Rep. Hurd on Jeff Sessions omitting Russian meetings

FORMER CIA OFFICER.
A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.
CONGRESSMAN I WANT TO START WITH
THIS FORM THAT WE NOW KNOW JEFF
SESSIONS DID NOT INCLUDE
INFORMATION ABOUT HIS MEETINGS
WITH RUSSIANS.
WHEN -- YOU FILLED OUT THIS
PAGE, REEGT?
I WOULD ASSUME.
YOU WERE A KRAIL AGENT.
>> YES.
>> DOES IT SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR
THAT HE DID NOT LIST ANY CONTACT
HE HAD HAD WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBA
AMBASSADOR.
>> I THINK THE INTENSE SCRUTINY
HE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO GO
UNDER, OVERSHARING IS PROBABLY
BETTER THAN UNDERSHARING.
A LOT OF THESE FORMS YOU TALK
ABOUT CLOSE AND CONTINUING
CONTACT, THAT THOSE ARE THE
KINDS OF PEOPLE THAT YOU REPORT
ON THE FORM, BECAUSE YOU DON'T
REPORT -- LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A
FAVORITE RESTAURANT AND YOU GO
THERE EVERY NIGHT AND THE PERSON
THAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SERVER IS
SOMEBODY FROM SPAIN.
THAT PERSON IS NOT GOING TO GO
ON THIS FORM.
>> RIGHT.
>> IN THIS INSTANCE, SO WE HAVE
TO REMEMBER THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT 23
MILLION OF THESE FORMS WERE
STOLEN BY THE CHINESE A YEAR AND
A HALF AGO AND EVERYBODY WAS
OUTRAGED.
WHETHER IT'S 23 MILLION OF THOSE
FORMS BEING REVEALED OR ONE, WE
SHOULD HAVE -- WE SHOULD
DISCOURAGE THIS KIND OF SHARING
OF INFORMATION OF LEAKING.
>> YES.
AND I WANT TO ASK YOU --
>> LEAKS ARE BAD.
>> ON PAGE 59 THEY ASK YOU ABOUT
CLOSE AND CONTINUING FOR
YOURSELF.
THIS IS PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY,
SO ON THIS PAGE, PAGE 76, I WANT
TO BE CLEAR, IT ACTUALLY DOESN'T
ASK IF IT'S CLOSED OR
CONTINUING.
IT'S JUST HAVE YOU HAD ANY
CONTACT.
SO THIS IS GETTING TO THE POINT
OF OVERSHARING, I GUESS.
WE KNOW HE HAD MORE THAN ONE
MEETING WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR THAT WOULD CERTAINLY
FIT THIS DESCRIPTION.
>> AGAIN, KNOWING THE FOCUS AND
THE SCRUTINY THAT YOU CAN
RECEIVE, OVERSHARING IS PROBABLY
A GOOD STRATEGY AND ESPECIALLY
NOW THIS IN LINE WITH THE
REVELATIONS EARLIER WHERE HE HAD
TO GO BACK TO THE SENATE TO TALK
ABOUT HIS MISCHARACTERIZATION OF
SOME OF THE CONTENTS.
THIS FITS A BROADER NARRATIVE
THAT MANY WANT TO DRIVE BUT I
THINK THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT
ULTIMATELY ROCKET MUELLER WOULD
BE LOOKING INTO TO -- DO A BROAD
REVIEW OF THE RUSSIANS IN OUR
ELECTIONS.
>> DEVELOPMENT NEWS TONIGHT.
WE NOW KNOW THAT PAUL MANFORT,
THE RUSSIANS WERE HOPING USE HIM
TO INFLUENCE DONALD TRUMP.
ALSO TRIED TO RECRUIT GENERAL
PLIEFL FLYNN.
AS YOU KNOW, GENERAL FLYNN IS
REFUSING ANOTHER REQUEST OF
YOURS AND YOUR COMMITTEE TO
PROVIDE DOCUMENTS.
AT THIS POINT DO YOU THINK HE IS
COVERING SOMETHING UP.
HE HAS REFUSED REQUEST AFTER
REQUEST AFTER REQUEST.
HE'S PLED THE FIFTH AMENDMENT.
HE'S GIVING YOU GUYS NOTHING.
>> I CAN'T SPEAK TO HIS
MOTIVATION ON WHY HE MAKES THIS
DECISION TO PLEAD THE FIFTH.
I THINK WHEN A FORMER FBI
DIRECTOR MUELLER COMES KNOCKING,
THERE WILL BE A CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE EXTENT OF HIS CONTACT
AND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN AND
WHERE.
ALSO, JUST TO MENTION, THE
RUSSIANS SAYING THEY'RE LOOKING
TO GO AFTER SOMEBODY, IT'S JUST
THAT.
THE RUSSIANS SHOWING THEIR
INTENTION.
THAT DOES NOT REVEAL WHETHER OR
NOT --
>> THE PERSON ACQUIESCED.
>> ACQUIESCED OR WHETHER THEY
WERE SUCCESSFUL.
SO IN THAT CASE WE HAVE TO GIVE
PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
BUT THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE BOB MUELLER
DOING A THOROUGH AND METICULOUS
INVESTIGATION AND LOOKING DOWN
ALL THESE DIFFERENT RABBIT
HOLES.
>> JASON MILLER RAISED THIS
POINT AND YOU JUST MENTIONED THE
ISSUE OF LEAKS.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE LEAKS WE
WOULDN'T KNOW A LOT OF THESE
THINGS AN THESE ARE PRETTY
IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT SOME OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE
RUNNING THE MOST IMPORTANT
INAUGURATIONS IN THE WORLD.
OFFICIALS AGREED TO DISCUSS THE
INTELLIGENCE ONLY ON THE
CONDITION OF ANONYMITY.
THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
TODAY ISRAEL, THE DEFENSE
MINISTER SAID THEY HAD TO MAKE A
CHANGE, A POINTED CORRECTION IN
THEIR AGENT DEALING WITH ISIS
AFTER THE PRESIDENT SHARED
HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
WITH THE RUSSIANS WHICH OF
COURSE LEAKED TO THE WASHINGTON
POST.
AND TODAY THE UNITED KINGDOM
VERY UPDATED WITH THE UNITED
STATES OVER LEAKED INFORMATION
OVER THE MANCHESTER BOMBING.
DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
IN THESE LEAKS SHOULD GO TO
JAIL?
>> PROVIDING CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION OUTSIDE YOUR ABILITY
TO PROVIDE IT SHOULD BE
PROSECUTED.
THE LEAKING OF CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION IS A THREAT TO OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY AND PEOPLE
SHOULD BE PUNISHED TO THE FULL
EFFECT.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
EVERYBODY AGREES.
AND I WOULD PUSH BACK A LITTLE
BIT ON AN EARLIER ASSUMPTION
THAT THIS INFORMATION WOULD NOT
HAVE COME TO LIGHT HAD IT NOT
BEEN FOR THESE LEAKERS, KNOWING
THAT THERE IS A CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION ONGOING.
THERE'S TWO OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
ONGOING AND OUR GOAL IS TO, WHEN
ALL THIS IS SAID AND DONE, BE
ABLE TO MAKE PUBLIC AS MUCH OF
THE INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN
UNDERSTAND THIS.
>> DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD EVEN
BE A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
FUNDAMENTAL THIS INFORMATION
HADN'T BEEN LEAKING OUT AND
CAUSING THE CONSTERNATION THAT
IT HAS?
>> IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER KNOW.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR,
TWO OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATIONS AND
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT THE HOUSE
INVESTIGATION IS ON TRACK AND
WE'RE DOING THIS IN A BIPARTISAN
AND THOROUGH MANNER.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE CONFIDENT IN WHATEVER
TURNS OUT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO BE
THOUGHTFUL.
WE HAVE TO BE PATIENT.
AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE TRUTH,

Rep. Hurd on Jeff Sessions omitting Russian meetings

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