Cruz to McCabe: If Gen. Flynn Violated the Logan Act, Has Biden Already Done the Same?

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Klobuchar All ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Mr McCabe ░░░░░░░░ you very much GRAHAM ░░░░░░░░ Cruz CRUZ Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Mr McCabe welcome ░░░░░░░░ d like to start ░░░░░░░░ discussing the Flynn investigation ░░░░░░░░ you know the FBI ░░░░░░░░ investigating General Flynn prepared ░░░░░░░░ memo dated January 4th ░░░░░░░░ to close the investigation ░░░░░░░░ Flynn as basis to ░░░░░░░░ The FBI had investigated ░░░░░░░░ failed to find any ░░░░░░░░ information about General Flynn ░░░░░░░░ determined he was no ░░░░░░░░ a viable candidate for ░░░░░░░░ But then according to ░░░░░░░░ struck the seventh floor ░░░░░░░░ top brass at the ░░░░░░░░ intervened to keep the ░░░░░░░░ open Were you the ░░░░░░░░ who made the decision ░░░░░░░░ keep the investigation open ░░░░░░░░ I don t remember ░░░░░░░░ that decision but I ░░░░░░░░ supported keeping the case ░░░░░░░░ I don t remember ░░░░░░░░ the person that made ░░░░░░░░ phone call but I ░░░░░░░░ that it was the ░░░░░░░░ move to continue investigating ░░░░░░░░ we had uncovered the ░░░░░░░░ we found CRUZ So ░░░░░░░░ the fact that the ░░░░░░░░ investigators concluded there was ░░░░░░░░ basis and no derogatory ░░░░░░░░ and recommended closing it ░░░░░░░░ made the decision or ░░░░░░░░ least you agreed with ░░░░░░░░ decision to keep the ░░░░░░░░ open On what basis ░░░░░░░░ Well I don t ░░░░░░░░ that I don t ░░░░░░░░ that the investigators determined ░░░░░░░░ was no basis to ░░░░░░░░ My recollection from the ░░░░░░░░ we were having about ░░░░░░░░ Flynn case CRUZ The ░░░░░░░░ is a memo to ░░░░░░░░ the investigation because it ░░░░░░░░ not find any quote ░░░░░░░░ information about Flynn and ░░░░░░░░ was quote no longer ░░░░░░░░ viable candidate for investigation ░░░░░░░░ s not ambiguous is ░░░░░░░░ McCabe That s not ░░░░░░░░ same as what you ░░░░░░░░ before I of course ░░░░░░░░ t have that memo ░░░░░░░░ front of me But ░░░░░░░░ feeling at that time ░░░░░░░░ that we had found ░░░░░░░░ little if any incriminating ░░░░░░░░ about General Flynn until ░░░░░░░░ course we found potentially ░░░░░░░░ incriminating evidence about him ░░░░░░░░ Are you referring to ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act theory McCabe ░░░░░░░░ sir I m referring ░░░░░░░░ the fact that we ░░░░░░░░ that General Flynn was ░░░░░░░░ the sort of direct ░░░░░░░░ with the government of ░░░░░░░░ that we were looking ░░░░░░░░ in all of the ░░░░░░░░ four cases of cross ░░░░░░░░ hurricane CRUZ Did you ░░░░░░░░ using the Logan Act ░░░░░░░░ a basis to go ░░░░░░░░ General Flynn McCabe The ░░░░░░░░ Act was not used ░░░░░░░░ a basis to go ░░░░░░░░ General Flynn We opened ░░░░░░░░ case CRUZ You re ░░░░░░░░ of the White House ░░░░░░░░ where the notes show ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Biden at ░░░░░░░░ time directly suggested using ░░░░░░░░ Logan act to go ░░░░░░░░ General Flynn McCabe I ░░░░░░░░ not aware of that ░░░░░░░░ Those are notes from ░░░░░░░░ colleagues GRAHAM I don ░░░░░░░░ mean to interrupt but ░░░░░░░░ do McCabe Senator I ░░░░░░░░ say what the the ░░░░░░░░ I agreed with and ░░░░░░░░ opening the case That ░░░░░░░░ because we thought that ░░░░░░░░ Flynn might be having ░░░░░░░░ contacts with Russia That ░░░░░░░░ why we opened the ░░░░░░░░ CRUZ Inappropriate so the ░░░░░░░░ basis this is a ░░░░░░░░ three star General The ░░░░░░░░ basis put forward for ░░░░░░░░ I think was a ░░░░░░░░ political persecution and prosecution ░░░░░░░░ an alleged violation of ░░░░░░░░ Logan act which has ░░░░░░░░ been used to prosecute ░░░░░░░░ in the history of ░░░░░░░░ department of justice true ░░░░░░░░ No I don t ░░░░░░░░ that s true I ░░░░░░░░ CRUZ Name one person ░░░░░░░░ s ever been prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ the Logan Act McCabe ░░░░░░░░ I was referring to ░░░░░░░░ we opened the case ░░░░░░░░ General Flynn I m ░░░░░░░░ aware of prosecutions of ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act GRAHAM For ░░░░░░░░ who are listening we ░░░░░░░░ talking about a conversation ░░░░░░░░ General Flynn and the ░░░░░░░░ ambassador after the election ░░░░░░░░ he s the national ░░░░░░░░ adviser in waiting Is ░░░░░░░░ correct Senator Cruz CRUZ ░░░░░░░░ are He s the ░░░░░░░░ national security adviser And ░░░░░░░░ McCabe yesterday on MSNBC ░░░░░░░░ Rhodes the former deputy ░░░░░░░░ security adviser to President ░░░░░░░░ said that foreign leaders ░░░░░░░░ already having considerations with ░░░░░░░░ Biden quote talking about ░░░░░░░░ agenda they re going ░░░░░░░░ pursue January 20th Mr ░░░░░░░░ based on that testimony ░░░░░░░░ you believe Joe Biden ░░░░░░░░ violating the Logan Act ░░░░░░░░ I m not aware ░░░░░░░░ Ben Rhodes statements or ░░░░░░░░ Take it on faith ░░░░░░░░ said what I read ░░░░░░░░ that quote is accurate ░░░░░░░░ s a verbatim quote ░░░░░░░░ that a violation of ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act under any ░░░░░░░░ theory McCabe I m ░░░░░░░░ prepared to take your ░░░░░░░░ on faith And I ░░░░░░░░ also not prepared to ░░░░░░░░ legal analysis CRUZ All ░░░░░░░░ You re a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ you ever answered hypothetical ░░░░░░░░ court If it is ░░░░░░░░ that I m accurately ░░░░░░░░ something the Department of ░░░░░░░░ frequently did wrong in ░░░░░░░░ investigation if that is ░░░░░░░░ Ben Rhodes said if ░░░░░░░░ Biden is talking with ░░░░░░░░ leaders right now does ░░░░░░░░ violate the Logan Act ░░░░░░░░ or no McCabe I ░░░░░░░░ not go opine on ░░░░░░░░ hypothetical question about what ░░░░░░░░ Biden campaign CRUZ OK ░░░░░░░░ is talking with foreign ░░░░░░░░ and it doesn t ░░░░░░░░ the Logan Act because ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act is unconstitutional ░░░░░░░░ is why it s ░░░░░░░░ been used to prosecute ░░░░░░░░ You authorized using it ░░░░░░░░ go after General Flynn ░░░░░░░░ part of a political ░░░░░░░░ I can give you ░░░░░░░░ answer hell no Joe ░░░░░░░░ is not violating the ░░░░░░░░ Act The reason you ░░░░░░░░ t say it is ░░░░░░░░ that was your flimsy ░░░░░░░░ basis to go after ░░░░░░░░ decorated war hero because ░░░░░░░░ disagreed politically with President ░░░░░░░░ McCabe Sir none of ░░░░░░░░ is correct CRUZ Which ░░░░░░░░ Pick pick any aspect ░░░░░░░░ We didn t investigate ░░░░░░░░ Flynn because we were ░░░░░░░░ that he might violate ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act We were ░░░░░░░░ that General Flynn CRUZ ░░░░░░░░ is your testimony the ░░░░░░░░ act was not a ░░░░░░░░ for the FBI and ░░░░░░░░ investigation of General Flynn ░░░░░░░░ McCabe There were no ░░░░░░░░ of the Logan act ░░░░░░░░ There were no discussions ░░░░░░░░ the Logan act at ░░░░░░░░ FBI that is your ░░░░░░░░ under penalty of perjury ░░░░░░░░ I warn you there ░░░░░░░░ abundance evidence there were ░░░░░░░░ If you re not ░░░░░░░░ to let me finish ░░░░░░░░ answer I m not ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ answer your question CRUZ ░░░░░░░░ is your testimony Is ░░░░░░░░ testimony you just said ░░░░░░░░ was no discussion of ░░░░░░░░ Logan act Does that ░░░░░░░░ your testimony McCabe No ░░░░░░░░ that s where you ░░░░░░░░ off my testimony CRUZ ░░░░░░░░ continue McCabe I would ░░░░░░░░ to finish my answer ░░░░░░░░ Please continue McCabe Thank ░░░░░░░░ Thank you When we ░░░░░░░░ the case against General ░░░░░░░░ it was not initiated ░░░░░░░░ or as a result ░░░░░░░░ any discussion CRUZ Mr ░░░░░░░░ you re being nonresponsive ░░░░░░░░ the question I didn ░░░░░░░░ ask about the initiation ░░░░░░░░ Logan Act was a ░░░░░░░░ pretext that was adopted ░░░░░░░░ you investigated him and ░░░░░░░░ t find anything in ░░░░░░░░ career investigator s recommended ░░░░░░░░ it My time is ░░░░░░░░ The chairman took a ░░░░░░░░ bit of my time ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ a little bit of ░░░░░░░░ back.”