WaPo: Donald Trump Under Investigation For Obstruction Of Justice | For The Record

>>> AND THERE IS BREAK EGG NEWS RIGHT NOW.
THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTING SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT MUELLER
IS INVESTIGATING PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE. WITH ME, SENATOR RICHARD
BLUMENTHAL, DEMOCRAT OF CONNECTICUT WHO SERVES ON THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND ONE OF THE LEAD PLAINTIFFS IN THE
LAWSUIT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN JUST A SECOND.
FIRST LET ME GO TO YOU, SENATOR. THIS IS STUNNING, AFTER FORMER
DIRECTOR COMEY SAID THREE TIMES THAT HE WASN'T UNDER
INVESTIGATION, NOW THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
>> THIS REPORT IS REALLY NO SURPRISE, GRETA.
HE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN UNDER INVESTIGATION IN TECHNICAL TERMS
BACK WHEN DIRECTOR COMEY WAS HEADING THE FBI, BUT NOT
SURPRISING THAT HE IS NOW BECAUSE HE FIRED COMEY AFTER
COMEY REFUSED TO PLEDGE LOYALTY AND IN EFFECT DROP AN
INVESTIGATION THAT HE DEMANDED TO DO.
AND, SO, WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS LITERALLY
AN OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CASE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES UNFOLDING IN REAL-TIME RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES.
>> IS THIS A MAJOR TURNING POINT?
I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT, I GUESS, WAS PROBABLY HIGH FIVING THE
OTHER DAY AFTER COMEY TESTIFIED AND SAID HE CONFIRMED THE THREE
TIMES THAT HE WAS NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION.
IS THIS A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT? >> IT'S A MOMENT AND A POSSIBLE
TURNING POINT. CLEARLY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL IS
VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT DONALD TRUMP DID TO TRY TO SUPPRESS
THIS INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING FIRING DIRECTOR COMEY.
AND THAT COULD BE HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT MEANS
THAT THIS OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE CASE IS NOW FRONT AND CENTER.
>> WHAT WOULD BE THE OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE?
I MEAN, HYPOTHETICALLY, WHAT COULD MUELLER -- AN
INVESTIGATION IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME AS BEING GUILTY OF
ANYTHING. BUT AN INVESTIGATION, IS IT THAT
HE -- THAT ACCORDING TO COMEY, COMEY FELT PRESSURED INTO
DROPPING THE INVESTIGATION INTO FLYNN.
IS THAT IT? >> THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE OTHER
EVIDENCE BESIDES WHAT WE'VE SEEN, AND THERE MAY WELL BE AND
OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT DONALD TRUMP HAD AND COMEY HAD.
BUT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD
CONCERN THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRYING TO STOP AND
END AN INVESTIGATION THAT IMPERILED HIM WITH POSSIBLE
CRIMINAL CULPABILITY. >> HE ALSO HAS THE DEPUTY A.G.
ROSENSTEIN AND THE CURRENT A.G. BOTH WANTING TO FIRE COMEY FOR
OTHER RELATED REASONS, DISARRAY AT THE FBI WAS ONE OF THE
ALLEGATIONS THAT THEY MADE AS WELL AS BUNGLING THE HILLARY
CLINTON INVESTIGATION AND SAYING ON MAY 3RD WHEN HE TESTIFIED
THAT HE WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
SO, THAT WOULD BE A LEGITIMATE REASON PRESUMABLY TO FIRE COMEY.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY THREADS HERE THAT NEED TO BE PUT
TOGETHER, AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE SPECIAL COUNSEL -- AND
I CALLED FOR A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR.
I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO DO SO. I VOTED AGAINST ROD ROSENSTEIN
BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO COMMIT TO DO SO.
I WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO VOTE
AGAINST HIM. BUT NOW THAT HE HAS, I THINK WE
CAN HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE. HE'S GOING TO BE UNRAVELING
THESE THREADS AND GOING TO THOSE PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT WE JUST
REFERENCED. >> THERE ARE 200 DEMOCRATS THAT
HAVE BROUGHT A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE PRESIDENT, WHY MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT HIS FINANCES MUCH LIKE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,
THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FERAL FROM THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND A PUBLIC INTEREST GROUP.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU'RE ALLEGING? >> THIS LAWSUIT IS ABOUT THE
CONSTITUTION AND THE PRESIDENT'S THUMBING HIS NOSE AT THE
CONSTITUTION AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
SPECIFICALLY, A SOMEWHAT ARCHAIC CLAUSE KNOWN AS THE EMOLUMENTS
CLAUSE WHICH PROHIBITS HIM OR ANY OTHER OFFICIAL FROM
ACCEPTING ANY PAYMENT OR BENEFIT WITHOUT CONSENT FROM CONGRESS.
NOT ONLY HAS HE FAILED TO COME TO US FOR CONSENT FOR THIS
WORLDWIDE EMPIRE OF PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS, BUT HE HAS ALSO FAILED
TO DISCLOSE. WE CAN'T CONSENT TO SOMETHING WE
DON'T KNOW. AND THE CONSTITUTION IS ACTUALLY
VERY CLEAR IN THIS PREEMINENT ANTICORRUPTION CLAUSE.
>> DID YOU ASK ANY REPUBLICANS TO JOIN?
I HAVE TO ASK THIS POLITICAL QUESTION.
DID YOU ASK ANY REPUBLICANS TO JOIN?
>> AS OF TODAY WE HAVE. >> DID YOU GET ANY YESES?
>> WE WILL, I HOPE, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE DEMOCRATS,
TOO. WE GREW THIS GROUP OVER THE LAST
FEW MONTHS AND I'VE WORKED WITH LAW PROFESSORS AND EXPERTS AND
OTHERS TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPLAINT THAT WILL WITHSTAND
ANY CHALLENGE, I BELIEVE, IN THE COURTS, INCLUDING A STANDING
CHALLENGE BECAUSE

WaPo: Donald Trump Under Investigation For Obstruction Of Justice | For The Record | MSNBC

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