RUSH TRANSCRIPT The Russia ░░░░░░░░ is now reaching into ░░░░░░░░ White House According to ░░░░░░░░ New York Times special ░░░░░░░░ Robert Mueller is in ░░░░░░░░ with the west wing ░░░░░░░░ interviewing current and former ░░░░░░░░ administration officials including the ░░░░░░░░ ousted White House chief ░░░░░░░░ staff Reince Priebus According ░░░░░░░░ three people briefed on ░░░░░░░░ discussions One of the ░░░░░░░░ Mueller might want to ░░░░░░░░ to Priebus about the ░░░░░░░░ s decision to fire ░░░░░░░░ comb Gary his job ░░░░░░░░ FBI director Comey testified ░░░░░░░░ Congress he had a ░░░░░░░░ of interactions with the ░░░░░░░░ including a February 14 ░░░░░░░░ in the Oval Office ░░░░░░░░ which he said the ░░░░░░░░ after shooing everyone else ░░░░░░░░ of the room asked ░░░░░░░░ to back off the ░░░░░░░░ of Michael Flynn According ░░░░░░░░ Comey reince Priebus was ░░░░░░░░ of the people asked ░░░░░░░░ leave the room One ░░░░░░░░ the reporters who broke ░░░░░░░░ piece Matt Apuzzo Pulitzer ░░░░░░░░ winning investigative reporter for ░░░░░░░░ New York Times joins ░░░░░░░░ now Along with Renato ░░░░░░░░ yachti a former federal ░░░░░░░░ who has litigated multiple ░░░░░░░░ of corruption Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ here Matt I ll ░░░░░░░░ with you So there ░░░░░░░░ t any interviews scheduled ░░░░░░░░ my understanding is but ░░░░░░░░ is that process And ░░░░░░░░ far up the food ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ we talking about in ░░░░░░░░ of these interview requests ░░░░░░░░ doesn t get too ░░░░░░░░ higher up than the ░░░░░░░░ former chief of staff ░░░░░░░░ the president This is ░░░░░░░░ of a back and ░░░░░░░░ process right now We ░░░░░░░░ not talking about subpoenas ░░░░░░░░ interviews are scheduled But ░░░░░░░░ if you re the ░░░░░░░░ House what you re ░░░░░░░░ here is a fall ░░░░░░░░ that is going to ░░░░░░░░ pretty busy And if ░░░░░░░░ re hoping to push ░░░░░░░░ tax cut agenda if ░░░░░░░░ re hoping to put ░░░░░░░░ domestic policy agenda you ░░░░░░░░ going to have to ░░░░░░░░ with Robert Mueller kind ░░░░░░░░ looming over all of ░░░░░░░░ things And for all ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s kind ░░░░░░░░ allusions to maybe I ░░░░░░░░ going to fire Mueller ░░░░░░░░ s not decided or ░░░░░░░░ tuned the White House ░░░░░░░░ really taking a posture ░░░░░░░░ we are in full ░░░░░░░░ mode we want to ░░░░░░░░ pwe want to get ░░░░░░░░ done as fast as ░░░░░░░░ I think they know ░░░░░░░░ going to war with ░░░░░░░░ special counsel right now ░░░░░░░░ proshl not in their ░░░░░░░░ Renato I asked that ░░░░░░░░ about the food chain ░░░░░░░░ when I think back ░░░░░░░░ the Comey memos we ░░░░░░░░ released one of the ░░░░░░░░ he said is Jeff ░░░░░░░░ the attorney general was ░░░░░░░░ out of the room ░░░░░░░░ would it be logical ░░░░░░░░ the prosecutors to want ░░░░░░░░ talk to Jeff Sessions ░░░░░░░░ Comey said he then ░░░░░░░░ subsequent conversations saying keep ░░░░░░░░ guy away from me ░░░░░░░░ there s no question ░░░░░░░░ sessions was a witness ░░░░░░░░ interaction that dismissal from ░░░░░░░░ room which would be ░░░░░░░░ if Mr Mueller is ░░░░░░░░ to try to prove ░░░░░░░░ the president had a ░░░░░░░░ intent when he fired ░░░░░░░░ Comey which would be ░░░░░░░░ to prove obstruction of ░░░░░░░░ So I would expect ░░░░░░░░ to be a witness ░░░░░░░░ that investigation And Matt ░░░░░░░░ we know specifically if ░░░░░░░░ Comey firing is all ░░░░░░░░ the Mueller team is ░░░░░░░░ in or is there ░░░░░░░░ that is related to ░░░░░░░░ of directly to the ░░░░░░░░ investigation Oh no it ░░░░░░░░ very broad We obviously ░░░░░░░░ that Robert Mueller is ░░░░░░░░ at Michael Flynn the ░░░░░░░░ national security adviser and ░░░░░░░░ business dealing They re ░░░░░░░░ at Paul Manafort the ░░░░░░░░ campaign chairman not just ░░░░░░░░ Russia stuff but for ░░░░░░░░ banking and financial issues ░░░░░░░░ there are a lot ░░░░░░░░ Irons in the fire ░░░░░░░░ the special counsel and ░░░░░░░░ lot of pressure points ░░░░░░░░ I m the White ░░░░░░░░ I see a lot ░░░░░░░░ pressure points that Bob ░░░░░░░░ has to put you ░░░░░░░░ to put pressure on ░░░░░░░░ administration And Renato I ░░░░░░░░ wondering a if the ░░░░░░░░ that we re hearing ░░░░░░░░ the Comey piece of ░░░░░░░░ signals that obstruction of ░░░░░░░░ might be the thing ░░░░░░░░ White House is in ░░░░░░░░ of here And B ░░░░░░░░ there any chance at ░░░░░░░░ that these interviews would ░░░░░░░░ be under oath So ░░░░░░░░ of all it certainly ░░░░░░░░ to me that Robert ░░░░░░░░ has already looked at ░░░░░░░░ documents related to the ░░░░░░░░ obstruction piece of the ░░░░░░░░ and is ready to ░░░░░░░░ forward on that basis ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor like Mueller would ░░░░░░░░ interview people until he ░░░░░░░░ already reviewed everything else ░░░░░░░░ it certainly appears to ░░░░░░░░ a focus Regarding whether ░░░░░░░░ not the interviews are ░░░░░░░░ oath it won t ░░░░░░░░ that important for Mueller ░░░░░░░░ have the interviews under ░░░░░░░░ because an FBI agent ░░░░░░░░ be present for all ░░░░░░░░ interviews and lying to ░░░░░░░░ FBI agent is a ░░░░░░░░ That s right So ░░░░░░░░ what happens in these ░░░░░░░░ is you permit an ░░░░░░░░ the cuff interview or ░░░░░░░░ off the cuff but ░░░░░░░░ informal interview so that ░░░░░░░░ person s more comfortable ░░░░░░░░ can have their attorney ░░░░░░░░ but it s still ░░░░░░░░ crime to lie Matt ░░░░░░░░ m wondering just about ░░░░░░░░ breadth of sort of ░░░░░░░░ lawyering up that s ░░░░░░░░ place inside the White ░░░░░░░░ We ve heard names ░░░░░░░░ up like the president ░░░░░░░░ long time secretary works ░░░░░░░░ of Trump Tower but ░░░░░░░░ people still go through ░░░░░░░░ get meetings Obviously Reince ░░░░░░░░ people who worked inside ░░░░░░░░ the west wing Are ░░░░░░░░ lawyering up and is ░░░░░░░░ some sort of legal ░░░░░░░░ fund that Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ helping them to pay ░░░░░░░░ bills Well so far ░░░░░░░░ m not aware of ░░░░░░░░ legal defense fund but ░░░░░░░░ everybody is seeking counsel ░░░░░░░░ that isn t necessarily ░░░░░░░░ bad thing Frankly that ░░░░░░░░ a really smart thing ░░░░░░░░ any sort of situation ░░░░░░░░ this And you know ░░░░░░░░ echo the remarks that ░░░░░░░░ just made clearly we ░░░░░░░░ Bob Mueller has got ░░░░░░░░ has got access to ░░░░░░░░ Comey memos We know ░░░░░░░░ that is one thing ░░░░░░░░ s being looked at ░░░░░░░░ question of obstruction And ░░░░░░░░ White House frankly the ░░░░░░░░ lawyers really believe that ░░░░░░░░ president cannot be prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ obstruction under this sort ░░░░░░░░ unified executive theory of ░░░░░░░░ that the FBI director ░░░░░░░░ only gets his power ░░░░░░░░ investigate from the president ░░░░░░░░ since the president has ░░░░░░░░ power to pardon can ░░░░░░░░ really be indicted for ░░░░░░░░ There s going to ░░░░░░░░ a legal back and ░░░░░░░░ A little legal dancing ░░░░░░░░ occurs if Mueller wants ░░░░░░░░ go down that road ░░░░░░░░ re the former prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ Renato Do they have ░░░░░░░░ leg to stand on ░░░░░░░░ the president can t ░░░░░░░░ prosecuted for obstruction I ░░░░░░░░ got to say there ░░░░░░░░ have to be cases ░░░░░░░░ a president if he ░░░░░░░░ an FBI director or ░░░░░░░░ to end an investigation ░░░░░░░░ an improper purpose that ░░░░░░░░ be obstruction of justice ░░░░░░░░ can imagine a president ░░░░░░░░ received a bribe for ░░░░░░░░ and ended an investigation ░░░░░░░░ that basis Is it ░░░░░░░░ under their theory that ░░░░░░░░ would not be obstructing ░░░░░░░░ and that just can ░░░░░░░░ be right I don ░░░░░░░░ think a court is ░░░░░░░░ to go that way ░░░░░░░░ shall see Matt Apuzzo ░░░░░░░░ Renato Mariotti thank you ░░░░░░░░ much Appreciate it Thank ░░░░░░░░ We have breaking news