLYNN AND
THREATENING TO CUTOFF AN
INVESTIGATION OF MIKE FLYNN.
THE ISSUE OF THE RUSSIAN
INVESTIGATION AND FIRING OF
DIRECTOR COMEY THAT APPEAR TO BE
RELATED.
AND IT RAISES IMPLICATIONS ON
THAT.
THERE ARE A SERIES OF ISSUES
THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE
LOOKED AT BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL
AND THE COMMITTEES IN THE
CONGRESS THAT WILL CONSUME THE
ATTENTION OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
FOR A PERIOD HERE.
>> DO YOU THINK THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS OVERSTEPPED A
LINE?
>> I'M GOING TO LEAVE THAT TO
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL TO LOOK AT
THE FAXES INVOLVED HERE.
TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT
THERE IS EVIDENCE TO ESTABLISH
THAT KIND OF CHARGE.
I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS
TO SAY THAT IN MANY WAYS THE
PRESIDENT THROUGH HIS RECKLESS
COMMENTS THAT HE MADE IN THESE
AREAS, ESTABLISHING THE
POTENTIAL FOR A CASE AGAINST HIM
IN EACH AREA.
WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IS
DETERMINE WHERE THE TRUTH IS.
I ALWAYS FELT THAT NO PRESIDENT
CAN STAND IN THE WAY OF FINDING
THE TRUTH.
I THINK THAT WILL BE THE CASE
WITH THIS SITUATION AS WELL.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE PRESIDENT'S
COMMENTS THAT FORMER FBI
DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY WAS NUTS.
THAT ASIDE, WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION TO THE FACT THAT THESE
CONVERSATIONS IN THE OVAL OFFICE
ARE LEAKING?
>> IT'S CHAOTIC.
THE WHITE HOUSE IS IN TOTAL
CHAOS RIGHT NOW.
I'M SURE LEAKS ARE COMING OUT
LEFT AND RIGHT AND AT THE SAME
TIME THE PRESIDENT CREATED A LOT
OF THESE PROBLEMS BY VIRTUE OF
WHAT HE SAID AND WHAT HE
TWEETED.
THERE IS A SENSE THAT THINGS ARE
SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL.
THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY.
ALL OF THIS FRANKLY TAKES OUR
ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE
CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE NOT ONLY
HERE IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT IN THE
WORLD.
>> YOU SAY THINGS ARE SEEMINGLY
SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL, DO YOU
THINK THAT IS BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT IS HIS OWN WORST ENEMY
IN THIS?
>> WELL, THERE IS NO QUESTION
THAT HIS KIND OF ERRATIC
IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR IN MAKING THE
COMMENTS AND IN MANY WAYS NOT
EVEN ADHERING TO THE TALKING
POINTS THAT THE STAFF AND THE
WHITE HOUSE WERE TRYING TO PUT
OUT ON MANY OF THESE SITUATIONS.
HIS COMMENTS HAVE ADDED TO THE
CONCERN ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY WAS
HE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND
TRYING TO DO IN TERMS OF THESE
INVESTIGATIONS IN TERMS OF THE
RUSSIAN ISSUE WHICH HAS, I THINK
WITH EVERY COMMENT HE HAS MADE,
THE RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE ISSUE
AND THE POTENTIAL OF COLLUSION
HAS BECOME THAT MUCH MORE
SERIOUS.
>> SECRETARY PANETTA IS SAYING
THAT RUSSIAN OFFICIALS BRAGGED
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
THAT THEY CULTIVATED A STRONG
HAPPY WITH RETIRED GENERAL
MICHAEL FLYNN AND BELIEVED THEY
COULD USE THEM TO INFLUENCE HIS
TEAM.
THE CONVERSATIONS ARE DEEPLY
CONCERNED.
SOME ACTED TO LIMIT HOW MUCH
INFORMATION THEY SHARED IN THE
TRANSITION.
YOUR REACTION?
>> CORRECTOR OF THE CIA.
WE FOCUSED A GREAT DEAL TO
DESTABILIZE OUR COUNTRY.
THEY ARE A FOREIGN ADVERSARY.
THEIR WHOLE GOAL IS TO TRY TO
DESTABILIZE THE UNITED STATES.
EVERY EFFORT WE MAKE IS TO TRY
TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THEY WERE UP
TO THAT COULD HURT OUR COUNTRY.
TO NOW HAVE THEM IN A SITUATION
WHERE THEY ARE TRYING TO NOT
ONLY INFLUENCE AND INTERFERE
WITH OUR ELECTIONS, BUT RAISE
THE IMPLICATION THEY MIGHT BE
WORKING WITH THE PEOPLE AT THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT TO
PURSUIT THEIR OWN OBJECTIVES
CREATES A HUGE CONCERN.
NOT ONLY AMONG THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY PEOPLE THAT ARE
WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, BUT AMONG
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THOSE
INVOLVED WITH NATIONAL SECURITY.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT CONCERNS
THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE
UNITED STATES.
IT IS FOR THAT REASON WE HAVE TO
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED
AND WHETHER OR NOT ANYONE IN THE
HIGHEST LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT WAS

Leon Panetta full reaction to Comey

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