Former CIA Director Woolsey: ‘Not All Leaks Have To Be Classified’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT We are ░░░░░░░░ to have a debate ░░░░░░░░ the legal issues that ░░░░░░░░ out of the Comey ░░░░░░░░ in a few moments ░░░░░░░░ I want to bring ░░░░░░░░ James woolsey to talk ░░░░░░░░ what he heard and ░░░░░░░░ Woolsey was CIA director ░░░░░░░░ president Bill Clinton More ░░░░░░░░ he was a senior ░░░░░░░░ on national security to ░░░░░░░░ Trump s campaign and ░░░░░░░░ He quit the transition ░░░░░░░░ in early January James ░░░░░░░░ joins me now here ░░░░░░░░ New York Jim what ░░░░░░░░ your reaction to James ░░░░░░░░ s testimony I found ░░░░░░░░ worrisome Because we kind ░░░░░░░░ know how to argue ░░░░░░░░ one another in Madison ░░░░░░░░ in this country with ░░░░░░░░ legislature going one way ░░░░░░░░ the White House going ░░░░░░░░ and battles It s ░░░░░░░░ we do And Madison ░░░░░░░░ it that way We ░░░░░░░░ t had any dictatorships ░░░░░░░░ that was the purpose ░░░░░░░░ it works partly because ░░░░░░░░ Americans even if they ░░░░░░░░ not support the president ░░░░░░░░ an election the president ░░░░░░░░ won they still have ░░░░░░░░ certain allegiance to the ░░░░░░░░ and the president symbolizes ░░░░░░░░ country and so forth ░░░░░░░░ that s not really ░░░░░░░░ that way here You ░░░░░░░░ that in Comey s ░░░░░░░░ how Well I find ░░░░░░░░ amazing that he would ░░░░░░░░ detailed notes of a ░░░░░░░░ with the president and ░░░░░░░░ leak them to a ░░░░░░░░ who s at I ░░░░░░░░ Columbia law school and ░░░░░░░░ have them give them ░░░░░░░░ the press But let ░░░░░░░░ just interrupt you Amazing ░░░░░░░░ insists I think by ░░░░░░░░ the word leak is ░░░░░░░░ appropriate He was a ░░░░░░░░ citizen Let me present ░░░░░░░░ argument He was a ░░░░░░░░ citizen These were notes ░░░░░░░░ his conversation with the ░░░░░░░░ They were not classified ░░░░░░░░ private citizen is allowed ░░░░░░░░ share his notes you ░░░░░░░░ in a conversation with ░░░░░░░░ government official with a ░░░░░░░░ with the press Leaking ░░░░░░░░ disclosing classified government information ░░░░░░░░ an unauthorized way as ░░░░░░░░ well know having been ░░░░░░░░ of the FBI WOOLSEY ░░░░░░░░ all leaks have to ░░░░░░░░ classified There are a ░░░░░░░░ of things that are ░░░░░░░░ sensitive without reaching the ░░░░░░░░ requirements for classification I ░░░░░░░░ found it stunning that ░░░░░░░░ would I think give ░░░░░░░░ the secrecy of a ░░░░░░░░ with the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States I have ░░░░░░░░ for four presidents in ░░░░░░░░ capacities and not everything ░░░░░░░░ talk to them about ░░░░░░░░ classified But I think ░░░░░░░░ that really symbolizes to ░░░░░░░░ where we have come ░░░░░░░░ this battle that is ░░░░░░░░ to one of the ░░░░░░░░ It s not a ░░░░░░░░ struggle between but inside ░░░░░░░░ executive Branch Couldn t ░░░░░░░░ say Donald Trump is ░░░░░░░░ to be this great ░░░░░░░░ Why can t he ░░░░░░░░ his own executive Branch ░░░░░░░░ think in part what ░░░░░░░░ happened is that people ░░░░░░░░ opposed him and who ░░░░░░░░ his general approach to ░░░░░░░░ and some don t ░░░░░░░░ his policies as much ░░░░░░░░ they oppose his personality ░░░░░░░░ created a situation where ░░░░░░░░ are not focusing on ░░░░░░░░ things that we have ░░░░░░░░ focus on Take Russia ░░░░░░░░ example We have a ░░░░░░░░ where Russia is never ░░░░░░░░ interfering with our elections ░░░░░░░░ with the elections of ░░░░░░░░ democratic states They call ░░░░░░░░ disinformation But didn t ░░░░░░░░ strike you Jim as ░░░░░░░░ I agree with you ░░░░░░░░ thought the most interesting ░░░░░░░░ that Comey gave was ░░░░░░░░ he was asked do ░░░░░░░░ have any doubt that ░░░░░░░░ was involved in interfering ░░░░░░░░ the election He said ░░░░░░░░ and he said they ░░░░░░░░ it with purpose They ░░░░░░░░ it with sfusication They ░░░░░░░░ it with overwhelming technical ░░░░░░░░ They will be back ░░░░░░░░ re coming after America ░░░░░░░░ Comey had nine meetings ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump He had ░░░░░░░░ two with President Obama ░░░░░░░░ all the years that ░░░░░░░░ was president In those ░░░░░░░░ meetings in the first ░░░░░░░░ days he was asked ░░░░░░░░ Trump ever ask him ░░░░░░░░ Russia and the Russian ░░░░░░░░ He said no Isn ░░░░░░░░ that odd Well he ░░░░░░░░ t have any precise ░░░░░░░░ on what was in ░░░░░░░░ of him right at ░░░░░░░░ time but it is ░░░░░░░░ something that we have ░░░░░░░░ get our hands on ░░░░░░░░ we have to do ░░░░░░░░ now because the next ░░░░░░░░ the Russians will try ░░░░░░░░ interfere with our elections ░░░░░░░░ a year and a ░░░░░░░░ from now We are ░░░░░░░░ to lose our ability ░░░░░░░░ elect our leaders if ░░░░░░░░ don t understand this ░░░░░░░░ deal with it Very ░░░░░░░░ we have 30 seconds ░░░░░░░░ would you do about ░░░░░░░░ problem of leaking and ░░░░░░░░ Is there some We ░░░░░░░░ to get the executive ░░░░░░░░ and particularly the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ and the law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ pulled together working together ░░░░░░░░ behind the president in ░░░░░░░░ things into a working ░░░░░░░░ We don t have ░░░░░░░░ now And I think ░░░░░░░░ elements of both the ░░░░░░░░ community and certainly the ░░░░░░░░ enforcement community have veered ░░░░░░░░ looking into their own ░░░░░░░░ and not looking into ░░░░░░░░ interests of the country ░░░░░░░░ has to get repaired ░░░░░░░░ repaired rather quickly Former ░░░░░░░░ CIA James Comey Jim ░░░░░░░░ Thank you, sir.