Rep. Massie: Is Congress’s $17 Million Sexual Misconduct Hush Money Fund Campaign Finance Violations?

MASSIE This amazing construction ░░░░░░░░ some kind of crime ░░░░░░░░ but when we dig ░░░░░░░░ to the bottom of ░░░░░░░░ try to find out ░░░░░░░░ the underlying crime is ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ been discussed enough for ░░░░░░░░ the supposed underlying crime ░░░░░░░░ One of the propositions ░░░░░░░░ that hush money should ░░░░░░░░ reported as a campaign ░░░░░░░░ expense Okay If somebody ░░░░░░░░ their attorney to to ░░░░░░░░ divorce records because they ░░░░░░░░ be going to run ░░░░░░░░ office or they are ░░░░░░░░ for office Mr Trainor ░░░░░░░░ that a campaign finance ░░░░░░░░ Is that something you ░░░░░░░░ on campaign finance reports ░░░░░░░░ That is not It ░░░░░░░░ it is something that ░░░░░░░░ would see you know ░░░░░░░░ fees are often reported ░░░░░░░░ it has been the ░░░░░░░░ at the Commission in ░░░░░░░░ at those legal fees ░░░░░░░░ we don t question ░░░░░░░░ the attorney client privilege ░░░░░░░░ the candidates and the ░░░░░░░░ are of what s ░░░░░░░░ in those particular circumstances ░░░░░░░░ So let me use ░░░░░░░░ example In 1999 Bill ░░░░░░░░ Hillary Clinton bought a ░░░░░░░░ in New York Obviously ░░░░░░░░ the election of the ░░░░░░░░ race there in New ░░░░░░░░ because they moved into ░░░░░░░░ House so that she ░░░░░░░░ run for Senate Is ░░░░░░░░ a campaign finance expense ░░░░░░░░ everything that could influence ░░░░░░░░ campaign a campaign finance ░░░░░░░░ TRAINOR Well under Mr ░░░░░░░░ s interpretation it would ░░░░░░░░ but under normal campaign ░░░░░░░░ law it would not ░░░░░░░░ There are distinct similarities ░░░░░░░░ between the John Edwards ░░░░░░░░ in 2008 where he ░░░░░░░░ over a million dollars ░░░░░░░░ his mistress to keep ░░░░░░░░ quiet and was prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ that and was ultimately ░░░░░░░░ on one count and ░░░░░░░░ a mistrial on all ░░░░░░░░ counts because the jury ░░░░░░░░ given a correct charge ░░░░░░░░ to what the federal ░░░░░░░░ was In this particular ░░░░░░░░ the jury was given ░░░░░░░░ incorrect jury charge as ░░░░░░░░ what the law is ░░░░░░░░ they come out with ░░░░░░░░ completely opposite ruling MASSIE ░░░░░░░░ asked my campaign finance ░░░░░░░░ if I could pay ░░░░░░░░ wife 10 000 She ░░░░░░░░ got more dirt on ░░░░░░░░ than anybody else And ░░░░░░░░ report that as a ░░░░░░░░ finance expense And he ░░░░░░░░ very fastidious He manages ░░░░░░░░ finances of at least ░░░░░░░░ dozen different campaigns And ░░░░░░░░ looked at me like ░░░░░░░░ was crazy Yet isn ░░░░░░░░ that sort of the ░░░░░░░░ theory that Alvin Bragg ░░░░░░░░ here That something like ░░░░░░░░ could be reported as ░░░░░░░░ campaign finance expense TRAINOR ░░░░░░░░ s very similar to ░░░░░░░░ s happened here MASSIE ░░░░░░░░ you know Congress has ░░░░░░░░ over 17 million in ░░░░░░░░ money for sexual misconduct ░░░░░░░░ of the offices in ░░░░░░░░ buildings And what s ░░░░░░░░ is that was taxpayer ░░░░░░░░ right The allegation is ░░░░░░░░ President Trump paid 130 ░░░░░░░░ of his own money ░░░░░░░░ here in Congress we ░░░░░░░░ there may be some ░░░░░░░░ this dais I mean ░░░░░░░░ m for turning loose ░░░░░░░░ of these records Who ░░░░░░░░ here has had the ░░░░░░░░ pay for their sexual ░░░░░░░░ charges the hush money ░░░░░░░░ d bet there s ░░░░░░░░ over there There may ░░░░░░░░ some over here I ░░░░░░░░ t know But I ░░░░░░░░ know it s taxpayer ░░░░░░░░ And I do know ░░░░░░░░ a single penny of ░░░░░░░░ has been turned in ░░░░░░░░ a campaign finance expense ░░░░░░░░ t I mean is ░░░░░░░░ FEC going to investigate ░░░░░░░░ 17 million that the ░░░░░░░░ has paid to settle ░░░░░░░░ know behind closed doors ░░░░░░░░ sexual misconduct allegations TRAINOR ░░░░░░░░ if a complaint were ░░░░░░░░ come to us about ░░░░░░░░ I m sure it ░░░░░░░░ be thoroughly investigated MASSIE ░░░░░░░░ might file one because ░░░░░░░░ seems like anybody could ░░░░░░░░ this but let me ░░░░░░░░ ask this Is this ░░░░░░░░ going to be vacated ░░░░░░░░ General Bailey what do ░░░░░░░░ think BAILEY It absolutely ░░░░░░░░ be MASSIE On what ░░░░░░░░ BAILEY Numerous grounds I ░░░░░░░░ the five grounds I ░░░░░░░░ out in my opening ░░░░░░░░ provide sufficient justification to ░░░░░░░░ the credibility of the ░░░░░░░░ I think there are ░░░░░░░░ grounds as well but ░░░░░░░░ think that the constitutional ░░░░░░░░ the due process violation ░░░░░░░░ jury unanimity Sixth Amendment ░░░░░░░░ alone the gag order ░░░░░░░░ violative of the First ░░░░░░░░ I mean the prosecutorial ░░░░░░░░ those the conviction is ░░░░░░░░ with legal error MASSIE ░░░░░░░░ Foley do you think ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ this verdict FOLEY I ░░░░░░░░ And I think eventually ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ based on legal grounds ░░░░░░░░ than mixed questions of ░░░░░░░░ and law So some ░░░░░░░░ the evidentiary issues some ░░░░░░░░ the bias issues I ░░░░░░░░ they re more difficult ░░░░░░░░ win on appeal because ░░░░░░░░ appellate courts owe deference ░░░░░░░░ these evidentiary determinations of ░░░░░░░░ judges Bias is very ░░░░░░░░ to win on appeal ░░░░░░░░ the judge has so ░░░░░░░░ latitude in deciding whether ░░░░░░░░ recuse himself That s ░░░░░░░░ the due process errors ░░░░░░░░ so critical here because ░░░░░░░░ due process errors are ░░░░░░░░ of law They get ░░░░░░░░ novo standard of appellate ░░░░░░░░ The appellate courts owe ░░░░░░░░ no deference whatsoever MASSIE ░░░░░░░░ the irony here is ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ And this trial was ░░░░░░░░ about trying to influence ░░░░░░░░ election using the process ░░░░░░░░ the punishment Mr Chairman ░░░░░░░░ d like to submit ░░░░░░░░ the record three documents ░░░░░░░░ is entitled FEC drops ░░░░░░░░ into Trump hush payments ░░░░░░░░ is from three years ░░░░░░░░ I d like to ░░░░░░░░ a document Congress has ░░░░░░░░ 17 million in sexual ░░░░░░░░ and discrimination settlements This ░░░░░░░░ in Axios in 2017 ░░░░░░░░ my third and final ░░░░░░░░ I d like to ░░░░░░░░ is from CNN Congress ░░░░░░░░ out 17 million in ░░░░░░░░ Here s why we ░░░░░░░░ so little about that ░░░░░░░░ Thank you I yield ░░░░░░░░