NYT’s Goldman: This Administration Under Sessions and Rosenstein Is Going to Take Leaks Seriously

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Welcome back ░░░░░░░░ Reliable sources I m ░░░░░░░░ Stelter This week a ░░░░░░░░ named reality winner became ░░░░░░░░ first person to be ░░░░░░░░ and charged with leaking ░░░░░░░░ President Trump took office ░░░░░░░░ has pleaded not guilty ░░░░░░░░ she remains in jail ░░░░░░░░ could face up to ░░░░░░░░ years in prison and ░░░░░░░░ a 250 000 fine ░░░░░░░░ goes much deeper than ░░░░░░░░ case as sources tell ░░░░░░░░ that U S Intelligence ░░░░░░░░ have referred several recent ░░░░░░░░ to the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ possible criminal investigation Possibly ░░░░░░░░ many as six referrals ░░░░░░░░ DoJ declined to comment ░░░░░░░░ I askded but intelligence ░░░░░░░░ say they can tell ░░░░░░░░ investigations are under way ░░░░░░░░ say they know it ░░░░░░░░ their sources are feeling ░░░░░░░░ heat Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ reporter who is no ░░░░░░░░ to being under government ░░░░░░░░ Adam Goldman is a ░░░░░░░░ with The New York ░░░░░░░░ covering the FBI national ░░░░░░░░ He had his phone ░░░░░░░░ seized by the DoJ ░░░░░░░░ the ObamaAdministration back in ░░░░░░░░ when he was at ░░░░░░░░ Associated Press Adam good ░░░░░░░░ see you Hey thanks ░░░░░░░░ having me There s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of attention ░░░░░░░░ until now about the ░░░░░░░░ Administration s record about ░░░░░░░░ leaks They prosecuted more ░░░░░░░░ alleged leakers that all ░░░░░░░░ prior presidents combined Now ░░░░░░░░ have the first case ░░░░░░░░ the Trump era What ░░░░░░░░ you make of the ░░░░░░░░ winner case What does ░░░░░░░░ say about the Justice ░░░░░░░░ s apparent crackdown Goldman ░░░░░░░░ think it says a ░░░░░░░░ of things One that ░░░░░░░░ administration under Jeff Sessions ░░░░░░░░ Rod Rosenstein are going ░░░░░░░░ take these leaks seriously ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ them if they can ░░░░░░░░ Rosenstein has already shown ░░░░░░░░ inclination to go after ░░░░░░░░ And the president told ░░░░░░░░ to The president told ░░░░░░░░ to He has been ░░░░░░░░ vocal about and the ░░░░░░░░ and Justice Department have ░░░░░░░░ that Is this the ░░░░░░░░ salvo of a number ░░░░░░░░ leak prosecutions It could ░░░░░░░░ We have to see ░░░░░░░░ far this administration and ░░░░░░░░ Department wants to know ░░░░░░░░ winner is charged with ░░░░░░░░ a top secret NSA ░░░░░░░░ to the intercept website ░░░░░░░░ and the intercept were ░░░░░░░░ for sloppy behavior that ░░░░░░░░ it easier for the ░░░░░░░░ to figure out she ░░░░░░░░ have done that Do ░░░░░░░░ think the intercept made ░░░░░░░░ by for example showing ░░░░░░░░ top secret document to ░░░░░░░░ NSA trying to verify ░░░░░░░░ ahead of time I ░░░░░░░░ not going to sit ░░░░░░░░ and criticize the intercept ░░░░░░░░ trying to provide the ░░░░░░░░ people important information about ░░░░░░░░ meddling What I will ░░░░░░░░ is what happened was ░░░░░░░░ cautionary tale and all ░░░░░░░░ and especially editors running ░░░░░░░░ that deal with leaks ░░░░░░░░ in classified information have ░░░░░░░░ think very carefully about ░░░░░░░░ they want to publish ░░░░░░░░ documents they want to ░░░░░░░░ how they want to ░░░░░░░░ these documents if they ░░░░░░░░ to share these documents ░░░░░░░░ the government and they ░░░░░░░░ to think about ways ░░░░░░░░ protect the people providing ░░░░░░░░ information They have to ░░░░░░░░ extremely careful What are ░░░░░░░░ doing differently We spoke ░░░░░░░░ this week and you ░░░░░░░░ terms like sourceprotection operational ░░░░░░░░ This sounds like spy ░░░░░░░░ I ll take a ░░░░░░░░ out of the government ░░░░░░░░ play book I don ░░░░░░░░ talk about sources or ░░░░░░░░ but I will say ░░░░░░░░ You know I had ░░░░░░░░ records seized phone records ░░░░░░░░ in an investigation that ░░░░░░░░ conducted against someone they ░░░░░░░░ had leaked me information ░░░░░░░░ I have been very ░░░░░░░░ for years now since ░░░░░░░░ happened How I handle ░░░░░░░░ and how I contact ░░░░░░░░ You know there are ░░░░░░░░ to protect sources I ░░░░░░░░ raise one point about ░░░░░░░░ tip lines that all ░░░░░░░░ newspapers and other media ░░░░░░░░ have set up They ░░░░░░░░ up and say you ░░░░░░░░ contact us secretly and ░░░░░░░░ us information Is there ░░░░░░░░ problem with that You ░░░░░░░░ there s one glitch ░░░░░░░░ that You know if ░░░░░░░░ s anonymous then and ░░░░░░░░ can t speak to ░░░░░░░░ person on the line ░░░░░░░░ s difficult to take ░░░░░░░░ to protect them That ░░░░░░░░ what the intercept said ░░░░░░░░ They didn t know ░░░░░░░░ this person was who ░░░░░░░░ them a document Right ░░░░░░░░ s difficult to protect ░░░░░░░░ They didn t know ░░░░░░░░ like I said before ░░░░░░░░ know you have to ░░░░░░░░ seriously look if you ░░░░░░░░ going to publish a ░░░░░░░░ secret document that s ░░░░░░░░ clearest evidence yet to ░░░░░░░░ government that classified information ░░░░░░░░ been made public and ░░░░░░░░ is a road map ░░░░░░░░ who might have handled ░░░░░░░░ So you have to ░░░░░░░░ seriously about what you ░░░░░░░░ going to publish and ░░░░░░░░ you want to give ░░░░░░░░ government that road map ░░░░░░░░ hold on reporters are ░░░░░░░░ with these top secret ░░░░░░░░ But you don t ░░░░░░░░ to publish the top ░░░░░░░░ documents to tell the ░░░░░░░░ Before the age of ░░░░░░░░ massive leaks we re ░░░░░░░░ to people and they ░░░░░░░░ telling us things and ░░░░░░░░ re not providing documents ░░░░░░░░ s very difficult for ░░░░░░░░ government to figure out ░░░░░░░░ might have told us ░░░░░░░░ Help me square a ░░░░░░░░ I have been hearing ░░░░░░░░ intelligence reporters that sources ░░░░░░░░ feeling the chill They ░░░░░░░░ sense leak investigations are ░░░░░░░░ They re wary of ░░░░░░░░ On the other hand ░░░░░░░░ s an extraordinary number ░░░░░░░░ stories attributed to anonymous ░░░░░░░░ about administration incompetence and ░░░░░░░░ information Are both of ░░░░░░░░ things true at the ░░░░░░░░ time sources that are ░░░░░░░░ to talk but a ░░░░░░░░ of them I think ░░░░░░░░ of those things can ░░░░░░░░ true at the same ░░░░░░░░ The government is clearly ░░░░░░░░ efforts to find leakers ░░░░░░░░ FBI itself is looking ░░░░░░░░ people within and looking ░░░░░░░░ people outside the FBI ░░░░░░░░ know that That s ░░░░░░░░ no secret to the ░░░░░░░░ doing this type of ░░░░░░░░ But both of those ░░░░░░░░ can be true at ░░░░░░░░ same time What about ░░░░░░░░ series of sories from ░░░░░░░░ sources that proved to ░░░░░░░░ wrong James Comey this ░░░░░░░░ under oath said The ░░░░░░░░ York Times had a ░░░░░░░░ from February 14th which ░░░░░░░░ wrong in the main ░░░░░░░░ didn t go into ░░░░░░░░ and the times says ░░░░░░░░ stands by the story ░░░░░░░░ he says the story ░░░░░░░░ How do you react ░░░░░░░░ that when you have ░░░░░░░░ big government official saying ░░░░░░░░ story is false To ░░░░░░░░ clear it wasn t ░░░░░░░░ of your by lines ░░░░░░░░ still I had a ░░░░░░░░ line on it You ░░░░░░░░ I like the way ░░░░░░░░ New York Times responded ░░░░░░░░ it I wish the ░░░░░░░░ would do more of ░░░░░░░░ We responded with transparency ░░░░░░░░ three reporters who were ░░░░░░░░ in the story wrote ░░░░░░░░ story laying out what ░░░░░░░░ knew to date backing ░░░░░░░░ that reporting You know ░░░░░░░░ also called a Washington ░░░░░░░░ story nonsense So you ░░░░░░░░ we feel the times ░░░░░░░░ very comfortable in what ░░░░░░░░ reported and laid out ░░░░░░░░ we knew and let ░░░░░░░░ readers decide Other cases ░░░░░░░░ anonymous source credibility issues ░░░░░░░░ in the weex CNN ░░░░░░░░ a story saying Comey ░░░░░░░░ going to get up ░░░░░░░░ and testify that Trump ░░░░░░░░ what was it Comey ░░░░░░░░ Trump was not under ░░░░░░░░ I m messing it ░░░░░░░░ Adam Sorry The CNN ░░░░░░░░ essentially said Comey is ░░░░░░░░ to get up there ░░░░░░░░ say Trump I never ░░░░░░░░ him he wasn t ░░░░░░░░ investigation and Comey got ░░░░░░░░ there and said I ░░░░░░░░ tell him he wasn ░░░░░░░░ under investigation CNN had ░░░░░░░░ correct that MSNBC had ░░░░░░░░ Williams on the air ░░░░░░░░ I have a source ░░░░░░░░ told me he wasn ░░░░░░░░ sure where Qatar was ░░░░░░░░ whether we had troops ░░░░░░░░ My point is on ░░░░░░░░ of these cases anonymous ░░░░░░░░ credible coming under fire ░░░░░░░░ this a problem for ░░░░░░░░ as we try to ░░░░░░░░ our audience to believe ░░░░░░░░ No I think when ░░░░░░░░ make mistakes we need ░░░░░░░░ correct them But I ░░░░░░░░ say look we areoperating ░░░░░░░░ are operating with speed ░░░░░░░░ I haven t seen ░░░░░░░░ as a reporter I ░░░░░░░░ there s such urgency ░░░░░░░░ get these stories out ░░░░░░░░ you know in a ░░░░░░░░ atmosphere it could take ░░░░░░░░ long long time to ░░░░░░░░ one of these stories ░░░░░░░░ mean my colleagues and ░░░░░░░░ broke a story about ░░░░░░░░ the CIA s informant ░░░░░░░░ had been decimated in ░░░░░░░░ We did it under ░░░░░░░░ radar and it wasn ░░░░░░░░ in the media and ░░░░░░░░ took a long time ░░░░░░░░ nail that story down ░░░░░░░░ are perils with using ░░░░░░░░ sources It s up ░░░░░░░░ editors and reporters to ░░░░░░░░ humble and say you ░░░░░░░░ what We don t ░░░░░░░░ everything about this We ░░░░░░░░ to approach this with ░░░░░░░░ We have to be ░░░░░░░░ the assumption we don ░░░░░░░░ know we don t ░░░░░░░░ a holistic view of ░░░░░░░░ s going on That ░░░░░░░░ what s really important ░░░░░░░░ And reporters need to ░░░░░░░░ cautiously and carefully And ░░░░░░░░ need to be skeptical ░░░░░░░░ need to understand we ░░░░░░░░ seeing pieces of a ░░░░░░░░ notthe entire puzzle all ░░░░░░░░ once Yeah that s ░░░░░░░░ You know I like ░░░░░░░░ say and I have ░░░░░░░░ this repeatedly and I ░░░░░░░░ said this in public ░░░░░░░░ need to be careful ░░░░░░░░ you know there s ░░░░░░░░ gun to our head ░░░░░░░░ says you have to ░░░░░░░░ this story We find ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly in breaking news ░░░░░░░░ outlets get it wrongbecause ░░░░░░░░ fog of war Of ░░░░░░░░ we shouldn t treat ░░░░░░░░ longer term investigations any ░░░░░░░░ Adam thanks for being ░░░░░░░░ Thank you