Senator Mark Warner Asks DHS For More Info On Russia Hacking

>>> JOINING US FROM CAPITOL HILL, VISZ CHAIRMAN OF THE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, SENATOR MARK
WARNER OF VIRGINIA. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU SENT A LETTER THIS MORNING TO DHS, HOMELAND
SECURITY, ASKING SECRETARY JON KELLY TO DISCLOSE ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON ATTEMPTS TO INTERFERE IN THE 2016 ELECTIONS
BY HACKING INTO STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION SYSTEMS.
WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS YOU WANT ANSWERED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT A
STATE AND LOCAL ELECTION? >> FIRST OF ALL, LET ME MAKE
CLEAR, I DON'T BELIEVE THE RUSSIANS AFFECTED ANY VOTE
TOTALS IN 2016. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF
PUBLISHED REPORTS THAT HAVE SAID THAT LITERALLY DOZENS OF STATES
THE RUSSIANS ATTEMPTED TO HACK INTO.
SO FAR, ONLY TWO STATES HAVE COME FORWARD, ILLINOIS AND
ARIZONA, AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE RUSSIANS HACKED INTO THEM.
I'M NOT TRYING TO EMBARRASS ANY STATE.
WHAT I'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION TO GET OUT INTO THE PUBLIC
SHOWING HOW EXTENSIVE THIS RUSSIAN ATTEMPT TO INTERFERE WAS
NOT TO, AGAIN, EMBARRASS THE STATE BUT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE READY FOR 2018 AND MY HOME STATE OF VIRGINIA, WE HAVE
ELECTIONS THIS YEAR IN 2017, TO MAKE SURE THAT STATES ARE
SHARING INFORMATION, THAT THEY HAVE BEST PRACTICES.
ONE THING THAT SECRETARY KELLY DID DO THAT I STRONGLY COMMEND
IS HE SAID OUR ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE SO, WE JUST NEED MORE COOPERATION AND TO BE ON
GUARD. >> BASED ON THE INFORMATION YOU
HAVE, YOU BELIEVE RUSSIA DID HACK INTO STATE ELECTORAL
SYSTEMS BUT SOMEHOW DID NOT AFFECT THE VOTE TOTALS?
>> WHAT I THINK THEY DID IS CERTAIN PLACES THEY ATTEMPTED TO
HACK IN, THEY IDENTIFIED AND CAUGHT, CERTAIN PLACES THEY WERE
JUST PROBING THE SYSTEM. WHAT I GOT OUT OF DHS IS THEY
FEEL STATES WERE IN EFFECT VICTIMS AND IT'S UP TO THE
STATES TO COME FORWARD WITH THAT INFORMATION.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'RE MADE SAFER BY KEEPING THIS INFORMATION IN
SECRET. I CAN ONLY SAY A LOT MORE THAN
TWO STATES THAT HAVE PUBLICLY COME FORWARD, THE RUSSIANS
ATTEMPTED TO GET INTO IN 2016 AND THE MORE WE CAN BE AWARE,
THE BETTER WE CAN PREPARE FOR FUTURE ELECTIONS.
>> SENATOR, WHAT ISSUES, DOCUMENTS OR WITNESSES IS THE
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, MR. MUELLER'S INVESTIGATION,
MOST LIKELY TO RUN INTO SOME CONFLICT OR NEED FOR
COORDINATION WITH CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES?
>> WELL, SENATOR BURR AND I MET WITH THE SPECIAL COUNSEL MUELLER
LAST WEEK. WE SET UP A PROCESS SO WE CAN
DECONFLICT IN CASE WE WANT TO TALK TO SOME MORE WITNESSES.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT BEEN IN THE PRESS RECENTLY ABOUT
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT
WOULD BE CRIMINAL, THAT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL WOULD LOOK INTO.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING INTO PATTERNS WHERE IT APPEARS THAT
THE PRESIDENT MAY HAVE TRIED TO INTERFERE AND POLITICIZE SOME OF
OUR TOP INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS. I'M PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT
SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS HE HAD WITH FORMER DIRECTOR COMEY,
WHERE COMEY WAS SO WORRIED THAT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT FRANKLY LIE
ABOUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT DIRECTOR COMEY HAD TO
MEMORIALIZE HIM IN SEPARATE MEMORANDA.
BECAUSE WE STILL HAVEN'T GOT ON THE CORE ISSUE, WHICH IS WE KNOW
THE RUSSIANS INTERVEEPED. WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WAS THEIR
LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION OR COLLABORATION BETWEEN OFFICIALS
OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIANS.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT.
ON THE OVERALL QUESTION OF INTERVENTION, THE ONE THING THAT
REALLY BOTHERS ME IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT UNANIMOUS CONSENSUS
FROM THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY THAT THE RUSSIANS INTERVENED.
I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE SENATOR, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, THAT
DOESN'T BELIEVE THE RUSSIANS INTERVENED.
THE ONENE PERSON THAT STILL REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS BY
CALLING IT A FAKE NEWS AND A WITCH-HUNT IS THE PRESIDENT.
WHY DOESN'T HE ACCEPT THE UNANIMOUS CONCLUSION OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY? IT REALLY BOTHERS ME A GREAT
DEAL. >> SENATOR, IT'S NICOLE WALLACE.
EARLIER IN OUR PROGRAM, SENATOR WHITEHOUSE SAID SOMETHING HE
SAID YESTERDAY THAT HE KNEW OR HAD INFORMATION THAT MIKE FLYNN
IS ALREADY COOPERATING WITH THE FBI AND MAY HAVE BEEN FOR SOME
TIME. HE SUGGESTED IT WAS OVER FALSE
STATEMENTS HE DELIVERED WHEN FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS, THE FBI,
CAME TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA DURING THE
TRANSITION. HAVE YOU BEEN BRIEFED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT ON WHAT CRIMES MIKE FLYNN HAS ACTUALLY COMMITTED OR
IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE COMMITTED? >> I'M NOT GOING TO COMMENT ON
ANY SPECIFIC BRIEFINGS WE HAVE AND WE'VE HAD.
THE ONE THING I DO KNOW IS THAT GENERAL FLYNN WAS WILLING TO
TESTIFY BUT HE WANTED IMMUNITY AND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A
CONTINUING SERIES OF STORIES, ONE IT APPEARS ALMOST EVERY
OTHER WEEK OR SO, WHERE THERE WERE EITHER FURTHER CONTACTS
WITH RUSSIANS, FURTHER PAYMENTS BY TURKISH BUSINESS LEADERS.
NOW THERE'S MORE REPORTS ABOUT OTHER TRIPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST.
SO I HOPE THAT -- AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER GENERAL FLYNN IS
COOPERATING WITH THE FBI OR NOT. BUT CLEARLY THERE'S A LOT OF
AREA THERE OF CONCERN. >> SENATOR JOE HOWMAN OP THE
SAME TOPIC, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERNS SINCE THE END OF
LAST WEEK ABOUT THE PRESIDENT AND THE POSSIBILITY THEY MIGHT
TRY TO FIRE EITHER ROD ROSENSTEIN OR BOB MUELLER OR
BOTH. TELL ME WHAT YOUR LEVEL OF
CONCERN IS ABOUT THAT AT THIS POINT AND IF HE WERE TO MAKE
THAT ATTEMPT OF EITHER/OR BOTH
OF THOSE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN YOUR BODY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I DIDN'T THINK THIS ADMINISTRATION, THIS
PRESIDENT, COULD SURPRISE ME ANY MORE, BUT THEN HE WENT OFF AND
FIRED COMEY. SO THE IDEA HE WOULD POTENTIALLY
FIRE MUELLER OR FIRE ROSENSTEIN WOULD BE JUST REMARKABLE AND I
THINK THE SENATE WOULD THEN SET UP A SEPARATE INDEPENDENT
INQUIRY BECAUSE WE JUST CANNOT ALLOW THIS KIND OF ACTION TO GO
UNADDRESSED. ONE OF THINGS THAT ALSO
SURPRISED ME WHEN WE HAD THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN FRONT OF US
LAST WEEK, I THOUGHT I GAVE HIM A SOFTBALL QUESTION AND I ASKED
HIM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE JUST ASSURE US THAT THERE'S NOT AT
LEAST BEEN DISCUSSIONS IN THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT POTENTIAL
PRESIDENTIAL PARDONS. AND INSTEAD OF GETTING A
STRAIGHT-UP ANSWER SAYING, OF COURSE, WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED
THAT, WE AGAIN GOT A PUNT ANSWER FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
SO AGAIN, THE IDEA THAT THE PRESIDENT MIGHT FIRE MUELLER,
MIGHT FIRE ROSENSTEIN OR MIGHT BE DISCUSSING PARDONS IS REALLY
ALL VERY TROUBLING. BUT WE DON'T KNOW BECAUSE THIS
WHITE HOUSE SEEMS TO GIVE US A DIFFERENT ANSWER EVERY DAY.
>> SENATOR, DIFFERENT TOPIC BEFORE I LET YOU GO.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS NEGOTIATION, THIS DISCUSSION
ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.
THE PLAN SEEMS TO BE ACCORDING TO MOST REPORTS FOR MITCH
McCONNELL TO GET A BILL TOGETHER, GET A SCORE BY THE CEO
TO VOTE ON IT BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
HOW DOES THAT STRIKE YOU? >> PRETTY WACKY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFECTING ONE-SIXTH OF OUR WHOLE ECONOMY,
THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY, FOR ALL THE FLAWS THAT OBAMACARE
HAD, THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF AMENDMENTS THAT WERE OFFERED,
MANY OF THEM OFFERED AND ACCEPTED BY REPUBLICANS.
THE IDEA THAT ONE PARTY IS GOING TO DO THIS ENTIRELY IN SECRET
AND THEN TRY TO JAM IT DOWN THE THROAT OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC I
THINK WOULD BE A POLITICAL DISASTER AND A SUBSTANTIVE
DISASTER FOR IT LOOKS ANYTHING LIKE THE HOUSE BILL THAT TOOK 21
MILLION-PLUS AMERICANS WOULD LOSE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE AND
ONE OF THE THINGS AS A FORMER GOVERNOR, $800 BILLION COST
TRANSFER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
STATES. I'M GLAD TO SEE A NUMBER OF
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS STARTING TO SCREAM ABOUT THAT BECAUSE AS
FORMER GOVERNOR THAT'S JUST A FISCAL FLIMFLAM.
>> ALL RIGHT. SENATOR MARK WARNER FROM
VIRGINIA, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU. >> ONE FINAL NOTE.
WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SEAN
SPICER HOLDING YET ANOTHER OFF-CAMERA PRESS BRIEFING
YESTERDAY IN PLACE OF THE USUAL PUBLICLY BROADCAST BRIEFINGS AND
NOW THERE'S THIS. ACCORDING TO THE "ATLANTIC,"
ASKED WHY THE BRIEFINGS ARE NOW ROUTINELY HELD OFF CAMERA, WHITE
HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST STEVE BANNON SAID IN A TEXT MESSAGE,
"SEAN GOT FATTER." BANNON DID NOT RESPOND TO A
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. >> IS THAT REAL?
>> MAY HAVE BEEN JOKING. >> LET ME JUST SAY, IT'S HARD TO
BATTLE THE BULGE INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE.
A LOT OF SITTING. I'M SERIOUS.
I WORKED IN THE WHITE HOUSE. IT'S HARD.
>> BOWLS OF M&Ms. >> HOW WOULD YOU M REACT TO
THAT? >> WE DIDN'T LEAK SO IT WOULD
HAVE STAYED INSIDE. >> ON THAT NOTE, THAT DOES IT
FOR US THIS MORNING. STEPHANIE RUHLE

Senator Mark Warner Asks DHS For More Info On Russia Hacking | MSNBC

Latest Posts