New Details On Robert Mueller's Investigation Of Michael Flynn | The 11th Hour

AND GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN FROM THE NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS HERE
IN NEW YORK. DAY 295 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, AND TONIGHT IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE ATTENTION
OF ROBERT MUELLER IS, FOR THE TIME BEING AT LEAST, BEARING
DOWN ON MIKE FLYNN, THE RETIRED U.S. ARMY GENERAL WHO WAS ONE OF
THE STALWARTS OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN EFFORT AND WHO SERVED
AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER FOR 24 DAYS IN THE WEST WING.
NBC NEWS REPORTS TODAY MUELLER IS INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE DEAL
BETWEEN SENIOR TURKISH OFFICIALS AND FLYNN DURING THE
PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION. THIS REPORT SAYS IN PART, QUOTE,
FOUR PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE INVESTIGATION SAID MUELLER IS
LOOKING INTO WHETHER FLYNN DISCUSSED ORCHESTRATING THE
RETURN TO TURKEY OF A CHIEF RIVAL OF TURKISH PRESIDENT
ERDOGAN WHO LIVES IN THE U.S. FLYNN WAS OFFERED UPWARDS OF $15
MILLION TO BE PAID DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IF HE COULD COMPLETE
THE DEAL ACCORDING TO TWO SOURCES FAMILIAR WITH THE
MEETING. FLYNN'S LAWYERS RELEASED A
STATEMENT ABOUT THE STORY SAYING, QUOTE, WE HAVE
INTENTIONALLY AVOIDED RESPONDING TO EVERY RUMOR OR ALLEGATION
RAISED IN THE MEDIA, BUT TODAY'S NEWS CYCLE HAS BROUGHT
ALLEGATIONS ABOUT GENERAL FLYNN, RANGING FROM KIDNAPPING TO
BRIBERY THAT ARE SO OUTRAGEOUS AND PREJUDICIAL THAT WE ARE
MAKING AN EXCEPTION TO OUR USUAL RULE.
THEY ARE FALSE. FLYNN, YOU RECALL, AMONG TRUMP'S
EARLIEST CAMPAIGN SUPPORTERS, HE SERVED ON THE TRANSITION TEAM
BEFORE FOLLOWING THE NEW PRESIDENT IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL SALLY YATES OVER AT JUSTICE
TESTIFIED THAT SIX DAYS AFTER TRUMP TOOK THE OATH OF OFFICE,
SHSHE WARNED THE WHITE HOUSE FLN WAS COMPROMISED WITH THE
RUSSIANS. SHE ALSO TESTIFIED THAT VICE
PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE HAD UNKNOWINGLY MADE FALSE
STATEMENTS ABOUT FLYNN'S CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RUSSIANS.
AND AN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL SAID PENCE WAS RELAYING WHAT
FLYNN TOLD HIM. 18 DAYS AFTER YATES' WARNING,
TRUMP FIRED FLYNN. HERE'S HOW HE EXPLAINED WHY HE
DID IT. >> Reporter: DID YOU FIRE MIKE
FLYNN? >> MIKE FLYNN IS A FINE PERSON.
AND I ASKED FOR HIS RESIGNATION. HE RESPECTFULLY GAVE IT.
HE IS A MAN WHO, THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INFORMATION
GIVEN TO VICE PRESIDENT PENCE WHO IS WITH US TODAY, AND I WAS
NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THAT INFORMATION WAS GIVEN.
>> Reporter: DID YOU DIRECT MIKE FLYNN TO DISCUSS SANCTIONS WITH
THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR PRIOR TO YOUR INAUGURATION?
>> NO, I DIDN'T. >> Reporter: AND WOULD YOU HAVE
FIRED HIM IF THE INFORMATION HASN'T LEAKED OUT?
>> NO, I FIRED HIM BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAID TO MIKE PENCE, VERY
SIMPLE. MIKE WAS DOING HIS JOB, HE WAS
CALLING COUNTRIES AND HIS COUNTERPARTS.
WE ULTIMATELY FIRED HIM BUT FOR
DIFFERENT REASON. >> Reporter: YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT GENERAL FLYNN, BECAUSE OF LYING TO THE VICE PRESIDENT.
>> EVERYTHING PLAYS INTO IT. BUT WE FIRED HIM BECAUSE HE SAID
SOMETHING TO THE VICE PRESIDENT THAT WAS NOT SO.
>> LET'S BRING IN OUR STARTING PANEL ON A FRIDAY NIGHT SHOW,
NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER JULIA AINSLEY, ONE OF THE
AUTHORS OF THE FLYNN REPORT WE QUOTED.
MORE ON THAT IN A MOMENT. POLITICO WHITE HOUSE REPORTER
MATTHEW NEWSBOMB, AND HERE IN NEW YORK, JENNIFER ROGERS,
FORMER ATTORNEY FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK.
JULIA, YOU GET TO GO FIRST, BECAUSE OF THE PANELISTS YOU
MADE THE NEWS TODAY. TELL US THIS STORY AS BEST YOU
CAN FOR A LAY AUDIENCE, INCLUDING HOW IN THE NAME IT
INCLUDES THE POCANOS AND PENNSYLVANIA?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I'LL BREAK THAT DOWN FOR YOU AS
SIMPLY AS I CAN. BASICALLY, WE KNOW ROBERT
MUELLER IS LOOKING INTO WHETHER OR NOT MICHAEL FLYNN AND HIS
ASSOCIATES MET IN A DECEMBER 2016 MEETING AT THE 21 CLUB IN
NEW YORK. THAT IS AN UPSCALE RESTAURANT
JUST BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE TRUMP TOWER WHERE FLYNN WAS SERVING ON
THE PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM.
WE UNDERSTAND FROM SOURCES WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS MEETING
THAT THEY ALLEGEDLY TALKED ABOUT A $15 MILLION BRIBE THAT THEY
WOULD TRY TO GIVE FLYNN ONCE HE WAS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER IF
HE COULD SEE THAT GULEN WAS REMOVED FROM THE UNITED STATES.
GULEN IS A TURKISH PRESIDENTNT ERDOGAN LIVING IN THE POCANOS.
IN ORDER TO REMOVE HIM, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH A
KIDNAPPING OPERATION OR THROUGH EXTRADITION.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE FBI HAD RE-UPPED THEIR INVESTIGATION,
THEY WERE ASKED TO RE-UP THE INVESTIGATION INTO GULEN AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHEN FLYNN WAS
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. THIS WAS AFTER THEY DISMISSED
THIS INVESTIGATION UNDER OBAMA. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF
PIECES, BUT WHAT MUELLER IS TRYING TO DRILL-DOWN ON HERE IS
WHETHER OR NOT MICHAEL FLYNN, TRUMP'S FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER WAS EXPLOITED TO USE HIS POSITION IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
IN ORDER TO SERVE THE INTEREST OF ANOTHER COUNTRY.
THAT COUNTRY BEING TURKEY. >> AND JULIA, ISN'T IT TRUE THAT
WE ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS MEETING AND THE TURKISH ANGLE BECAUSE A
CERTAIN FORMER CIA DIRECTOR CAME IN AND THOUGHT IT DIDN'T LOOK OR
SOUND RIGHT TO HIM AND HE TOLD THAT STORY?
>> SO THE FORMER CIA DIRECTOR WOOLSEY IS REFERRING TO A
SEPTEMBER MEETING BEFORE THE ELECTION WHEN THE TURKISH
OFFICIALS TALKED TO MICHAEL FLIP ABOUT USING HIS POSITION JUST
WITHIN HIS OWN LOBBYING FIRM, THE FLYNN INTEL GROUP, AND
TRYING TO ORCHESTRATE A FORCIBLE REMOVAL, POSSIBLY A KIDNAPPING
OF GULEN. THIS MEETING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT
NOW ACTUALLY HAPPENED DURING THE TRANSITION WHEN FLYNN KNEW HE
WOULD BE BECOMING NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER LATER.
IT MAY HAVE INVOLVED A MORE LEGAL ROUTE, SUCH AS AN
EXTRADITION. OF COURSE, IT IS NOT NORMAL, NOT
APPROPRIATE ROUTE FOR AN EXTRADITION REQUEST TO COME FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE. IT'S SUPPOSED TO COME THROUGH
DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
>> SO COUNSELOR, THIS COMES DOWN TO YOU, SOMEONE SAID ON SOCIAL
MEDIA TODAY THAT IF THERE COULD BE ANYTHING FUNNY TAKEN OUT OF
THIS, THIS COULD BE THE PLOT FROM A COHEN BROTHERS MOVIE WITH
GENERAL FLYNN DRIVING AROUND THE POCANOS LOOKING FOR THE OLD GUY
TO SEND OUT OF THE COUNTRY. AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR, WHAT
ALARM BELLS GO OFF IN YOUR HEAD? >> WELL, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR FLYNN
TO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT. IF HE'S TALKING ABOUT TAKING
MONEY TO TRY TO ORCHESTRATE A RETURN OF GULEN TO TURKEY
THROUGH OFFICIAL CHANNELS, THEN YOU'RE TALKING SERIOUS BRIBERY
OFFENSES. YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT
EXCEPT YOUR SALARY. IF YOU'RE TRYING FOR HIM TO
CONDUCT A LEGAL OPERATION, YOU'RE ORCHESTRATING A
KIDNAPPING THAT CROSSES INTERNATIONAL LINES.
SO EITHER WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, HE'S TALKING ABOUT COMMITTING A
VERY SERIOUS CRIME IF THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE PROVEN TO BE
TRUE. >> MATTHEW, HOW DOES THIS
CONTINUE TO HAUNT THE ADMINISTRATION THAT AFTER ALL
CONTINUES, EVEN THOUGH THE TRAVELING WHITE HOUSE RIGHT NOW
IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD?
>> IN SOME WAYS IT IS CONVENIENT THAT THEY ARE OVERSEAS WHILE
THIS NEWS DROPS, BUT SARAH SANDERS WILL HAVE TO CONFRONT
THIS WHEN THEY GET BACK. IT IS HARD TO OVERSTATE HOW
SERIOUS THIS IS. OBVIOUSLY, THE MANAFORT
INDICTMENT WAS SERIOUS FOR THIS WHITE HOUSE, BUT THAT WAS
SOMEONE WHO LEFT THE CAMPAIGN IN AUGUST.
MIKE FLYNN IS SOMEONE WHO WAS WITH THE CAMPAIGN THROUGH THE
END, PROMINENT ON THE TRANSITION AND SERVED IN THIS WHITE HOUSE
OVER THE WARNINGS OF PEOPLE LIKE PRESIDENT OBAMA WHO TOLD
PRESIDENT TRUMP NOT TO HIRE HIM. AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, IT WAS
MICHAEL FLYNN WHO DONALD TRUMP WAS DEFENDING TO JAMES COMEY AND
SAID, HEY, CAN'T WE FIND A WAY TO LET THIS GO?
HE WENT ON LATER TO FIRE JAMES COMEY, WHICH LED TO BOB MUELLER
GETTING HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. THIS FLYNN CASE IS VERY, VERY
SERIOUS FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. EVEN MORE SERIOUS THAN THE
MANAFORT CASE. >> MATTHEW, LET'S GO A LITTLE
DEEPER ON THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS MORE THAN JUST A NEWS MEDIA
DISTINCTION. FLYNN DOES PUT IT CLOSER TO THE
OVAL OFFICE OF A SITTING PRESIDENT THAN ANYONE ELSE.
PEOPLE MAY HAVE SEEN FLASHY HEADLINES ABOUT PAUL MANAFORT
AND OTHERS, BUT THIS WOULD PUT IT IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS
IMPORTANT AS PAUL MANAFORT WAS IN THIS CAMPAIGN, HE WAS THE
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN. HE WAS HELPING TO LEAD A
POLITICAL CAMPAIGN. WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH FLYNN
WITH THESE ALLEGATIONS IS POSSIBLY USING HIS GOVERNMENT
OFFICE, HIS POSITION AS THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO
BASICALLY DO DEEDS ON BEHALF OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
IT'S A QUESTION OF WHO IN THE WHITE HOUSE KNEW ABOUT THIS, WE
KNOW THAT FLYNN ALLEGEDLY MISLED THE VICE PRESIDENT.
BUT HAVING THIS SO CLOSE TO THE OVAL OFFICE, AND THEN AGAIN,
HAVING THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF ASK THE FBI DIRECTOR TO BACK AWAY
FROM THIS INVESTIGATION, THAT RAISES SO MANY RED FLAGS.
AND OBVIOUSLY BOB MUELLER IS DIGGING INTO THAT.
>> JULIA, ASSISTING THE PROSECUTION AS OFTEN IS THE
CASE, THERE IS A GRAND JURY SITTING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
YOU'VE LEARNED FURTHER ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE OF LATE, WHAT CAN
YOU REPORT ABOUT THAT? >> YES, THAT'S RIGHT, BRIAN.
SO WE KNOW THAT THE GRAND JURY THAT'S BEEN IMPANELLED BY ROBERT
MUELLER IS INTERVIEWING WITNESSES ABOUT FLYNN'S LOBBYING
ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR
A FLYNN INDICTMENT FOR SOME TIME.
SINCE THE MANAFORT INDICTMENT, WE HAVE THOUGHT FLYNN WOULD BE
THE NEXT SHOE TO DROP. WE KNOW THAT MUELLER IS
CONTINUING THESE INTERVIEWS, WHICH SHOWS US TWO THINGS.
ONE, THAT HE REALLY WANTS TO DRILL DEEP AND GET AS MUCH
INFORMATION ON FLYNN AS HE POSSIBLY CAN.
AND IT ALSO SHOWS THAT FLYNN PERHAPS COULD BE COOPERATING.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS TIMELINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED.
>> COUNSELOR, I WANT TO HEAR YOU OUT ON A PIECE IN "TIME"
MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY THE FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE FOR MUELLER WHILE AT THE FBI, ROBERT ANDERSON.
THE HEADLINE IS HOW ROBERT MUELLER WORKS A CASE.
AND HERE'S A QUOTE FROM IT IN PART, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE
WHO ARE USED TO SPENDING NEARLY $1 MILLION IN THREE YEARS ON
BUSINESS SUITS OUT OF A PLACE IN CYPRUS, THESE GUYS ARE NOT GOING
TO DO 25 YEARS IN JAIL. THAT'S WHY BOB MUELLER'S GOING
ABOUT THIS THE WAY THAT HE IS. HE KNOWS THESE GUYS ARE NOT
SEASONED CRIMINALS. AND HE KNOWS THEY'RE GOING TO
ROLL OVER ON EACH OTHER. MARK MY WORDS, IT WILL START
BECOMING A RACE TO THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE.
I ALSO HEARD SOMEONE TODAY REFER TO MUELLER AS AN ACUPUNCTURIST
FOR THE PRECISION WITH WHICH THEY HAVE GONE ABOUT THE CASE SO
FAR. YOUR RESNAX.
>> WELL, THAT'S THE IDEA, CLEARLY.
THAT WAS THE POINT, I THINK, BEHIND THE SUBSTANCE IN THE
MANAFORT INDICTMENT WAS TO GET THEM TO COOPERATE.
AND SIMILARLY HERE, THEY HAVE CHARGES TO BRING ON FLYNN
ALREADY, BUT THE REGISTRATION, THE FOREIGN AGENT'S REGISTRATION
ACT AND FALSE STATEMENT OFFENSES MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO GET HIM TO
FLIP. SO YOU BRING, POTENTIAL WILL I
IF YOU CAN, THESE CHARGES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SERIOUS.
AND FLYNN ALREADY UNLIKE MANAFORT HAS INDICATED AN
INTEREST IN GETTING IMMUNE TY AND PERHAPS COOPERATING.
SO I THINK THEY THINK IF THEY CAN GET A SERIOUS ENOUGH OFFENSE
AGAINST FLYNN, HE'S DEFINITELY FLIPPING.
>> DO YOU CONCUR WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE PRESENT ATTITUDE, WE
KNOW BETWEEN 1% AND 10% OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
FOR ALL OUR FANCY REPORTING AND ALL THE TALKING WE DEVOTE TO
THIS, MUELLER RUNS A VERY TIGHT SHIP.
>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE,
HONESTLY. THESE ARE CONFIDENTIAL
INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON. AND UNTIL THEY BRING ACTION THAT
IS ARE MEANT TO BE PUBLIC, I AGREE THEY SHOULD STAY
CONSIDERABLE, DESPITE THE GREAT WORK OF THE NEWS MEDIA.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN STILL.
AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THEIR WORK AND WE'LL FIND
IT OUT WHEN IT'S TIME. >> MATT, LET'S JUST DELVE
BRIEFLY INTO THE TRUMP AGENDA. WHILE ALL THIS IS GOING ON,
WE'RE HEARING A LOT ABOUT TAX CUTS AND TAX REFORM AND SOON THE
TRAVELING CIRCUS IS GOING TO COME BACK TO TOWN AND WE'RE
GOING TO BE ALL ABOUT CAPITOL HILL ONCE AGAIN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT. I MEAN, WE KNOW THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS A HARD TIME DRIVING ONE MESSAGE.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT THIS WEEK WHEN TAX REFORM AND THE ASIA TRIP
WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE BIG THING.
OBVIOUSLY, ROY MOORE MADE SHORT WORK OF THAT.
BETWEEN THIS CONTROVERSY DOWN IN ALABAMA AND THE WHITE HOUSE
HAVING AN ANSWER FOR THAT AND MUELLER'S INVESTIGATION
EXPANDING AND THESE NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT FLYNN, YOU
COUPLE THAT WITH THE FACT THAT THIS TAX BILL LOOKS LIKE IT
ACTUALLY RAISES TAXES TAXES ON AMOUNT OF MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES.
THAT'S A LOT OF ISSUES FOR THE WHITE HOUSE TO BE COMING BACK
TO. AND THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONME
BREAKING NEWS TRUMP 11/10/17 ROY MOORE, MICHAEL FLYNN, TRUMP, RUSSIA INVESTIGATION, ROBERT MUELLER Hardball 11 /10/17 | Chris Matthews MSNBC Today November 10, 2017 The Beat With Ari Melber 11 /10/17 | Ari Melber MSNBC Today November 10, 2017 Breaking: Mueller's Special Counsel Leaks Again! Imminent Charges Coming Against Michael Flynn! THE 11TH HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS [Full] 11/10/17 | MSNBC NEWS The 11th Hour With Brian Williams 11/9/17 | Brian Williams MSNBC Today November 9, 2017 BUSTED: Mueller Has Enough Evidence on Michael Flynn and His Son For An AR_REST WOLF - Nov 10, 2017 | Flynn , Trump - Putin shook hand President Donald Trump's Winning Election Night, 1 Year Later | The 11th Hour | MSNBC Steve Schmidt: "Roy Moore Is A Pedophile" | All In | MSNBC

New Details On Robert Mueller's Investigation Of Michael Flynn | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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