Rep. Jackie Speier On Michael Flynn: ‘He Just Lies Straight Up’ | For The Record

TRUMP. >> WITH ME, CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE
SPEER DEMOCRAT FROM CALIFORNIA WHO SERVES ON THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. GOOD EVENING, CONGRESSWOMAN.
>> GRETA, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. >> HAVE YOU SEEN THIS LETTER
THAT CONGRESSMAN CUMMINGS SEPTEMBER TO CHAIRMAN JASON
CHAFFETZ. >> NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET.
IT KIND OF LAYS OUT WHAT I THINK IS A PATTERN WITH GENERAL FLYNN,
WHICH IS HE JUST LIES. HE JUST LIES STRAIGHT OUT.
BECAUSE HE ALSO HAD A RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOING TO
THAT GALA IN RT IN RUSSIA TO ASK PERMISSION FROM THE U.S. ARMY
BECAUSE AS A GENERAL OFFICER RETIRED, HE CAN ALWAYS BE CALLED
BACK TO ACTIVE DUTY. SO YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL
BEFORE YOU CAN RECEIVE FUNDS FROM ANY FOREIGN SOURCE.
HE DID NOT DO THAT. SO I'VE ACTUALLY SENT A LETTER
TO THE ACTING SECRETARY OF THE ARMY ASKING HIM TO PROCEED WITH
ACTION WHICH HE CAN TAKE INDEPENDENT OF EVERYONE ELSE TO
TAKE ACTION AGAINST GENERAL FLYNN FOR VIOLATING THE RULES.
>> AS A LAWYER, I CAN TELL YOU, AS A FORMER CRIMINAL DEFENSE
LAWYER, THAT IS NOT GOOD. WE'LL HAVE A LAWYER TO TALK
ABOUT IT. IF INDEED THERE IS PROOF THAT
THERE HAS BEEN A LIE TO A FEDERAL AGENT, GENERAL FLYNN IS
IN DEEP TROUBLE TONIGHT. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT ANOTHER
QUESTION. GENERAL FLYNN IS TAKING THE
FIFTH AND NOT SURRENDERING DOCUMENTS.
CERTAINLY HIS RIGHT. INNOCENT PEOPLE TAKE THE FIFTH
EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK AND THEY SHOULD.
NONETHELESS, YOUR THOUGHTS ON HIM TAKING THE FIFTH?
>> SO, ACTUALLY, SINCE 1979, BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS HAVE HAD
THE ABILITY TO FILE CONTEMPT CHARGES AND THE FIFTH AMENDMENT
ONLY APPLIES AS TO YOUR ACTIONS PRESENTLY.
YOU CANNOT BE ASKED TO TESTIFY AGAINST YOURSELF.
BUT PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS, PREVIOUS STATEMENTS YOU'VE MADE ARE ALL
SUBJECT TO THAT SUBPOENA. HE IS REALLY NOT IN A POSITION
TO VIOLATE THAT SUBPOENA. HE CAN BE BROUGHT UP ON CONTEMPT
CHARGES BY THE SENATE. THEY CAN THEN VOTE ON IT IN
COMMITTEE ON THE FLOOR AND THEN IT WOULD BE DIRECTLY TO A U.S.
ATTORNEY WHO THEN WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TO FILE
CONTEMPT CHARGES AGAINST GENERAL FLYNN.
>> I THINK, THOUGH, THAT -- I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
AGREEMENT. CRIMINAL DEFENSE SAY ONCE YOU
GIVE DOCUMENTS YOU -- THAT I'M SURE WILL BE SUBJECT TO A GREAT
DISPUTE ON BOTH SIDES. LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT MARCH 20th.
THERE'S A HEARING BEFORE YOUR COMMITTEE.
YOU BROUGHT UNTHE NAME MICHAEL CAPUTO.
WHY DID YOU BRING HIS NAME UP? >> WELL, I BELIEVE THAT MICHAEL
CAPUTO IS PART OF THIS KA BALANCE INCLUDING ROGER STONE
AND PAUL MANAFORT AND OTHERS WHO HAD BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS WITH
RUSSIA. IN FACT, IT WAS VLADIMIR PUTIN
WHO HIRED CAPUTO THROUGH GAS -- TO TRY AND IMPROVE HIS PROFILE
IN THE UNITED STATES. HE LIVED IN RUSSIA FOR A NUMBER
OF YEARS, HAD A RUSSIAN WIFE. THEN MOVED TO WORK IN UKRAINE.
SO I WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP.
WHY WOULD THEN CANDIDATE TRUMP PICK HIM OUT OF ALL THE VARIOUS
P.R. FIRMS, CAMPAIGN CONSULTANTS IN THE COUNTRY.
WHY PICK OUT MICHAEL CAPUTO TO REPRESENT HIM AND SERVE ON HIS
CAMPAIGN? >> ALL RIGHT.
CURIOUS ABOUT THIS. CUMMINGS OBVIOUSLY MADE AN AK
INDICATION OF LYING TO FEDERAL AGENTS ABOUT GENERAL FLYNN.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. YOU WERE CURIOUS WHEN YOU ASKED
HIM. YOU HAVE NO SUSPICION, NO
EVIDENCE THAT MICHAEL CAPUTO HAS COMMITTED A CRIME, IS THAT
CORRECT? >> THAT'S FAIR.
THAT'S CORRECT. >> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE
INVESTIGATION? WHAT'S YOUR SORT OF GLOBAL LOOK
AT THIS INVESTIGATION? >> WELL, THERE'S TWO ELEMENTS OF
IT. ONE IS THE INTERVENTION BY
RUSSIA INTO OUR ELECTION PROCESS AND HOW FLAGRANT IT WAS, HOW
VIOLATIVE IT IS OF OUR DEMOCRACY AND THE STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE TO
MAKE SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
SECONDLY, WHETHER OR NOT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN OPERATIVES WORKED
IN CONJUNCTION WITH RUSSIA IN TERMS OF UNDERMINING OUR
ELECTION PROCESS. THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO
STAY FOCUSED ON. EVENTUALLY, TO DETERMINE WHETHER
OR NOT THE VARIOUS ELECTION DEPARTMENTS IN THE STATES ARE UP
TO THE TASK OF MAKING SURE CYBER SECURITY IS STRONG ENOUGH.
>> FORMER DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY AGREED TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. HE WANTS TO FIRST SPEAK TO THE
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR BOB MUELLER TO FIGURE OUT THE PARAMETERS.
IF YOU COULD QUESTION FORMER DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY, WHAT WOULD
YOU ASK HIM? >> WELL, I WOULD ASK HIM
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT ALL OF THE MEMOS THAT HE HAS WRITTEN TO
MEMORIALIZE HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES. OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE IS A HUGE
CHARGE. IF, IN FACT, THERE IS EVIDENCE
TO BUILD ON WHAT WE KNOW OF THIS MEMO THAT HE WROTE AFTER HIS
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT IN WHICH HE WAS ASKED TO STOP THE
INVESTIGATION OF MICHAEL FLYNN, THEN

Rep. Jackie Speier On Michael Flynn: ‘He Just Lies Straight Up’ | For The Record | MSNBC

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