Bill Browder: The Man Considered To Be 'Putin Enemy No. 1' | Morning Joe

>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE."
JOINING US IS BILL BROWDER, THE MAN WHO INSPIRED A BILL THAT
SINGLED OUT A NUMBER OF PUTIN ALLIES AND DENIED THEM U.S.
VISAS. BECAUSE OF THAT HE'S BEEN CALLED
PUTIN ENEMY NUMBER ONE. JEREMY BASH IS BACK WITH US.
HE'S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE CIA AND DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE. BILL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
I WANT TO BACK UP AND EXPLAIN THAT YOU WERE THE LARGEST
FOREIGN INVESTOR IN RUSSIA FOR A TIME OR ONE OF THEM.
YOUR ATTORNEY EXPOSED SOME TAX FRAUD THAT WAS HAPPENING IN
RUSSIA. HE WAS JAILED AND KILLED IN
JAIL. AND YOU CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE
PUTIN REGIME EVERY DAY. WHY DO YOU FIGHT SO HARD AGAINST
RUSSIA AND PUTIN? >> MY LAWYER WAS KILLED, I
SHOULD SAY TORTURED TO DEATH IN A RUSSIAN PRISON IN 2009 FOR
UNCOVERING A MASSIVE PUTIN RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION
SCHEME. THEY KILLED HIM EFFECTIVELY AS
MY PROXY. THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE
WORKED FOR ME, AND THAT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY.
HE WAS 37 YEARS OLD. HE LEFT A WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN
AFTER BEING TORTURED TO DEATH. AND SO ON THE DAY WHEN I LEARNED
OF HIS MURDER, THE DAY AFTER THEY KILLED HIP, I MADE A VOW TO
HIS MEMORY AND HIS FAMILY AND MYSELF TO MAKE SURE I WOULD GO
AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO DID IT. I'VE SPENT EIGHT YEARS DOING
THAT WHICH RESULTED IN LEGISLATION MAKING ASSET
FREEZES. SO AGAINST PEOPLE OF THE PUTIN
REGIME INVOLVED IN THIS AND WHO DO OTHER TERRIBLE THINGS IN
RUSSIA AND PUTIN WENT CRAZY. >> GIVE THE SCALE SO PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND, IF YOU WERE ASSIGNED A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO THE AFFECT OF
PUTIN'S OLIGARCHS, THE MONEY HE CONTROLS, WE'RE TALKING THE
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HERE?
>> I BELIEVE THAT PUTIN IS THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD.
I BELIEVE THAT HE PERSONALLY IS WORTH $200 BILLION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE AROUND HIM, LET'S SAY THE TOP 1,000
OFFICIALS IN RUSSIA, ARE WORTH A TRILLION DOLLARS.
THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY AT STAKE HERE.
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. I SHOULD POINT OUT THIS MONEY IS
NOT KEPT IN RUSSIA. AS EASILY AS THEY STOLE IT FROM
OTHER PEOPLE, IT COULD BE STOLEN FROM THEM.
THEY KEEP IT IN THE WEST, IN THE UNITED STATES AND LONDON.
>> TO DRAW A LINE BACK TO TRUMP WHERE HE WAS TO ANXIOUS TO GET
RID OF THIS, TO LIFT THIS ACT TO GET RID OF THE SANCTIONS, DRAW
THE LINE BACK TO TRUMP. WHAT'S HIS INCENTIVE?
>> WE DON'T KNOW TRUMP'S POSITION ON THE SANCTIONS.
PUTIN'S POSITION IS HE WANTS THE SANCTIONS LIFTED AS HIS NUMBER
ONE FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY. WE KNOW HE GOT THIS AGENT, THE
FAMOUS RUSSIAN LAWYER, HE GOT HER TO GO TO TRUMP TOWER WHEN
TRUMP WAS JUST NOMINATED TO GO ON A QUEST TO DONALD TRUMP
JUNIOR, PAUL MANAFORT AND JARED KUSHNER TO REPEAL THE ACT.
WE DON'T KNOW THE TRUMP CAMP'S REACTION TO THAT.
AND SO WE'RE SORT OF SITTING HERE, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT
MONTH. THIS IS THE MONTH MORE NAMES GET
ADDED TO THE LIST. TRUMP WILL EITHER DO THAT AS
SCHEDULED IN THE LAW OR NOT. AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT
MOMENT. >> YOU MENTIONED THE RUSSIAN
LAWYER, THE WOMAN WHO WAS IN THE JUNE 2016 MEETING AT TRUMP
TOWER. YOU'VE KNOWN HER FOR SOME TIME.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT SHE WAS NOT ACTING ON BEHALF OF VLADIMIR
PUTIN AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT?
IN OTHER WORDS, COULD SHE HAVE BEEN FREELANING?
>> THERE'S NO CHANCE. WE HAVE MULTIPLE PIECES OF
EVIDENCE THAT SHE WAS ACTING AS AN AGENT FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN.
WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE SHE WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GENERAL
PROSECUTER OF RUSSIA, THE EQUIVALENT OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL WHO IS PUTIN'S MAIN ENFORCER.
AND MANY OTHER THINGS AS WELL. SHE WAS AN AGENT FOR VLADIMIR
PUTIN SHOWING UP IN TRUMP TOWER. THAT'S FOR SURE.
AND WHAT SHE WAS ASKING FOR IS ALSO FOR SURE WHICH IS REPEAL OF
THE ACT. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW IS THE
REACTION TO HER REQUEST. >> BILL, JEREMY BASH HAS A
QUESTION FOR YOU. JEREMY?
>> BILL, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE.
HAVE YOU BEEN INTERVIEWED BY ROBERT MUELLER OR THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES INVESTIGATING THE MONEY TRAIL
BETWEEN VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION?
>> I CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE PUBLICLY.
I HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
I CANNOT TALK ABOUT ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTIONS I-HAD.
>> FAIR ENOUGH. WE RESPECT THAT.
TALK ABOUT THE MONEY TRAIL FOR A MOMENT.
DO YOU BELIEVE YOU REFERENCE VLADIMIR PUTINEN'S PERSONAL
WEALTH AND THE WEALTH AROUND HIM.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS LEAVING RUSSIA IN
THE 80s AND THE 90s ACTUALLY WENT TO TRUMP AND THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION? DID THEY USE RUSSIAN MONEY
EITHER THROUGH OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS OR SHELL COMPANIES TO FUND TRUMP
BUSINESS PROJECTS? >> I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON TRUMP
FINANCES OR RUSSIANS' CONNECTIONS TO TRUMP FINANCES.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS MANY RUSSIANS BOUGHT CONDOMINIUMS IN VARIOUS
DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN FLORIDA AND ELSEWHERE.
AND THAT MAY NOT BE TOO DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DEVELOPERS,
BUT WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE. WE'RE EFFECTIVELY ARM SHARE
INVESTIGATORS. THERE'S 1,000 TIMES MORE
INFORMATION THAN THAT US. THEY HAVE SUBPOENA POWERS.
THEY CAN GET PEOPLE TO BECOME WITNESSES.
WE'LL FIND OUT IN DUE COURSE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE AND IF
THERE IS, WHAT IT IS. >> AND FINALLY, BILL, CAN YOU
QUICKLY EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACT WHICH WAS NAMED
AFTER YOUR LAWYER AND RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE ELECTION?
WHAT WERE THEY TRYING TO DO IN INTERFEING FROM YOUR
PERSPECTIVE? >> THE WAY I PUT THE PIECES OF
THE PUZZLE TOGETHER IS PUTIN SAYS HE DOESN'T LIKE THE ACT.
IT UPSETS HIM PERSONALLY. HE WANTS TO GET IT REPEALED.
HE SENT IN PEOPLE TO MEET WITH THE TRUMP CAMP TO TRY TO REPEAL
IT, AND FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, AND PUTIN, MAYBE THAT'S
THE REASON PUTIN DECIDED TRUMP WAS HIS FAVORITE CANDIDATE IN
THE U.S. ELECTIONS. WE KNOW AS WELL THAT PUTIN WENT
IN WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF TECHNIQUES TO HACK, TO INFLUENCE
THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTIONS, ET CETERA.
WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE IS WHETHER TRUMP PARTICIPATED OR IF
PUTIN WAS JUST EXPRESSING HIS INTEREST IN THE SIDELINES.
>> THE ASSETS IN LONDON, PARIS, CHICAGO, HOW DO THEY HIDE THEM?
HOW DO THEY WASH THEM? >> PUTIN DOESN'T KEEP ANY MONEY
IN HIS OWN NAME. HE KEEPS ALL MONEY IN THE NAME
OF OLIGARCHS. WHEN YOU SEE A RICH
SPECTACULARLY RICH RUSSIAN AND YOU SEE THEIR NAME ON THE FORBES
LIST, MULTIPLY IT BY 50%. THE OTHER HALF OF THE MONEY IS
PUTINS. THEY KEEP THEIR MONEY, OR HE
KEEPS HIS MONEY THROUGH OLIGARCHS IN HEDGE FUNDS AND
PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS AND TROPHY PROPERTY IN THE UNITED STATES
AND ALL THESE OTHER PLACES YOU NAMED.
>> AND GIVEN THE SCOPE AND THE REACH OF VLADIMIR PUTIN IN THE
WEST, AND IN THE WORLD, DO YOU FEAR FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL
SAFETY? >> UM, WELL, TWO QUESTIONS.
AM I LIVING IN FEAR? THE ANSWER IS NO.
I'M OUT THERE CAMPAIGNINGNG EVE DAY TO OLD PUTIN TO ACCOUNT.
AM I AT RISK OF BEING KILLED? THE ANSWER IS YES, A HIGH RISK.
THEY'VE THREATENED TO KILL ME, KIDNAP ME.
THEY'VE TRIED GOING TO INTERPOLL TO HAVE ME ARRESTED?
>> THEY THREATENED TO KILL YOU? WHAT FORM DOES THAT TAKE?
>> FOR EXAMPLE, THE PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA WAS AT THE
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS AND WAS ASKED BY A GROUP OF
JOURNALISTS, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MAG KNIT SKI, HE SAID IT'S A
SHAME HE'S DEAD AND BILL BROWDER IS STILL ALIVE AND RUNNING
AROUND. >> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE WHOLE TRUMP MAGNITSKI ACT, DO YOU GET
A SENSE PRESIDENT TRUMP THEN CANDIDATE TRUMP WAS AN UNWITTING
MARK OR SOMEONE WHO WAS A WITTING MARK, SOMEBODY WHO
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHITE WHAT WAS GOING ON -- WHO DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON OR SOMEONE WHO GOT IT?
>> IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME. I'M SLOWLY LOOKING AT THE PIECES
OF THE PUZZLE BEING PUT TOGETHER.
I KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THE RUSSIANS WANTED, AND I DO NOT
KNOW HOW THE TRUMP CAMP REACTED. BUT WE WILL KNOW, AND QUITE
SOON, I THINK. >> IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
GREAT COURAGE. YOU'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THAT
AT GREAT RISK TO YOUR OWN SAFETY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HE HAS A BOOK CALLED "RED
NOTICE" IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE COME
TOGETHER. >>> A NEW POLL FINDS MOST
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Bill Browder: The Man Considered To Be 'Putin Enemy No. 1' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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