Blumenthal: Avenatti’s Cohen Claims Prove ‘Quid Pro Quo,’ We Know the Quid, But Not the Quo

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
BLITZER: "Let me turn to the payments to Michael Cohen. The president's long time personal lawyer and the payments from a U.S. Company linked to a Russian oligarch or Russian billionaire. What are the areas from your per spect -- perspective of potential illegality."
BLUMENTHAL: "The areas are possibly bank fraud in false statements that Michael Cohen made to the banks that were dealing with him and second violations of the foreign lobbying act and registration requirements which may not appear huge in themselves but in combination with other possible violations like money laundering could make him much more vulnerable. All of these payments are deep serious trouble for Michael Cohen and that is deep trouble for Donald Trump. Because he has the keys to the kingdom in terms of information about Donald Trump. He's the president's lawyer, really the president's fixer and these payments by AT&T and novartis and the Korean aerospace industry, not to mention companies associated with Victor vekselberg are very, very suspect. We know there was a quit proquo and we know the quid, we don't yet know the quo in terms of the services that Michael Cohen was supposed to provide."
BLITZER: "Does it sound to you senator like a possible influence peddling and does it go further with the Russian connections to possible collusion?"
BLUMENTHAL: "It certainly enhances the likelihood of evidence of collusion. What we're seeing is pieces of a mosaic establishing collusions with the Russians and these pieces are very powerful evidence. The involvement of an oligarch, not just any oligarch, an individual who was sanctioned by our own government, Viktor vekselberg and payments to the president's lawyer from the Russian oligarch, that prospect is very serious evidence of collusion."