GOP Rep.: James Comey Testimony Doesn't Describe A Crime | All In

IT IS SHOCKING. >> SENATOR BRIAN SCHATZ, THANKS
FOR JOINING ME. JOINING ME NOW, FRANCES ROONEY.
ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONTACTING
THE FBI DIRECTOR NINE TIMES AND EXPLICITLY LEANING ON THEM TO
END AN INVESTIGATION INTO A MEMBER OF HIS CAMPAIGN SLASH
ADMINISTRATION? >> I HAVEN'T READ IT THAT
CLOSELY YET. I SCANNED IT, AND I SAW WHERE
DIRECTOR COMEY MADE CLEAR THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT UNDER ANY
INVESTIGATION. PERSONALLY.
>> RIGHT. BUT ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE OTHER
PARTS? I'LL READ YOU PART OF IT.
>> SURE. >> THIS IS COMEY TALKING TO THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. HE DESCRIBED THE RUSSIA
INVESTIGATION AS A CLOUD THAT WAS IMPAIRING HIS ABILITY TO ACT
ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTRY. HE SAID HE HAD NOTHING TO DO
WITH RUSSIA, HAD NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH HOOKERS IN RUSSIA,
AND ALWAYS ASSUMED HE WAS BEING RECORDED WHEN IN RUSSIA.
HE ASKED WHAT HE COULD DO TO LIFT THE CLOUD.
>> THAT SOUNDS PERFECTLY LOGICAL TO ME.
THE WHOLE RUSSIA THING AND THE COMEY THING HAVE BECOME SUCH A
HUGE DISTRACTION FROM PURSUING THE TIGHTENING UP OF OUR FOREIGN
POLICY, THE DEVELOPING A TAX RETURN PROGRAM THAT WILL GET OUR
COUNTRY MOVING AGAIN, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
>> ARE YOU A FAMILY MAN, CONGRESSMAN ROONEY?
>> I ABSOLUTELY AM. >> DOES IT STRIKE YOU AS STRANGE
THAT THE PRESIDENT'S RESPONSE TO AN ACCUSATION THAT HE HIRED
PROSTITUTES IS NOT, I'M MARRIED, AND NOT, I'M NOT A BAD PERSON,
BUT, RATHER, I KNEW I WAS BEING TAPED?
>> WELL, I JUST ASSUME THAT THERE'S -- I DON'T KNOW THE
BACKGROUND OF THAT OR THE CONTEXT.
I JUST ASSUME THERE'S BEEN SOME ALLEGATION THAT THEY TRIED TO
FRAME HIM OR SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY COMMON IN
INTELLIGENCE TO TRY TO FRAME PEOPLE USING HUMAN SHIELDS.
>> SO YOU THINK THAT THERE'S SOME ATTEMPT TO FRAME THE
PRESIDENT FOR THIS BEHAVIOR? >> NO, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THE CONTEXT ABOUT WHY THAT COMMENT WOULD
HAVE BEEN MADE OR NOT MADE. BUT, YOU KNOW --
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS. I UNDERSTAND THE SENSE, THE
FRUSTRATION THAT YOU HAVE AND OTHERS IN YOUR PARTY SHARE ABOUT
THE SORT OF DISTRACTING NATURE OF THIS.
YOU GUYS WERE STILL ABLE, OF COURSE, TO PASS THE AHCA IN THE
HOUSE. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SENATE IS
TRYING TO DO THAT. BUT ON THIS SORT OF CORE LEGAL
QUESTION OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, I MEAN YOU WOULD AGREE
THAT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PRESIDENT TO COMMIT OBSTRUCTION
OF JUSTICE, RIGHT? >> WELL, WE HAD ONE BACK IN THE
'70s THAT APPARENTLY DID. >> RIGHT.
I MEAN TWICE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT HAVE BEEN DRAFTED
AGAINST A PRESIDENT FOR COMMITTING OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE, RICHARD NIXON AND BILL CLINTON.
SO YOU THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT -- THAT WOULD
COUNT AS A HIGH CRIME AND MISDEMEANOR?
>> BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FACT THAT COMES ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT
NIXON DID. WHAT WE'VE GOT HERE IS A
PRESIDENT CALLING FOR WHAT DID HE SAY?
HE WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO BE HONEST OR SOMETHING OR --
>> LOYALTY. HE DEMANDED LOYALTY.
>> YEAH. INTRINSIC VALUES THAT YOU WOULD
WANT OUT OF EVERYBODY YOU'RE ASSOCIATED WITH.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ALLEGING A CRIME OR ANYTHING
LIKE THAT. >> WELL, BUT IT GOES A LITTLE
PAST THAT, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE HAVE JAMES COMEY SAYING THE
PRESIDENT EXPLICITLY TOLD HIM TO LAY OFF AN INVESTIGATION INTO
MICHAEL FLYNN, AN INVESTIGATION THAT HAD BEEN PRECIPITATED BY
FLYNN LYING IN A CONVERSATION WITH FBI AGENTS, WHICH LOOKS ON
ITS FACE A CONTRAVENTION OF FEDERAL LAW.
THE PRESIDENT EXPLICITLY TELLING THE FBI DIRECTOR, DON'T
INVESTIGATE MY CAMPAIGN STAFF AND THEN FIRING THEM WHEN THEY
CONTINUE. WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?
>> WELL, SEE, THIS IS WHEREAS AN OUTSIDER, A BUSINESS GUY, I KIND
OF SYMPATHIZE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ALL THESE POLITICAL NUANCES AND
OVERTONES TO EVERY WORD THAT YOU SAY IN THIS BUSINESS WHEN, YOU
KNOW, HE MIGHT HAVE JUST BEEN SAYING -- INTENDING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS INTENT WAS.
HE MIGHT BE SAYING LOOK, WE ALREADY BEAT THIS GUY THROUGH
THE WEEDS. HE WAS A GENERAL, DID SERVE OUR
COUNTRY. LET'S GET HIM OUT OF HERE AND
MOVE ON. >> I WONDER IF THE INVERSE WOULD
BE TRUE. WOULD IT BE OKAY FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO TELL THE FBI DIRECTOR EXPLICITLY TO GO AND
INVESTIGATE SOMEONE AND OPEN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION?
>> I DON'T THINK THE -- I THINK THE FBI IS AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY
THAT HAS TO DO WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO REGARDLESS OF WHO TELLS IT TO
DO ANYTHING. >> SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY
EXACTLY THAT'S THE ISSUE. WE DON'T WANT THE PRESIDENT
ORDERING SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE SOMEONE, SAY HIS POLITICAL
ENEMIES. AND WE DON'T WANT THE PRESIDENT
TELLING THEM NOT TO INVESTIGATE A POLITICAL ALLY WHEN THE
PRESIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES LEANS ON THE FBI DIRECTOR TO DO
PRECISELY THAT, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S
PROBLEMATIC, RIGHT? >> WELL, IF IT WAS AS AGGRESSIVE
AS YOU'RE IMPLYING, MAYBE PERHAPS.
BUT I'M NOT HEARING OR READING THOSE KINDS OF WORDS IN WHAT I'M
SEEING. I'M SEEING SOME COMMENTS THAT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN MISCONSTRUED. I'M SEEING SOME REFERENCES TO
WANTING INTRINSIC VALUES OF HONESTY AND INTEGRITY OUT OF HIS
TEAM. >> I JUST WANT TO READ YOU ONE
MORE PORTION OF THE FORMER DIRECTOR'S TESTIMONY JUST SO
THAT I CAN GET YOUR REACTION. HE TALKED ABOUT A ONE-ON-ONE
DINNER. HE TOLD ME THE MY INSTINCTS TOLD
ME THAT THE ONE-ON-ONE SETTING MEANT THE DINNER WAS AT LEAST IN
PART AN EFFORT TO HAVE ME ASK FOR MY JOB AND CREATE SOME SORT
OF PATRONAGE RELATIONSHIP. THAT CONCERNED ME GREATLY GIVEN
THE FBI'S TRADITIONALLY INDEPENDENT STATUS IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH. DO YOU THINK THE TRADITIONAL
INDEPENDENT STATUS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE FBI IS
IMPORTANT? >> OF COURSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
BUT I MUST BE THE DUNCE OF THE WEEK, BUT I'M NOT CONNECTING UP
THOSE WORDS WITH THE IMPLICATIONS THAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I MIGHT HAVE TO READ THAT AND STUDY THAT SOME MORE.
>> THE PRESIDENT DID CONTACT JAMES COMEY NINE TIMES IN FOUR
MONTHS. HE SAYS HE ONLY HAD TWO
CONVERSATIONS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA DURING HIS ENTIRE TENURE,
AND DURING SOME OF THOSE NINE CONVERSATIONS, IT WAS AN
EXPLICIT ASK THAT HE STOP INVESTIGATING SOMEONE.
>> YEAH, I CAN'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY THE PRESIDENT
DIDN'T GET RID OF COMEY THE DAY HE TOOK OFFICE AFTER THE WAY HE
BOTCHED THAT CLINTON DEAL. OBVIOUSLY COMEY WAS ON HIS MIND
AS A PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE. >> HERE'S MY QUESTION.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO BASICALLY FEEL THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY SORT OF IN FOR A PENNY, IN FOR A POUND WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP, WHETHER THEY PERSONALLY SUPPORT HIS AGENDA, THEY FEEL
PERSONAL LOYALTY, HE'S A MEMBER OF THE PARTY, THAT THERE'S
BASICALLY NO THING THAT COULD COME OUT THAT WOULD CAUSE THEM
TO REASSESS THAT OR TO MOVE TOWARDS IMPEACHMENT.
IS THAT TRUE? IS THAT A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION?
>> NO, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT THAT'S TANGIBLE, THAT
IMPLIES ELEMENTS OF A CRIME, THAT WOULD BE A WHOLE DIFFERENT
DEAL. BUT I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING
ANYWHERE NEAR THAT RIGHT HERE. >> BUT YOU'RE KEEPING YOUR MIND
OPEN IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME? >> I THINK WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO
HAVE AN OPEN MIND ABOUT EVERYTHING.
BUT I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT DONALD TRUMP IS PRESIDENT AND WE
HAVE THE CHANCE TO DRIVE THE KIND OF AGENDA THAT WE'RE
DRIVING AND THAT WE'VE GOT

GOP Rep.: James Comey Testimony Doesn't Describe A Crime | All In | MSNBC

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