Swalwell: Michael Cohen’s ‘Not Spinning’ and ‘We Truly Were at the Edge of Our Seats Listening Intently’

>> And what did he ░░░░░░░░ his agent communicate to ░░░░░░░░ Unfortunately this topic is ░░░░░░░░ something that s being ░░░░░░░░ right now by the ░░░░░░░░ District of New York ░░░░░░░░ I ve been asked ░░░░░░░░ them not to discuss ░░░░░░░░ not to talk about ░░░░░░░░ issues The committee understands ░░░░░░░░ you ve been in ░░░░░░░░ with this other district ░░░░░░░░ New York is that ░░░░░░░░ I am in constant ░░░░░░░░ with the Southern District ░░░░░░░░ New York regarding ongoing ░░░░░░░░ Constant contact with the ░░░░░░░░ District of New York ░░░░░░░░ ongoing investigations You are ░░░░░░░░ was somewhat of a ░░░░░░░░ from the president s ░░░░░░░░ time lawyer Michael Cohen ░░░░░░░░ week for this specific ░░░░░░░░ As recently as December ░░░░░░░░ federal prosecutor s office ░░░░░░░░ the Southern District of ░░░░░░░░ York told a judge ░░░░░░░░ writing that they were ░░░░░░░░ a substantial prison term ░░░░░░░░ Michael Cohen in part ░░░░░░░░ Cohen was notes a ░░░░░░░░ to them as he ░░░░░░░░ have been Quote to ░░░░░░░░ clear the prosecutor said ░░░░░░░░ does not have a ░░░░░░░░ agreement and therefore is ░░░░░░░░ properly described as a ░░░░░░░░ witness as that term ░░░░░░░░ commonly used in this ░░░░░░░░ So that was in ░░░░░░░░ when he got his ░░░░░░░░ year prison sentence That ░░░░░░░░ sdny saying Cohen had ░░░░░░░░ them out a little ░░░░░░░░ but not enough that ░░░░░░░░ should be seen as ░░░░░░░░ cooperator Not enough that ░░░░░░░░ court should see him ░░░░░░░░ qualified for a sentence ░░░░░░░░ as a cooperator Now ░░░░░░░░ week he says he ░░░░░░░░ in constant contact with ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors constant contact regarding ░░░░░░░░ investigations Well that made ░░░░░░░░ wonder if something might ░░░░░░░░ changed between December and ░░░░░░░░ week Does Michael Cohen ░░░░░░░░ a new arrangement with ░░░░░░░░ Has he finally after ░░░░░░░░ fact become a formally ░░░░░░░░ witness in sdny Well ░░░░░░░░ think we now have ░░░░░░░░ answer to that and ░░░░░░░░ s interesting Despite Michael ░░░░░░░░ s assertion this week ░░░░░░░░ he is in constant ░░░░░░░░ with sdny on ongoing ░░░░░░░░ two sources close to ░░░░░░░░ Cohen have now confirmed ░░░░░░░░ us that Cohen is ░░░░░░░░ not working under a ░░░░░░░░ cooperation agreement with sdny ░░░░░░░░ is not therefore a ░░░░░░░░ witness in a formal ░░░░░░░░ even though he is ░░░░░░░░ with them frequently and ░░░░░░░░ them with multiple ongoing ░░░░░░░░ After three straight days ░░░░░░░░ testimony before congressional committees ░░░░░░░░ week next week Michael ░░░░░░░░ has somewhat unexpectedly been ░░░░░░░░ back for a second ░░░░░░░░ of testimony before house ░░░░░░░░ Cohen s attorney Lanny ░░░░░░░░ told us here on ░░░░░░░░ show last night that ░░░░░░░░ second invitation to Cohen ░░░░░░░░ him to come back ░░░░░░░░ another day of testimony ░░░░░░░░ invitation was extended to ░░░░░░░░ last night after quote ░░░░░░░░ information developed New information ░░░░░░░░ that really could be ░░░░░░░░ changing He told us ░░░░░░░░ the development of this ░░░░░░░░ information is the reason ░░░░░░░░ is coming back next ░░░░░░░░ What does that mean ░░░░░░░░ new information and how ░░░░░░░░ it developing and what ░░░░░░░░ you mean by game ░░░░░░░░ Joining us now is ░░░░░░░░ Eric Swalwell of California ░░░░░░░░ s on both the ░░░░░░░░ and judiciary committees Sir ░░░░░░░░ you very much for ░░░░░░░░ here Of course good ░░░░░░░░ Rachel Last night Mr ░░░░░░░░ s attorney told us ░░░░░░░░ wasn t the original ░░░░░░░░ to have Michael Cohen ░░░░░░░░ next week for another ░░░░░░░░ with your committee the ░░░░░░░░ committee He said that ░░░░░░░░ necessary after Cohen developed ░░░░░░░░ he characterized it as ░░░░░░░░ game changing and I ░░░░░░░░ you can t tell ░░░░░░░░ what Cohen said behind ░░░░░░░░ doors but can you ░░░░░░░░ us if his lawyer ░░░░░░░░ spinning us Can you ░░░░░░░░ us if there is ░░░░░░░░ information or broadly what ░░░░░░░░ s about He s ░░░░░░░░ spinning and we truly ░░░░░░░░ at the edge of ░░░░░░░░ seats listening intently as ░░░░░░░░ Cohen told us information ░░░░░░░░ he certainly did not ░░░░░░░░ us in October 2017 ░░░░░░░░ we interviewed him and ░░░░░░░░ certainly did not testify ░░░░░░░░ during the open hearing ░░░░░░░░ that was the arrangement ░░░░░░░░ that he was going ░░░░░░░░ make sure that when ░░░░░░░░ testified to the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ he wouldn t talk ░░░░░░░░ anything that could you ░░░░░░░░ compromise any other agreements ░░░░░░░░ had or any ongoing ░░░░░░░░ but we did take ░░░░░░░░ deeper dive into what ░░░░░░░░ Cohen knows and we ░░░░░░░░ him to come back ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday with corroborating documents ░░░░░░░░ see if it s ░░░░░░░░ He contends that he ░░░░░░░░ corroborating documents to back ░░░░░░░░ whatever it is he ░░░░░░░░ your committee behind closed ░░░░░░░░ He does and you ░░░░░░░░ Rachel I found him ░░░░░░░░ be a liberated man ░░░░░░░░ watched him for about ░░░░░░░░ hours in October of ░░░░░░░░ and he seemed like ░░░░░░░░ who had you know ░░░░░░░░ interest in protecting someone ░░░░░░░░ as he did He ░░░░░░░░ t straight with us ░░░░░░░░ were a lot of ░░░░░░░░ don t recalls if ░░░░░░░░ was convenient to protect ░░░░░░░░ president but here he ░░░░░░░░ very careful in his ░░░░░░░░ You could tell he ░░░░░░░░ to understand the question ░░░░░░░░ didn t want to ░░░░░░░░ an answer where he ░░░░░░░░ be called to speculate ░░░░░░░░ you could tell that ░░░░░░░░ s put his hand ░░░░░░░░ the hot stove and ░░░░░░░░ learned not to do ░░░░░░░░ again and I also ░░░░░░░░ as much as he ░░░░░░░░ about his family that ░░░░░░░░ does care to not ░░░░░░░░ the next 10 years ░░░░░░░░ the rest of his ░░░░░░░░ in prison And part ░░░░░░░░ that may not just ░░░░░░░░ his hope Part of ░░░░░░░░ may be his effort ░░░░░░░░ of the reasons that ░░░░░░░░ were trying to chase ░░░░░░░░ whether or not he ░░░░░░░░ a formal cooperation deal ░░░░░░░░ sdny right now is ░░░░░░░░ even though he s ░░░░░░░░ sentenced in the southern ░░░░░░░░ if he provides prosecutors ░░░░░░░░ information that s good ░░░░░░░░ for them to use ░░░░░░░░ in the investigation or ░░░░░░░░ of another person at ░░░░░░░░ judge s discretion and ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors discretion that could ░░░░░░░░ used to reduce his ░░░░░░░░ and I think Mr ░░░░░░░░ was coy about that ░░░░░░░░ he was or wasn ░░░░░░░░ coy about that when ░░░░░░░░ was speaking in that ░░░░░░░░ session with the Oversight ░░░░░░░░ Does that factor into ░░░░░░░░ you assess his credibility ░░░░░░░░ do you have to ░░░░░░░░ that in in terms ░░░░░░░░ not stepping on the ░░░░░░░░ of any ongoing law ░░░░░░░░ matters Well it s ░░░░░░░░ interesting Rachel because he ░░░░░░░░ a man without you ░░░░░░░░ a life jacket if ░░░░░░░░ s what he s ░░░░░░░░ Because without a cooperation ░░░░░░░░ there s no assurances ░░░░░░░░ the prosecutors as to ░░░░░░░░ they would do or ░░░░░░░░ and so you know ░░░░░░░░ s why I think ░░░░░░░░ he is indeed telling ░░░░░░░░ truth you know he ░░░░░░░░ risking telling a lot ░░░░░░░░ about the Trump organization ░░░░░░░░ Mr Trump than he ░░░░░░░░ agreed to do and ░░░░░░░░ may not even benefit ░░░░░░░░ it at all and ░░░░░░░░ s why I think ░░░░░░░░ have to even you ░░░░░░░░ lend more credibility to ░░░░░░░░ And when I worked ░░░░░░░░ a prosecutor with people ░░░░░░░░ had broken away from ░░░░░░░░ gang as Mr Cohen ░░░░░░░░ you know sometimes just ░░░░░░░░ the right thing is ░░░░░░░░ motivates them more than ░░░░░░░░ I m not naive ░░░░░░░░ know that he wants ░░░░░░░░ see his family as ░░░░░░░░ as possible but it ░░░░░░░░ important for us now ░░░░░░░░ take this information and ░░░░░░░░ it in by looking ░░░░░░░░ other corroborating evidence that ░░░░░░░░ out there and a ░░░░░░░░ of what he s ░░░░░░░░ us matches other pieces ░░░░░░░░ evidence that we had ░░░░░░░░ now we re getting ░░░░░░░░ color that we didn ░░░░░░░░ have We ve had ░░░░░░░░ congressman that Allen weisselberg ░░░░░░░░ cfo of the Trump ░░░░░░░░ and Felix Sater who ░░░░░░░░ a former Trump organization ░░░░░░░░ or executive we ve ░░░░░░░░ reports that they are ░░░░░░░░ going to come before ░░░░░░░░ committee hopefully soon Can ░░░░░░░░ confirm that they have ░░░░░░░░ invited and can you ░░░░░░░░ us if anybody else ░░░░░░░░ on your list already ░░░░░░░░ are invited Mr Seder ░░░░░░░░ come on March 14 ░░░░░░░░ you know it s ░░░░░░░░ past time that we ░░░░░░░░ an mri to every ░░░░░░░░ and tissue in the ░░░░░░░░ organization to understand one ░░░░░░░░ the president and his ░░░░░░░░ and his family are ░░░░░░░░ compromised and two to ░░░░░░░░ if even today as ░░░░░░░░ serves in the Oval ░░░░░░░░ if he s making ░░░░░░░░ that affect our national ░░░░░░░░ to just benefit himself ░░░░░░░░ There s reason to ░░░░░░░░ so those are certainly ░░░░░░░░ you know two witnesses ░░░░░░░░ have announced publicly but ░░░░░░░░ are others that we ░░░░░░░░ learning about in these ░░░░░░░░ who will help us ░░░░░░░░ protect our democracy and ░░░░░░░░ American people from a ░░░░░░░░ compromised and corrupted president ░░░░░░░░ Eric Swalwell of California ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence committee and ░░░░░░░░ Committee thank you for ░░░░░░░░ with us.
>> My pleasure.