Preet Bharara on Russian Indictments: Idea Anyone Can Say There Was No Interference in The Election Is Just Fooling Themselves

RUSH TRANSCRIPT BLITZER We ░░░░░░░░ more breaking news on ░░░░░░░░ indictment of 12 Russian ░░░░░░░░ officers in the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ CNN has learned that ░░░░░░░░ S Intelligence officials detected ░░░░░░░░ of those indicted Russians ░░░░░░░░ they were congratulating one ░░░░░░░░ on their operation and ░░░░░░░░ they were celebrating President ░░░░░░░░ s election win Let ░░░░░░░░ bring in CNN s ░░░░░░░░ legal analyst former U ░░░░░░░░ Attorney preet bharara Preet ░░░░░░░░ stands out to you ░░░░░░░░ this indictment BHARARA Well ░░░░░░░░ all of it It ░░░░░░░░ a very powerful document ░░░░░░░░ level of detail the ░░░░░░░░ of thoroughness the level ░░░░░░░░ specificity in it is ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary You know if ░░░░░░░░ take a step back ░░░░░░░░ look at what the ░░░░░░░░ has been about what ░░░░░░░░ investigation has been about ░░░░░░░░ Russia investigation done by ░░░░░░░░ counsel Mueller and his ░░░░░░░░ he s basically been ░░░░░░░░ at he s basically ░░░░░░░░ looking at three things ░░░░░░░░ whether anyone engaged in ░░░░░░░░ attack on American democracy ░░░░░░░░ interfered with the election ░░░░░░░░ whether any Americans conspired ░░░░░░░░ them to do that ░░░░░░░░ And then third whether ░░░░░░░░ not there was obstruction ░░░░░░░░ the investigation And there ░░░░░░░░ been allegations of witch ░░░░░░░░ and overstepping their bounds ░░░░░░░░ respect to all three ░░░░░░░░ them And what s ░░░░░░░░ think important from the ░░░░░░░░ of the integrity of ░░░░░░░░ investigation and also what ░░░░░░░░ means for American elections ░░░░░░░░ our relationship with Russia ░░░░░░░░ with respect to that ░░░░░░░░ bucket whether or not ░░░░░░░░ Russians interfered with the ░░░░░░░░ the evidence now if ░░░░░░░░ believe the allegations in ░░░░░░░░ indictment and I do ░░░░░░░░ they re so specific ░░░░░░░░ authoritative it s overwhelming ░░░░░░░░ the idea that anyone ░░░░░░░░ say there was no ░░░░░░░░ in the election is ░░░░░░░░ fooling themselves The best ░░░░░░░░ in the entire indictment ░░░░░░░░ the statement of the ░░░░░░░░ of the conspiracy Every ░░░░░░░░ indictment that talks about ░░░░░░░░ conspiracy has to state ░░░░░░░░ the object or purpose ░░░░░░░░ the conspiracy was And ░░░░░░░░ s right there in ░░░░░░░░ and white that the ░░░░░░░░ of the conspiracy was ░░░░░░░░ interfere with an American ░░░░░░░░ and it s clear ░░░░░░░░ the purpose of interfering ░░░░░░░░ the American election on ░░░░░░░░ side of one party ░░░░░░░░ another So it s ░░░░░░░░ extraordinary document that puts ░░░░░░░░ lie to anyone saying ░░░░░░░░ the investigation is a ░░░░░░░░ hunt when it s ░░░░░░░░ yielding anything And it ░░░░░░░░ you know by name ░░░░░░░░ specific high level military ░░░░░░░░ officials in Russia who ░░░░░░░░ to be doing what ░░░░░░░░ were doing with the ░░░░░░░░ explicit approval and perhaps ░░░░░░░░ of Vladimir Putin That ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinarily significant thing ░░░░░░░░ Yeah And the president ░░░░░░░░ even today once again ░░░░░░░░ it a rigged witch ░░░░░░░░ even though the deputy ░░░░░░░░ general rod Rosenstein earlier ░░░░░░░░ the week briefed him ░░░░░░░░ this indictment The indictment ░░░░░░░░ you know preet is ░░░░░░░░ on a lot of ░░░░░░░░ work that had been ░░░░░░░░ well before special counsel ░░░░░░░░ was ever appointed So ░░░░░░░░ does that tell you ░░░░░░░░ additional information that Mueller ░░░░░░░░ have BHARARA Well I ░░░░░░░░ everything in the investigation ░░░░░░░░ told us and topped ░░░░░░░░ by this indictment that ░░░░░░░░ counsel Mueller has an ░░░░░░░░ amount of information that ░░░░░░░░ gleaned by using intelligence ░░░░░░░░ And some of it ░░░░░░░░ been declassified for purposes ░░░░░░░░ being able to use ░░░░░░░░ in a criminal investigation ░░░░░░░░ and lots of information ░░░░░░░░ I m sure Mueller ░░░░░░░░ team has will never ░░░░░░░░ the light of day ░░░░░░░░ never fall into an ░░░░░░░░ or a criminal complaint ░░░░░░░░ any kind because it ░░░░░░░░ not necessarily or because ░░░░░░░░ can t make the ░░░░░░░░ leap to using that ░░░░░░░░ to charge someone But ░░░░░░░░ think you know as ░░░░░░░░ by you know the ░░░░░░░░ nature of the specific ░░░░░░░░ that were going to ░░░░░░░░ in this indictment although ░░░░░░░░ sort of expected that ░░░░░░░░ could be a charge ░░░░░░░░ to the DNC and ░░░░░░░░ DCCC hack The fact ░░░░░░░░ there s so much ░░░░░░░░ in here that no ░░░░░░░░ knew about suggests to ░░░░░░░░ that there s a ░░░░░░░░ of work still to ░░░░░░░░ done there s a ░░░░░░░░ of information that they ░░░░░░░░ have and this remains ░░░░░░░░ the tip of the ░░░░░░░░ BLITZER There s virtually ░░░░░░░░ chance I suspect that ░░░░░░░░ 12 Russians will ever ░░░░░░░░ extradited to the United ░░░░░░░░ So what s the ░░░░░░░░ of indicting people who ░░░░░░░░ never stand trial BHARARA ░░░░░░░░ so you know we ░░░░░░░░ people all the time ░░░░░░░░ under seal if we ░░░░░░░░ there was little likelihood ░░░░░░░░ if they knew about ░░░░░░░░ charges that they would ░░░░░░░░ It seems you re ░░░░░░░░ unlikely that these folks ░░░░░░░░ travel certainly not to ░░░░░░░░ United States but also ░░░░░░░░ a friendly country that ░░░░░░░░ have an extradition treaty ░░░░░░░░ there s a thing ░░░░░░░░ s gaining more credence ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement circles called ░░░░░░░░ and shame We brought ░░░░░░░░ case against some people ░░░░░░░░ Iran who were affiliated ░░░░░░░░ the ircg The U ░░░░░░░░ Attorney a few years ░░░░░░░░ brought a case against ░░░░░░░░ Chinese nationals in connection ░░░░░░░░ a cyber attack they ░░░░░░░░ engaged in And the ░░░░░░░░ is you want to ░░░░░░░░ them and shame them ░░░░░░░░ there s some idea ░░░░░░░░ by letting people know ░░░░░░░░ you know what they ░░░░░░░░ up to and not ░░░░░░░░ did you know that ░░░░░░░░ were up to but ░░░░░░░░ knew with great specificity ░░░░░░░░ you uncovered in great ░░░░░░░░ what they were up ░░░░░░░░ it a little bit ░░░░░░░░ them know that they ░░░░░░░░ not be able to ░░░░░░░░ away wit in the ░░░░░░░░ and with respect to ░░░░░░░░ countries it does have ░░░░░░░░ a diplomatic sense a ░░░░░░░░ effect Now it will ░░░░░░░░ a greater regulating effect ░░░░░░░░ turn effect if Donald ░░░░░░░░ were to use that ░░░░░░░░ and the specific allegations ░░░░░░░░ in that document when ░░░░░░░░ meets with Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ happen assistance this Monday ░░░░░░░░ gets to show folks ░░░░░░░░ our intelligence people knew ░░░░░░░░ they were doing and ░░░░░░░░ to extraordinary lengths to ░░░░░░░░ things that probably the ░░░░░░░░ didn t expect us ░░░░░░░░ You started the segment ░░░░░░░░ talking about how the ░░░░░░░░ were celebrating Well they ░░░░░░░░ not celebrating today BLITZER ░░░░░░░░ president s personal attorney ░░░░░░░░ Giuliani had this to ░░░░░░░░ in reaction to the ░░░░░░░░ Let me read it ░░░░░░░░ you The indictments Rod ░░░░░░░░ announced are good news ░░░░░░░░ all Americans The Russians ░░░░░░░░ nailed No Americans are ░░░░░░░░ Time for Mueller to ░░░░░░░░ this pursuit of the ░░░░░░░░ and say President Trump ░░░░░░░░ completely innocent BHARARA Find ░░░░░░░░ involuntarily smiling when people ░░░░░░░░ Rudy Giuliani to me ░░░░░░░░ days Look the indictment ░░░░░░░░ t say anything at ░░░░░░░░ about whether or not ░░░░░░░░ wittingly and knowingly were ░░░░░░░░ in the activities that ░░░░░░░░ the subject of the ░░░░░░░░ And it may well ░░░░░░░░ that none were We ░░░░░░░░ don t know yet ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t exonerate ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ good that rod Rosenstein ░░░░░░░░ clear that you know ░░░░░░░░ are no allegations about ░░░░░░░░ conspiring in this particular ░░░░░░░░ I m prepared to ░░░░░░░░ that that s possible ░░░░░░░░ it will happen in ░░░░░░░░ future I m also ░░░░░░░░ to believe that there ░░░░░░░░ not be sufficient evidence ░░░░░░░░ figure out whether or ░░░░░░░░ Americans were involved But ░░░░░░░░ idea that somehow this ░░░░░░░░ like the inspector general ░░░░░░░░ that dealt with something ░░░░░░░░ different exonerates the president ░░░░░░░░ nonsensical And you know ░░░░░░░░ reaction from Rudy Giuliani ░░░░░░░░ least is a smidgen ░░░░░░░░ than the reaction from ░░░░░░░░ White House which didn ░░░░░░░░ even acknowledge anything at ░░░░░░░░ about the fact that ░░░░░░░░ had been indicted in ░░░░░░░░ conduct the White House ░░░░░░░░ as I read it ░░░░░░░░ few minutes ago was ░░░░░░░░ to state what Giuliani ░░░░░░░░ in the second part ░░░░░░░░ his statement which is ░░░░░░░░ president is not implicated ░░░░░░░░ campaign is not complicated ░░░░░░░░ may be that the ░░░░░░░░ didn t have anything ░░░░░░░░ do with it that ░░░░░░░░ provable but we don ░░░░░░░░ know that until the ░░░░░░░░ is done BLITZER Preet ░░░░░░░░ thanks as usual for ░░░░░░░░ us.”