Paul Manafort Files Retroactively As Foreign Agent | Rachel Maddow

THANKS, FRIEND. >>> IF ANYBODY DOES THAT, I WANT
A PRODUCER CREDIT. \S
>>> WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN ON TUESDAY, BUT
THIS HAS TURNED INTO A HUGE NIGHT IN PRACTICAL AMERICAN
POLITICS. AFTER A CRESCENDO OF PROTESTS IN
SENATE OFFICES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IN THE HAS THE
CAPITOL HILL, AND AT THE CINCINNATI LAST NIGHT, BOTH ON
THE FLOOR WHERE SENATE DEMOCRATS HELD THE FLOOR FOR HOURS, AND
THEY WENT OUTSIDE AND HELD THE CAPITOL STEPS, AN IMPROMPTU
PROTEST WHICH STARTED WITH SENATOR COREY BOOKER, JOHN
LEWIS, AND SOON GREW TO BE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STEPS
OF THE CAPITOL DEEP INTO THE NIGHT AFTER A SCORE FROM THE
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE THAT SAID THE REP BILL TO KILO'BAMA
CARE WOULD KICK 22 MILLION AMERICANS OFF THEIR HEALTH
INSURANCE? NOT JUST OFF THE HEALTH
INSURANCE YOU'RE ON NOW, IT WOULD KICK 22 MILLION AMERICANS
ALL OF ALL FORMS OF HEALTH INSURANCE AND LEAVE THEM
UNINSURED. AFTER ALL OF THAT, TODAY IT
BECAME TOO MUCH FOR THE REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON TO
BEAR. FOR A WHILE I THINK THEY THOUGHT
THEY COULD HOLD THE LINE AND STOP THEIR OWN SENATORS FROM
PEELING OFF THE BILL. THEY KNEW THEY HAD LOST DEAN
HELLER AND KNEW THEY HAD LOST SUSAN COLLINS OF MAINE, AND I
THINK THEY THOUGHT FOR A WHILE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO HOLD IT
THERE, EVEN WITH THOSE TWO LOSSES, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
STILL PASS THE BILL BY HAVING VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE COME
IN AND CAST A TIE-BREAKING VOTE. NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT HOLD THAT
LINE AT THAT TWO SENATORS, THAT LINE JUST COMPLETELY COLLAPSED
TODAY. IT WASN'T JUST HELLER AND
COLLINS. IT WAS A THIRD SENATOR, THEN A
FOURTH, THEN A FIFTH, THEN A SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH.
SO YEAH, THEY PULLED IT. ON AGAIN, THIS IS NOT
REPUBLICANS TRYING AND FAILING TO GET DEMOCRATS TO VOTE WITH
THEM. THIS IS NOT SOME NEGOTIATIONS
THAT FAILED BECAUSE OF PARTISAN DIFFERENCES.
THAT DOES NOT APPLY HERE. REPUBLICANS WERE TRYING TO
REPEAL OBAMACARE WITHOUT EVEN TALKING TO THE DEMOCRATS WITHOUT
EVEN TRYING TO A SINGLE DEMOCRATIC VOTE.
THEY PROBABLY WOULDN'T WANT A DEMOCRATIC VOTE IF THEY COULD
GET ONE. THEY WERE TRYING TO DO THIS WITH
VOTES FROM THEIR OWN MEMBERSHIP. TECHNICALLY THEY COULD.
THEY A REPUBLICANS-ONLY AFFAIR. AS REPUBLICANS TODAY, THEY
FAILED, WHICH MEANS IT REMAINS A STRANGE HALLMARK OF THE TRUMP
ERA IN WASHINGTON, EVEN WITH A NEW REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT, EVEN
WITH A LARGE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE, AND REPUBLICAN
CONTROL OF THE SENATE TOO, IT HAS NOW BEEN MORE THAN 150 DAYS
OF THIS NEW ADMINISTRATION WITH UNIFIED REPUBLICAN CONTROL IN
WASHINGTON, AND THEY HAVE YET TO PASS A SINGLE SUBSTANTIVE PIECE
OF LEGISLATION OF ANY KIND. THERE IS EXACTLY ONE NEW BILL
THIS PRESIDENT HAS SIGNED WITH AN HONEST TO GOODS IN POLICY,
MAKING IT EASIER TO FIRE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE V.A.
THAT'S A BIPARTISAN PIECE OF LEGISLATE THAT WAS AGREED TO
SUBSTANTIVELY DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND IT CARRIED
OVER. BEYOND THAT, THOUGH, THERE HAS
BEEN NOTHING. THEY HAVE HAD NO LEGISLATION ON
ANY SIGNIFICANT POLICY WHATSOEVER, AND NOW, AS OF
TONIGHT, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO KILL HEALTH REFORM, EITHER.
SO IT'S A BIG NIGHT IN PRACTICAL POLITICS IN AMERICA, THE
REPUBLICAN EFFORT TO TRY TO KILO'BAMACARE ONCE AGAIN HAS
COLLAPSED UNDER THE BEAT OF EVEN RUPE NOT ABLE TO SUPPORT IT.
WE'LL HAVE SENATOR COREY BOOKER LIVE IN A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT
THIS BIG DAY FOR DEMOCRATS, BIG DAY FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HOLD
ON TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. SENATOR BOOKER JOINING US IN A
MOMENT. >>> I'M ALSO PLEASED TO BE
JOINED STEIN BY SENATOR MARK WARNER OF VIRGINIA IS GOING TO
JOIN US LIVE. THIS WILL, I THINK EVER BE HIS
FIRST-EVER INTERVIEW ON "THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW" PARTICULAR
WITH THE BREAKING NEWS IN "THE WASHINGTON POST."
AS OF TONIGHT THERE ARE TWO HIGH-RANKS OFFICIALS FROM THE
TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN WHO HAVE HAD TO REGISTER
RETROACTIVELY AS AGENTS OF A FOREIGN POWER.
FIRST WAS MIKE FLYNN, HE RESIGNED IN FEBRUARY AS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER, JUST 3 1/2 WEEKS INTO THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION. HE RESIGNED WHEN "THE WASHINGTON
POST" REPORTED ON CONTACTS AND CONVERSATIONS HE HAD HAD WITH
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OFFIC OFFICI THAT HE HAD EITHER NOT DISCLOSED
OR HE HAD PUBLICLY LIED ABOUT THEM.
WE LATER LEARNED THAT THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES HAD GONE TO THE WHITE HOUSE PHYSICALLY HERSELF IN THE
FIRST WEEK OF THE INDEED ADMINISTRATION TO WARN THAT MIKE
FLYNN HAD BEEN COMPROMISED BY THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, HE WAS
VULNERABLE TO RUSSIAN BLACKMAIL OR COERCION, BASICALLY BECAUSE
RUSSIA HAD PROOF OF ALL THEIR CONTACTS WITH HIM AND WHAT HE
HAD BEEN SAYING IN HIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM.
FLYNN WAS LYING ABOUT THOSE THINGS IN HIS PUBLIC ROLE AS
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. SO THEY HAD THAT OVER MIKE
FLYNN. THEY COULD CONCEIVABLY COERCION
HIM TO BEHAVE IN WAYS THEY WANTED THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD
FOR THE UNITED STATES. NOW, AFTER THAT WARNING, THERE
REMAIN EVEN TODAY A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE
BASICALLY HAVING NO RESPONSE TO THAT WARNING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
THE WHITE HOUSE DID NOT, FOR EXAMPLE, CORRECT THE RECORD ON
ANY OF THE THINGS THAT FLYNN OR THE WHITE HOUSE HAD BEEN LYING
ABOUT. THEY APPARENTLY DID NOT LIMIT
HIS ACCESS TO HIGHLY SECRET AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION,
DESPITE WHAT THEY HAD JUST BEEN TOLD ABOUT HIM.
THEY EVEN ALLOWED FLYNN TO SIT IN ON A CALL BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND VLADIMIR PUTIN.
THIS IS AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE HAD BEEN WARNED THAT FLYNN HAD
BEEN COMPROMISED BY PUTIN'S GOVERNMENT.
YOU WANT TO SIT IN ON OUR CALL? YOU KNOW HIM, RIGHT?
SO THERE REMAIN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE WHITE
HOUSE DEALT WITH MIKE FLYNN AFTER THE WARNING THEY GOT AND
THE EVIDENCE THAT THEY GOT ABOUT HIS FOREIGN TIES, PARTICULARLY
RELATED TO RUSSIA. BUT ULTIMATELY 18 DAYS AFTER
THAT WARNING FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, IT WAS "THE
WASHINGTON POST" AGAIN THAT EXPOSED THAT THAT WARNING HAD
BEEN DELIVERED TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE WHITE HOUSE HADN'T
ACTED ON IT. IT WAS FINALLY IN MID FEBRUARY,
18 DAYS AFTER THAT WARNING FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THAT
FLYNN FINALLY DID RESIGN. ON THAT WAS IN MID FEBRUARY, AND
THEN THE MONTH AFTER THAT IN MARCH, FLYNN RETROACTIVELY
REGISTERED AS A FOREIGN AGENT. HE REGISTERED AFTER THE FACT AS
HAVING BEEN ON THE PAYROLL OF THE GOVERNMENT OF TURKE TURKEY
THE PRECEDING YEAR WHEN HE WAS WORKING FOR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
NOW, WHAT COMPELLED MIKE FLYNN TO REGISTER AS A FOREIGN AGENT
THAT FAR AFTER THE FACT? IN MARCH, THAT WAS NOT HIM
DECIDING, DECLARING THAT HE WANTED TO BECOME A FOREIGN
AGENT. HE WAS DECLARING RETROACTIVELY
HE HAD BEEN ONE BEFORE AND HADN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT
BEFORE. SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THOSE
WEEKS AFTER HE HAD TO RESIGN IN A STORM OF CONTROVERSY, AFTER
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LIT UP LIKE A FLARE GUN WHEN THEY
LEARNED WHAT HE WAS DOING, SOMETHING HAPPENED IN MIKE
FLYNN'S LIFE IN MARCH THAT MADE HIM FEEL A SUDDEN OBLIGATION
THAT MAYBE HE OUGHT TO GO BACK AND RETROACTIVELY REGISTER FOR
THIS THING HE WAS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DO.
NOT LONG AWAY IS WHEN MIKE FLYNN WANTED TO REQUEST IMMUNITY FROM
PROSECUTION. THAT'S WHEN HIS LAWYER SAID THAT
MIKE FLYNN, QUOTE, CERTAINLY HAS A STORY TO TELL.
HONESTLY, WE DON'T KNOW WHY MIKE FLYNN DECIDED IN MARCH TO
RECEIPT OACTIVELY REGISTER. IT'S NOT IMPLAUSIBLE HE NEEDED
TO START GETTING HIS LEGAL DUCKS IN A ROW.
WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT HIS FOREIGN BUSINESS TIES ARE NOT
JUST THE SUBJECT OF CONGRESSIONALLY INVESTIGATION,
ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER
AT THE FBI. WE'VE LEARNED HIS BUSINESS TIES
HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN INVESTIGATION BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE INSPECTOR GENERAL, THE SUBJECT OF GRAND JURY
SUBPOENAs UNTIL THE AUSPICES OF THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WHEN THINGS ARE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE, ISN'T THAT -- BURN OFF ALL
LOOSE THREADS WITH A CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND HOPE NOBODY NOTICES
THE SMOKY SMELL. THAT HAPPENED WITH MIKE FLYNN IN
MARCH. AND THEN JUST A COUPLE WEEKS
AFTER THAT, IN APRIL, THERE STARTED DON'T THIS IS NECESSARY
REPORTS THAT A SECOND PERSON FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAD ALSO
RETROACTIVELY REGISTERED. IT NEWS HEADLINES SUGGESTED OR
FLAT-OUT SAID IN ADDITION TO MIKE FLYNN, TRUMP CAMPAIGN
CHAIRMAN PAUL MANAFORT HAD ALSO NOW REGISTERED AS A FOREIGN
AGENT. IN FACT HE HAD NOT REGISTERED AS
A FOREIGN AGENT DESPITE ALL THOSE HEADLINES IN APRIL.
THEY START INDEED APRIL, THEY PERSISTED IN MAY, AND JUNE, ALL
THROUGH THIS MONTH EAR STILL SEEING HEADLINES INACCURATELY
THAT HE HAD REGISTERED. HE ACTUALLY HADN'T, WHICH WAS AN
INTERESTING CONTRAST TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH FLYNN.
FLYNN DEFINITELY HAD BUSINESS TIES, FOREIGN BUSINESS TIES FOR
WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE REGISTERED AND DIDN'T AT THE TIME.
HE THEN RESIGNED FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND A HUGE CLOUD
OF SCANDAL, AND THEN SOON THEREAFTER, HE PRESUMABLY
BECAUSE HE WAS GETTING GOOD ADVICE OR GOOD PRESSURE FROM THE
PEOPLE WHO OVERSEE THIS SORT OF THING AT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT,
FOR SOME REASON HE DECIDED TO PAUL MANAFORT ALSO CLEARLY HAS
LOTS OF FOREIGN TIES, LOTS OF FOREIGN BUSINESS TIES.
WE HAVE ALL HAD TO LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE NAMES.
THERE WAS HIS OWN BUSINESS PARTNER FROM UKRAINE WHO RAN THE
MANAFORT OFFICE IN UKRAINE. A GUY WHO USED TO WORK FOR
RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, WHO THEN MET WITH MANAFORT
MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE UNITED STATES DURING THE FERNS THE
PRO-PUTIN DICTATOR WHO MANAFORT WORKED FOR FOR A DECK CADDY
BEFORE HE WAS DEPOSEDD AND HAD O FLEE TO MOSCOW.
HE TOO HAD TO RESIGN UNDER THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN UNTIL A HUGE
SCANDAL RELATING TO RUSSIA. HE TOO, LIKE MIKE PALESTINIAN,
IS REPORTEDLY THE SUBJECT OF CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS, HE
AND HIS BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN THE SUBJECT OF FEDERAL GRAND JURY
SUBPOENAs OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD CREATE FOR HIM ALL THE SAME
PRESSURE THAT MIKE FLYNN FELT, TO GET HIS LEGAL DUCKS IN A ROW,
TO TAKE CARE OF THINGS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OVERSEES,
THINGS LIKE FILING HIS FOREIGN AGENT REGISTRATION ACT
PAPERWORK. YOU WOULD THINK THAT MANAFORT
WOULD FEEL THAT SAME A PRESSURE. DESMID THE PRESS RECORDS, HE
DIDN'T, WHICH HAS A WEIRD OVER THESE FEW MONTHS.
IT HAS LED US ON THIS SHOW TO DISCOVER THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL
JEFF SESSIONS, WHO SAID HE WAS RECUSED FROM ALL MATTERS FOR THE
CAMPAIGN RECEIPTED TO THE PRESIDENT, HE SAID HE WAS
RECUSED FROM ANY MATTERS INVOLVING A JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
INVESTIGATION, WE DISCOVERED SORT OF INCIDENTALLY WHEN WE
WERE TRYING TO PULL THIS THREAD, THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF
SESSIONS WOULDN'T SAY WHEN HE WAS RECUSED FROM ANY JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION INVOLVING PAUL MANAFORT.
HE WOULDN'T SAY WHETHER HE WAS RECUSED.
WHY IS THAT? JUST TELL US YES OR NO.
IT'S BEEN WEIRD ALL THIS TIMES WELL, TONIGHT "THE WASHINGTON
POST" REPORTS THAT TRUMP CAMPAIGN CHAIR PAUL MANAFORT HAS
NOW OFFICIALLY AS OF TODAY FINALLY RETROACTIVELY REGISTERED
AS A FOREIGN AGENT. HIS REGISTRATION REPORTEDLY
COVERS TWO YEARS FROM 2012 TO 2014, REPORTEDLY, BECAUSE WE'RE
GOING ON "THE WASHINGTON POST" DETAILS HERE.
WE HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUR HANDS ON THE FILING YET.
ACCORDING TO THE POSTMAN AFORT REPORTS OVER $17 MILLION FROM
THOSE TWO YEARS FROM THE PRO-PUTIN PARTY THAT HE WORKED
FOR IN THE UKRAINE. WHY HE FELT COMPELLED TODAY TO
REGISTERED FOR SOMETHING HE SAYS HE STOPPED DOING THREE YEARS
AGO? WE DON'T KNOW.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO TIDY THAT
UP. WE HAVE A REPORT THAT SPECIAL
COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER IS CONSOLIDATING ALL OF THE
INVESTIGATIONS AROUND THE RUSSIAN ATTACK, INVESTIGATIONS
THAT MAY INCLUDE PEOPLE LIKE MIKE FLYNN AND PAUL MANAFORT AND
OTHERS. SO NOW TWO TOP TRUMP CAMPAIGN
FOLKS RETROACTIVELY REGISTERED AS FOREIGN AGENTS.
WHY IT TOOK THIS LONG FOR MANAFORT TO REGISTER, I DON'T
KNOW. WHAT THAT SAYS ABOUT THE ONGOING
INVESTIGATION, I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK WITH SENATOR
MARK WARNER FROM THE TOP HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IN A

Paul Manafort Files Retroactively As Foreign Agent | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

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