Pam Bondi on Matt Lauer: ‘These Women Are Heroes for Coming Forward’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Here with ░░░░░░░░ Florida attorney general Pam ░░░░░░░░ from the Hollywood reporter ░░░░░░░░ have Marissa Guthrie and ░░░░░░░░ attorney Rebecca rose woodland ░░░░░░░░ to all of you ░░░░░░░░ don t even know ░░░░░░░░ to begin It s ░░░░░░░░ more coming out by ░░░░░░░░ minute about what has ░░░░░░░░ been going on at ░░░░░░░░ All of it is ░░░░░░░░ It s horrific I ░░░░░░░░ to ask what did ░░░░░░░░ management know here Matt ░░░░░░░░ allegedly had a button ░░░░░░░░ his desk Someone had ░░░░░░░░ install this button that ░░░░░░░░ lock the door from ░░░░░░░░ desk Sean I don ░░░░░░░░ think he did it ░░░░░░░░ These are the big ░░░░░░░░ If he was acting ░░░░░░░░ how could he have ░░░░░░░░ this with a button ░░░░░░░░ his desk asking people ░░░░░░░░ come to his hotel ░░░░░░░░ to bring pillows Someone ░░░░░░░░ to know These women ░░░░░░░░ that they reported it ░░░░░░░░ to current management but ░░░░░░░░ previous management and nothing ░░░░░░░░ Sean Abuse not misconduct ░░░░░░░░ If you are locked ░░░░░░░░ a room Sean that ░░░░░░░░ to much more than ░░░░░░░░ interaction That amounts to ░░░░░░░░ in a space that ░░░░░░░░ seem like force Sean ░░░░░░░░ These things are not ░░░░░░░░ This is where you ░░░░░░░░ we are now and ░░░░░░░░ the position of power ░░░░░░░░ that keeps coming up ░░░░░░░░ and again Now we ░░░░░░░░ t really heard from ░░░░░░░░ Lauer today he doesn ░░░░░░░░ seem to be denying ░░░░░░░░ or saying anything What ░░░░░░░░ we glean interest that ░░░░░░░░ I think Matt he ░░░░░░░░ has some independent publicists ░░░░░░░░ with him and they ░░░░░░░░ waiting for these other ░░░░░░░░ and other accusations before ░░░░░░░░ said anything I expect ░░░░░░░░ will release some sort ░░░░░░░░ statement But yes the ░░░░░░░░ of Matt Lauer Charlie ░░░░░░░░ Harvey Weinstein and the ░░░░░░░░ that what awful these ░░░░░░░░ in common is the ░░░░░░░░ was an open secret ░░░░░░░░ open secret And nobody ░░░░░░░░ anything about it Sean ░░░░░░░░ me go to Pam ░░░░░░░░ because I think there ░░░░░░░░ also legal issues that ░░░░░░░░ in here What do ░░░░░░░░ as you read all ░░░░░░░░ this legally speaking do ░░░░░░░░ see any potential trouble ░░░░░░░░ him I m not ░░░░░░░░ about civilly BONDI Well ░░░░░░░░ depending on what Rebecca ░░░░░░░░ laid out whether the ░░░░░░░░ was locked Exactly what ░░░░░░░░ women say But Sean ░░░░░░░░ think there also be ░░░░░░░░ lot of liability on ░░░░░░░░ part of Andy Lack ░░░░░░░░ is going to have ░░░░░░░░ have a lot of ░░░░░░░░ to do As a ░░░░░░░░ Sean I always look ░░░░░░░░ a time line Look ░░░░░░░░ the time line here ░░░░░░░░ and the New York ░░░░░░░░ have been investigating this ░░░░░░░░ said for two months ░░░░░░░░ takes us back to ░░░░░░░░ Then on November 8th ░░░░░░░░ announces mysteriously that Matt ░░░░░░░░ is no longer going ░░░░░░░░ the Olympics it s ░░░░░░░░ to be Megyn Kelly ░░░░░░░░ congratulations to her for ░░░░░░░░ Then on November 27th ░░░░░░░░ days ago Andy Lack ░░░░░░░░ that s the first ░░░░░░░░ that they have heard ░░░░░░░░ these allegations against Matt ░░░░░░░░ So I think Andy ░░░░░░░░ is going to have ░░░░░░░░ lot of answers that ░░░░░░░░ is going to have ░░░░░░░░ be responding to his ░░░░░░░░ and let me make ░░░░░░░░ clear these women are ░░░░░░░░ for coming forward Sean ░░░░░░░░ m trying to understand ░░░░░░░░ one person comes out ░░░░░░░░ then there is always ░░░░░░░░ avalanche Sure Sean Which ░░░░░░░░ me so many there ░░░░░░░░ a pattern of behavior ░░░░░░░░ all of this One ░░░░░░░░ Sean The attorney general ░░░░░░░░ of Florida Is that ░░░░░░░░ Very common One then ░░░░░░░░ then 10 Very common ░░░░░░░░ m sorry there is ░░░░░░░░ bit of a delay ░░░░░░░░ Very common Sean In ░░░░░░░░ that s what we ░░░░░░░░ It takes one woman ░░░░░░░░ come forward That s ░░░░░░░░ the me too movement ░░░░░░░░ so important If a ░░░░░░░░ comes forward in Florida ░░░░░░░░ some loser in Tallahassee ░░░░░░░░ will stand beside her ░░░░░░░░ think all women will ░░░░░░░░ anyone comes out in ░░░░░░░░ country Whether it s ░░░░░░░░ icon in Hollywood or ░░░░░░░░ huge in the media ░░░░░░░░ One woman comes forward ░░░░░░░░ s all it takes ░░░░░░░░ then other women say ░░░░░░░░ can t be scared ░░░░░░░░ We can come forward ░░░░░░░░ well Sean Do you ░░░░░░░░ always have to have ░░░░░░░░ presumption of innocence Of ░░░░░░░░ you do That s ░░░░░░░░ the women have to ░░░░░░░░ forward I have always ░░░░░░░░ that That s why ░░░░░░░░ brave women are coming ░░░░░░░░ Now as Rebecca described ░░░░░░░░ they truly are could ░░░░░░░░ been the victim and ░░░░░░░░ don t know any ░░░░░░░░ that yet of a ░░░░░░░░ of a sexual assault ░░░░░░░░ that s true then ░░░░░░░░ identity will be protected ░░░░░░░░ deserve to be protected ░░░░░░░░ victims of a sexual ░░░░░░░░ if that is the ░░░░░░░░ We do not know ░░░░░░░░ yet And of course ░░░░░░░░ is innocent until proven ░░░░░░░░ but you can t ░░░░░░░░ it further unless women ░░░░░░░░ to come forward So ░░░░░░░░ important I agree with ░░░░░░░░ wholeheartedly She is a ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor in Florida We ░░░░░░░░ someone like that here ░░░░░░░░ New York We already ░░░░░░░░ a task force arranged ░░░░░░░░ Weinstein in New York ░░░░░░░░ California possibly This task ░░░░░░░░ will increase its scope ░░░░░░░░ Matt Lauer for whomever ░░░░░░░░ at NBC may happen ░░░░░░░░ There may be more ░░░░░░░░ You know his booker ░░░░░░░░ fired Mr Zimmerman was ░░░░░░░░ already for inappropriate sexual ░░░░░░░░ This was someone who ░░░░░░░░ with Matt Lauer throughout ░░░░░░░░ course of his time ░░░░░░░░ NBC I find that ░░░░░░░░ I find that odd ░░░░░░░░ he was fired Now ░░░░░░░░ Lauer has been let ░░░░░░░░ apparently Only as a ░░░░░░░░ of something NBC found ░░░░░░░░ on Monday I agree ░░░░░░░░ Pam Bondi that that ░░░░░░░░ questionable as well Well ░░░░░░░░ curry described The today ░░░░░░░░ as a boys network ░░░░░░░░ she was ousted and ░░░░░░░░ think we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ of that in these ░░░░░░░░ for sure Sean You ░░░░░░░░ say Sean savanna Guthrie ░░░░░░░░ of the nicest people ░░░░░░░░ know She got blind ░░░░░░░░ this morning because she ░░░░░░░░ in Matt Lauer I ░░░░░░░░ sure she does It ░░░░░░░░ her friend She had ░░░░░░░░ read that statement on ░░░░░░░░ air this morning I ░░░░░░░░ for her I fel ░░░░░░░░ as well as all ░░░░░░░░ other women at NBC ░░░░░░░░ women have to come ░░░░░░░░ and I think other ░░░░░░░░ will stand beside them ░░░░░░░░ Thank you all for ░░░░░░░░ with us.