Mukasey: ‘Appropriate’ for Sessions to Recuse Himself ‘But Not Because There’s Any Appearance of Impropriety’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Joining us ░░░░░░░░ Michael mukasey former U ░░░░░░░░ Attorney general in the ░░░░░░░░ Administration also the former ░░░░░░░░ district judge in the ░░░░░░░░ S District court for ░░░░░░░░ Southern District of New ░░░░░░░░ Great to have you ░░░░░░░░ Good to be with ░░░░░░░░ Lou Let s start ░░░░░░░░ first the recusal of ░░░░░░░░ attorney general Do you ░░░░░░░░ it s appropriate MUKASEY ░░░░░░░░ think it s appropriate ░░░░░░░░ not because there s ░░░░░░░░ appearance of impropriety There ░░░░░░░░ a clear rule I ░░░░░░░░ that if you participated ░░░░░░░░ an election campaign and ░░░░░░░░ campaign is under investigation ░░░░░░░░ you can t participate ░░░░░░░░ that investigation You ve ░░░░░░░░ to recuse yourself no ░░░░░░░░ Lou He did so ░░░░░░░░ so forthrightly and he ░░░░░░░░ with my compliments to ░░░░░░░░ attorney general he did ░░░░░░░░ keeping the bright twinkle ░░░░░░░░ his eye as he ░░░░░░░░ his principles as well ░░░░░░░░ the regulations of the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice Now where ░░░░░░░░ we go And there ░░░░░░░░ t seem to be ░░░░░░░░ convincing evidence of an ░░░░░░░░ There doesn t seem ░░░░░░░░ be any evidence of ░░░░░░░░ improper having occurred That ░░░░░░░░ an interesting point because ░░░░░░░░ congressman Adam Schiff Democrat ░░░░░░░░ California was calling for ░░░░░░░░ investigation by the Congress ░░░░░░░░ I think inadvertently blurted ░░░░░░░░ he wanted to hear ░░░░░░░░ the counterintelligence agents at ░░░░░░░░ FBI Now the FBI ░░░░░░░░ not just a crime ░░░░░░░░ entity Lou Right They ░░░░░░░░ collect intelligence started collecting ░░░░░░░░ in 2008 under regulations ░░░░░░░░ guidelines that we put ░░░░░░░░ That of the 9 ░░░░░░░░ commission Lou Right If ░░░░░░░░ is an intelligence commission ░░░░░░░░ the FBI then it ░░░░░░░░ not a criminal investigation ░░░░░░░░ re simply gathering intelligence ░░░░░░░░ our foreign competitors the ░░░░░░░░ just as they gather ░░░░░░░░ on the Chinese on ░░░░░░░░ Israelis our friends on ░░░░░░░░ British They gather information ░░░░░░░░ everybody So if this ░░░░░░░░ from an intelligence investigation ░░░░░░░░ there is no criminal ░░░░░░░░ from which to be ░░░░░░░░ and there s a ░░░░░░░░ of that in attorney ░░░░░░░░ sessions comment that he ░░░░░░░░ not confirming that there ░░░░░░░░ in fact a criminal ░░░░░░░░ Lou And pointing out ░░░░░░░░ of course that the ░░░░░░░░ Department is not in ░░░░░░░░ business of either confirming ░░░░░░░░ denying investigations Correct Lou ░░░░░░░░ was in an awkward ░░░░░░░░ there The aclu for ░░░░░░░░ out loud getting into ░░░░░░░░ left wing nonsense led ░░░░░░░░ senator Schumer on calling ░░░░░░░░ a resignation They said ░░░░░░░░ it should be an ░░░░░░░░ of perjury for crying ░░░░░░░░ loud based on his ░░░░░░░░ to senator Al Franken ░░░░░░░░ ran that question It ░░░░░░░░ obviously breaking news there ░░░░░░░░ no preparation and sees ░░░░░░░░ focus of the moment ░░░░░░░░ both senator Franken and ░░░░░░░░ general then senator Jeff ░░░░░░░░ Exactly the focus of ░░░░░░░░ question I ve got ░░░░░░░░ in front of me ░░░░░░░░ in continuing contact between ░░░░░░░░ Russians and people in ░░░░░░░░ Trump campaign Continuing contact ░░░░░░░░ it was with respect ░░░░░░░░ the election That was ░░░░░░░░ focus of the question ░░░░░░░░ was the focus of ░░░░░░░░ point that Al Franken ░░░░░░░░ making and that was ░░░░░░░░ focus of the answer ░░░░░░░░ say he should have ░░░░░░░░ that I did in ░░░░░░░░ meet with the ambassador ░░░░░░░░ I met with 20 ░░░░░░░░ 25 other ambassadors in ░░░░░░░░ different connection is ridiculous ░░░░░░░░ s no reason why ░░░░░░░░ would have occurred to ░░░░░░░░ because the focus was ░░░░░░░░ the breaking news that ░░░░░░░░ senator was disclosing at ░░░░░░░░ time Lou It s ░░░░░░░░ to behold the political ░░░░░░░░ of the Democratic Party ░░░░░░░░ re enured to it ░░░░░░░░ it is still awful ░░░░░░░░ watch members of the ░░░░░░░░ Party attack this man ░░░░░░░░ principle is just stunning ░░░░░░░░ me it is despicable ░░░░░░░░ craven to me I ░░░░░░░░ there haven t been ░░░░░░░░ calling for an independent ░░░░░░░░ or want in prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ there s been no ░░░░░░░░ of what it is ░░░░░░░░ person would prosecute let ░░░░░░░░ that charges are being ░░░░░░░░ Lou This is as ░░░░░░░░ as it came and ░░░░░░░░ s because of congressman ░░░░░░░░ Issa who said the ░░░░░░░░ government is a bad ░░░░░░░░ we did not know ░░░░░░░░ did we Whose actions ░░░░░░░░ be carefully scrutinized and ░░░░░░░░ which aisle you sit ░░░░░░░░ we have a vested ░░░░░░░░ in understanding and how ░░░░░░░░ prevent it from happening ░░░░░░░░ That is one of ░░░░░░░░ cutest little remarks I ░░░░░░░░ seen even from a ░░░░░░░░ Look if that s ░░░░░░░░ he has interest in ░░░░░░░░ s what Congress does ░░░░░░░░ conduct hearings Let them ░░░░░░░░ hearings Lou He s ░░░░░░░░ us out with the ░░░░░░░░ says Darrell Issa Great ░░░░░░░░ have you with us ░░░░░░░░ to be with you.