Blumenthal: Emmet Flood Attending Classified DoJ-W.H. Briefing Is a ‘Gut Punch’ to Federal Law Enforcement

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BURNETT Silence ░░░░░░░░ Nunes who again supposedly ░░░░░░░░ not involved with the ░░░░░░░░ But obviously Paul Ryan ░░░░░░░░ Mitch McConnell saying they ░░░░░░░░ satisfied nothing seemed to ░░░░░░░░ out of this Thank ░░░░░░░░ very much Manu I ░░░░░░░░ to go now to ░░░░░░░░ senator from Connecticut Richard ░░░░░░░░ who sits on the ░░░░░░░░ judiciary Committee Senator you ░░░░░░░░ hearing all of these ░░░░░░░░ pieces start to come ░░░░░░░░ from the likes of ░░░░░░░░ Warner Senator Mcconnell Congressman ░░░░░░░░ Have you heard anything ░░░░░░░░ the briefing BLUMENTHAL I ░░░░░░░░ with great certainty about ░░░░░░░░ briefing that it broke ░░░░░░░░ the norms of grand ░░░░░░░░ secrecy of rules protecting ░░░░░░░░ intelligence sources for there ░░░░░░░░ be any disclosure to ░░░░░░░░ at those meetings And ░░░░░░░░ s be very clear ░░░░░░░░ presence of the White ░░░░░░░░ not the White House ░░░░░░░░ but the White House ░░░░░░░░ the sense of the ░░░░░░░░ s personal lawyer BURNETT ░░░░░░░░ representing on the Russia ░░░░░░░░ which is what the ░░░░░░░░ s about fundamentally BLUMENTHAL ░░░░░░░░ him personally BURNETT Yes ░░░░░░░░ Not the White House ░░░░░░░░ but John Kelly the ░░░░░░░░ House Chief of Staff ░░░░░░░░ the president s personal ░░░░░░░░ really is like a ░░░░░░░░ punch to federal law ░░░░░░░░ It says We re ░░░░░░░░ to enable the President ░░░░░░░░ to obtain information The ░░░░░░░░ was that information would ░░░░░░░░ funneled secretly to the ░░░░░░░░ s personal lawyer Now ░░░░░░░░ re overtly saying the ░░░░░░░░ House s and President ░░░░░░░░ personal lawyer are going ░░░░░░░░ be there BURNETT Rudy ░░░░░░░░ just came out and ░░░░░░░░ about this Flood and ░░░░░░░░ giving those remarks at ░░░░░░░░ start of each of ░░░░░░░░ meetings Giuliani Rudy Giuliani ░░░░░░░░ out and saying quote ░░░░░░░░ can t understand why ░░░░░░░░ s inappropriate for White ░░░░░░░░ counsel to be there ░░░░░░░░ it would be for ░░░░░░░░ or Jay Sekulow but ░░░░░░░░ the person representing the ░░░░░░░░ inside the White House ░░░░░░░░ re a former prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ attorney general He s ░░░░░░░░ the case that because ░░░░░░░░ person works for the ░░░░░░░░ House even though he ░░░░░░░░ working to defend the ░░░░░░░░ it s the White ░░░░░░░░ not the personal lawyer ░░░░░░░░ this is fine and ░░░░░░░░ should have been there ░░░░░░░░ you buy it BLUMENTHAL ░░░░░░░░ certainly can t buy ░░░░░░░░ argument It s the ░░░░░░░░ s personal lawyer It ░░░░░░░░ not Don McGahn the ░░░░░░░░ House counsel It is ░░░░░░░░ Flood who represents the ░░░░░░░░ as a potential criminal ░░░░░░░░ I stress potential But ░░░░░░░░ is still an ongoing ░░░░░░░░ investigation where secrecy and ░░░░░░░░ are absolutely essential and ░░░░░░░░ a sense it s ░░░░░░░░ little bit like the ░░░░░░░░ having a progress report ░░░░░░░░ a possible defendant in ░░░░░░░░ ongoing investigation BURNETT So ░░░░░░░░ heard what Mitch McConnell ░░░░░░░░ Nothing surprising coming out ░░░░░░░░ source telling CNN Devin ░░░░░░░░ take on this is ░░░░░░░░ to dispute what Mcconnell ░░░░░░░░ Schiff are saying but ░░░░░░░░ say we didn t ░░░░░░░░ what we wanted In ░░░░░░░░ words to imply that ░░░░░░░░ s still out there ░░░░░░░░ That seems to be ░░░░░░░░ implication Speaker Ryan says ░░░░░░░░ are getting the cooperation ░░░░░░░░ being very clear to ░░░░░░░░ that the doj and ░░░░░░░░ are cooperating Do you ░░░░░░░░ that they need to ░░░░░░░░ more information Or is ░░░░░░░░ sources that are talking ░░░░░░░░ nunes trying to stir ░░░░░░░░ pot BLUMENTHAL Devin Nunes ░░░░░░░░ the house intelligence committee ░░░░░░░░ the Senate intelligence committee ░░░░░░░░ responsible for oversight But ░░░░░░░░ s oversight of the ░░░░░░░░ community not of an ░░░░░░░░ criminal investigation in the ░░░░░░░░ of justice In fact ░░░░░░░░ m on the judiciary ░░░░░░░░ We have oversight responsibility ░░░░░░░░ the FBI and the ░░░░░░░░ of justice There is ░░░░░░░░ evidence none of any ░░░░░░░░ placed by the FBI ░░░░░░░░ the Trump campaign to ░░░░░░░░ Hillary Clinton nor any ░░░░░░░░ improper activity BURNETT Have ░░░░░░░░ had conversations with Republicans ░░░░░░░░ your committee Is it ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan statement you re ░░░░░░░░ that you re saying ░░░░░░░░ the Senate we don ░░░░░░░░ see what Devin Nunes ░░░░░░░░ he sees BLUMENTHAL That ░░░░░░░░ a really good point ░░░░░░░░ In fact my Republican ░░░░░░░░ are embarrassed and alarmed ░░░░░░░░ this whole spygate episode ░░░░░░░░ by the president s ░░░░░░░░ effect voicing on them ░░░░░░░░ seeming responsibility to look ░░░░░░░░ something that is nonexistent ░░░░░░░░ product of his imagination ░░░░░░░░ fantasy But more important ░░░░░░░░ effort to deflect and ░░░░░░░░ BURNETT Interesting you talk ░░░░░░░░ them they re embarrassed ░░░░░░░░ alarmed by what he ░░░░░░░░ claiming All right If ░░░░░░░░ found out though that ░░░░░░░░ FBI was using an ░░░░░░░░ to get information about ░░░░░░░░ staffers right on a ░░░░░░░░ that you ran right ░░░░░░░░ FBI finds out they ░░░░░░░░ linked to Russia so ░░░░░░░░ send someone in to ░░░░░░░░ it out You don ░░░░░░░░ find out about it ░░░░░░░░ well after the fact ░░░░░░░░ you be upset and ░░░░░░░░ to know more BLUMENTHAL ░░░░░░░░ d want to know ░░░░░░░░ about Russian meddling and ░░░░░░░░ That s the reason ░░░░░░░░ we have a Judiciary ░░░░░░░░ BURNETT You trust the ░░░░░░░░ did what they said ░░░░░░░░ did BLUMENTHAL I trust ░░░░░░░░ FBI barring any evidence ░░░░░░░░ their doing anything wrong ░░░░░░░░ FBI is responsible for ░░░░░░░░ spies and covert agents ░░░░░░░░ are subverting our electoral ░░░░░░░░ That s what they ░░░░░░░░ doing They do not ░░░░░░░░ or subvert our electoral ░░░░░░░░ BURNETT So airy Fleischer ░░░░░░░░ presidential secretary for George ░░░░░░░░ Bush took this a ░░░░░░░░ farther Not just trump ░░░░░░░░ there was a spy ░░░░░░░░ help Hillary Clinton He ░░░░░░░░ saying President Obama would ░░░░░░░░ been aware of this ░░░░░░░░ there s no way ░░░░░░░░ you would have had ░░░░░░░░ FBI informant put into ░░░░░░░░ campaign without the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States knowing ░░░░░░░░ Here s how Ari ░░░░░░░░ it clip starts FLEISCHER ░░░░░░░░ need to know why ░░░░░░░░ it begin and who ░░░░░░░░ it what role did ░░░░░░░░ Obama have did he ░░░░░░░░ that the FBI was ░░░░░░░░ to put informants there ░░░░░░░░ ll guarantee the answer ░░░░░░░░ yes No FBI would ░░░░░░░░ informants in another presidential ░░░░░░░░ without permission from the ░░░░░░░░ House including the president ░░░░░░░░ ends BURNETT Anything to ░░░░░░░░ BLUMENTHAL There s no ░░░░░░░░ that Barack Obama knew ░░░░░░░░ a spy placed by ░░░░░░░░ FBI in the trump ░░░░░░░░ because there s no ░░░░░░░░ that the FBI did ░░░░░░░░ Proving a negative is ░░░░░░░░ difficult But an investigation ░░░░░░░░ to begin with some ░░░░░░░░ predicate As a former ░░░░░░░░ prosecutor as a U ░░░░░░░░ Attorney for Connecticut I ░░░░░░░░ that FBI agents have ░░░░░░░░ provide some factual predicate ░░░░░░░░ moving forward it s ░░░░░░░░ the head of their ░░░░░░░░ or even on paper ░░░░░░░░ there was none And ░░░░░░░░ is no reason for ░░░░░░░░ president to know something ░░░░░░░░ doesn t exist BURNETT ░░░░░░░░ did not happen right ░░░░░░░░ out something out there ░░░░░░░░ absolutely no basis doesn ░░░░░░░░ mean it therefore needs ░░░░░░░░ be investigated or pushed ░░░░░░░░ And there was no ░░░░░░░░ even for this meeting ░░░░░░░░ senator Warner said there ░░░░░░░░ no reason for the ░░░░░░░░ to be present at ░░░░░░░░ normal group of the ░░░░░░░░ called gang of eight ░░░░░░░░ has oversight responsibility BURNETT ░░░░░░░░ Blumenthal thank you so ░░░░░░░░ much.”