Transcription
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. LOOKING FORWARD TO WATCHING YOUR COVERAGE.
THANKS, JEN. THANK YOU. WELL, NOW THE PHRASE TRUMPED UP CHARGES HAS NEW MEANING. DONALD TRUMP HAS DELIVERED WHAT IS LITERALLY THE THINNEST FEDERAL INDICTMENT YOU WILL EVER SEE. IT AMOUNTS TO TWO PAGES ONLY BECAUSE THE TWO COUNTS SO-CALLED IN THIS INDICTMENT ARE THE SAME COUNT, THE SAME SO-CALLED CRIME, WHICH WE WILL SHOW YOU IN A MOMENT. JAMES COMEY'S TESTIMONY TO THE SENATE. AND SO THEY USE THAT SAME SENTENCE THAT JAMES COMEY GAVE IN HIS TESTIMONY TO CREATE THESE TWO DIFFERENT SO-CALLED COUNTS.
THE FIRST THIS INDICTMENT CALLS THE THAT HE MATERIALLY FALSE AND FICTITIOUS FRAUDULENT STATEMENT TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS EVER TAKEN SERIOUSLY BEFORE NOW. AND THEN THEY USE THAT SAME SO-CALLED FALSE STATEMENT TO CONSTITUTE AN OBSTRUCTION CHARGE, OBSTRUCTION OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE. THAT'S WHAT THIS INDICTMENT IS. WE'VE LITERALLY NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN ANY WAY.
EITHER ONE OF THOSE COUNTS, JAMES COMEY RESPONDED TO THE INDICTMENT TONIGHT WITH THIS VIDEO.
>> MY FAMILY AND I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS THAT THERE ARE COSTS TO STANDING UP TO DONALD TRUMP, BUT WE COULDN'T IMAGINE OURSELVES LIVING ANY OTHER WAY. WE WILL NOT LIVE ON OUR KNEES. AND YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER. SOMEBODY THAT I LOVE DEARLY RECENTLY SAID THAT FEAR IS THE TOOL OF A TYRANT. AND SHE'S RIGHT. BUT I'M NOT AFRAID. AND I HOPE YOU'RE NOT, EITHER. I HOPE INSTEAD YOU ARE ENGAGED. YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION, AND YOU WILL VOTE LIKE YOUR BELOVED COUNTRY DEPENDS UPON IT, WHICH IT DOES. MY HEART IS BROKEN FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, BUT I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM. AND I'M INNOCENT. SO LET'S HAVE A TRIAL AND KEEP THE FAITH.
WHEN JAMES COMEY REFERRED TO HIS FAMILY IN THAT STATEMENT, HE OBVIOUSLY IS INCLUDING HIS DAUGHTER, MAURENE COMEY, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO WAS FIRED BY DONALD TRUMP AND DONALD TRUMP'S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. SHE WAS THE LEAD PROSECUTOR IN THE GHISLAINE MAXWELL PROSECUTION. SHE IS THE FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WHO KNOWS, WHO KNEW MORE ABOUT GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND HER PROSECUTION THAN ANYONE ELSE. AND GHISLAINE MAXWELL'S COCONSPIRATOR IN SEX TRAFFICKING, JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
DONALD TRUMP MADE SURE THAT SHE WAS FIRED BEFORE DONALD TRUMP SENT HIS CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER, HIS PERSONAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER, TO FLORIDA TO INTERVIEW GHISLAINE MAXWELL. NOW THAT DONALD TRUMP'S PERSONAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER IS HIS DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, HE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT MAURENE COMEY WAS OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE HE DID THAT. THAT'S WHO. THAT'S ONE OF THE PEOPLE JAMES COMEY REFERRED TO TONIGHT IN THAT VIDEO STATEMENT.
AND THAT, QUOTE, THAT LINE THAT HE USED, FEAR IS THE TOOL OF A TYRANT IS WHAT HIS DAUGHTER, MAUREEN COMEY, SAID WHEN SHE WAS FIRED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN AN EMAIL TO HER COLLEAGUES. SHE SAID IN A CAREER PROSECUTOR CAN BE FIRED WITHOUT REASON, FEAR MAY SEEP INTO THE DECISIONS OF THOSE WHO REMAIN. DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN. FEAR IS THE TOOL OF A TYRANT WIELDED TO SUPPRESS INDEPENDENT THOUGHT INSTEAD OF FEAR. LET THIS MOMENT FUEL THE FIRE THAT ALREADY BURNS AT THE HEART OF THIS PLACE, A FIRE OF RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION AT ABUSES OF POWER, OF COMMITMENT TO SEEK JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS, OF DEDICATION TO TRUTH ABOVE ALL ELSE.
DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT OFTEN DELETE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. THAT IS THE RAREST THING DONALD TRUMP CAN DO WITH A SOCIAL MEDIA POST. BUT HE DID IT. HE DID IT WITH THE SOCIAL MEDIA POST IN WHICH CASE, THE JUDGE WHO WAS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN, WHO HAS THIS CASE TONIGHT. THIS IS THE ONE THAT DONALD TRUMP DELETED TO HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL PUBLICLY. PAM, I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 30 STATEMENTS AND POSTS SAYING THAT ESSENTIALLY SAME OLD STORY AS LAST TIME. ALL TALK, NO ACTION, NOTHING IS BEING DONE. WHAT ABOUT COMEY? ADAM? SHIFTY SCHIFF, LETITIA. THEY'RE ALL GUILTY AS HELL. AND THERE IS DONALD TRUMP PRONOUNCING GUILT ON JAMES COMEY WHILE HE'S ORDERING HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO MAKE JAMES COMEY A CRIMINAL DEFENDANT.
THERE'S DONALD TRUMP TELLING ALL OF THOSE GRAND JURORS WHO HEARD THIS CASE, ALL OF THEM, THAT JAMES COMEY IS GUILTY AS HELL. THAT'S DONALD TRUMP TELLING THE ENTIRE JURY POOL THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS CASE IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, THAT JAMES COMEY IS GUILTY AS HELL. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NO PRESIDENT HAS EVER DONE BEFORE DONALD TRUMP.
THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON LET SLIP PUBLICLY THAT HE THOUGHT CHARLES MANSON WAS GUILTY OF THOSE MASS MURDERS IN LOS ANGELES, AND PRESIDENT NIXON HAD TO IMMEDIATELY RETRACT THAT IN A STATEMENT IN WRITING, FOR FEAR THAT THAT WOULD CREATE A MISTRIAL IN THE PROSECUTION OF CHARLES MANSON, AND FOR FEAR THAT THAT WOULD CREATE PREJUDICIAL PUBLICITY THAT COULD HARM CHARLES MANSON EVER GETTING A FAIR TRIAL IN THIS COUNTRY.
DONALD TRUMP HAS THROWN THAT CONVENTION ASIDE WITH HIS DECLARATION THAT JAMES COMEY WAS GUILTY BEFORE JAMES COMEY WAS INDICTED. THIS IS NOW ALL ABOUT THIS EXCHANGE THAT JAMES COMEY HAD WITH SENATOR RAPHAEL CRUZ IN THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ALMOST EXACTLY FIVE YEARS AGO TONIGHT. HERE IS THAT EXCHANGE IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS IS THE ENTIRE BODY OF EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE. HERE IT IS.
>> ON MAY 3RD, 2017, IN THIS COMMITTEE, CHAIRMAN GRASSLEY ASKED YOU POINT BLANK, QUOTE, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE IN NEWS REPORTS ABOUT MATTERS RELATING TO THE TRUMP INVESTIGATION OF THE CLINTON INVESTIGATION? YOU RESPONDED UNDER OATH, QUOTE, NEVER. HE THEN ASKED YOU, QUOTE, HAVE YOU EVER AUTHORIZED SOMEONE ELSE AT THE FBI TO BE AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE IN NEWS REPORTS ABOUT THE TRUMP INVESTIGATION OR THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION? YOU RESPONDED AGAIN UNDER OATH, NO.
>> NOW, AS YOU KNOW, MR. MCCABE, WHO WORKS FOR YOU, HAS PUBLICLY AND REPEATEDLY STATED THAT HE LEAKED INFORMATION TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND THAT YOU WERE DIRECTLY AWARE OF IT AND THAT YOU DIRECTLY AUTHORIZED IT. NOW, WHAT MR. MCCABE IS SAYING AND WHAT YOU TESTIFIED TO THIS COMMITTEE CANNOT BOTH BE TRUE. ONE OR THE OTHER IS FALSE. WHO'S TELLING THE TRUTH?
>> I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO MY TESTIMONY. I STAND BY WHAT THE TESTIMONY YOU SUMMARIZED THAT I GAVE IN MAY OF 2017.
>> SO YOUR TESTIMONY IS YOU'VE NEVER AUTHORIZED ANYONE TO LEAK.
>> AND MR. MCCABE, IF HE SAYS CONTRARY, IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> AGAIN, I'M NOT GOING TO CHARACTERIZE ANDY'S TESTIMONY, BUT MINE IS THE SAME TODAY.
THE PROBLEM FOR DONALD TRUMP AND HIS INEXPERIENCED NEW PROSECUTOR LEADING THIS PROSECUTION IS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, IN THEIR INSPECTOR GENERAL'S INVESTIGATION OF THIS EXACT ISSUE, FOUND THAT JAMES COMEY WAS INDEED TELLING THE TRUTH. HERE IS WHAT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT HAS TO SAY ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT SENATOR CRUZ WAS JUST ASKING ABOUT. THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAYS WE FOUND THAT IN LATE OCTOBER 2016, MCCABE AUTHORIZED SPECIAL COUNSEL TO DISCUSS WITH WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER DEVLIN BARRETT ISSUES RELATED TO THE FBI'S CLINTON FOUNDATION INVESTIGATION. SO THERE'S THE INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT SAYING WE FOUND THAT MCCABE AUTHORIZED THE DISCUSSION WITH THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. MCCABE AUTHORIZED THOSE TWO WORDS.
THE JURY IN THIS CASE IS GOING TO SEE THOSE TWO WORDS. THE GRAND JURY IN THIS CASE IS VERY UNLIKELY TO EVER HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH A SINGLE WORD OF WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR RIGHT NOW. IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THEY EVER SHOWED THE GRAND JURY IN THIS CASE, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, WHICH GOES ON TO SAY, IN PARTICULAR, MCCABE AUTHORIZED SPECIAL COUNSEL TO DISCLOSE TO BARRETT THE CONTENTS OF A TELEPHONE CALL THAT HAD OCCURRED ON AUGUST 12TH, 2016, BETWEEN MCCABE AND THEN PRINCIPAL ASSOCIATE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL. WE FOUND THAT IN A CONVERSATION WITH THEN DIRECTOR COMEY SHORTLY AFTER THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED, MCCABE LACKED CANDOR WHEN HE TOLD COMEY OR MADE STATEMENTS THAT LED COMEY TO BELIEVE THAT MCCABE HAD NOT AUTHORIZED THE DISCLOSURE AND DID NOT KNOW WHO DID.
WE ALSO FOUND THAT ON MAY 9TH, 2017, WHEN QUESTIONED UNDER OATH BY FBI AGENTS FROM THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE, MCCABE LACKED CANDOR WHEN HE TOLD THE AGENTS THAT HE HAD NOT AUTHORIZED THE DISCLOSURE TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL AND DID NOT KNOW WHO DID. WE ADDITIONALLY FOUND THAT ON NOVEMBER 29TH, 2017, WHEN QUESTIONED UNDER OATH BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IN A RECORDED INTERVIEW DURING WHICH HE CONTRADICTED HIS PRIOR STATEMENTS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HE HAD AUTHORIZED THE DISCLOSURE TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, MCCABE LACKED CANDOR WHEN HE STATED THAT HE TOLD COMEY ON OCTOBER 31ST, 2016, THAT HE HAD AUTHORIZED THE DISCLOSURE TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
AND SO THERE IS THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS NO DOUBT DELIBERATELY WITHHELD FROM THIS GRAND JURY. IT IS INCONCEIVABLE THAT A GRAND JURY COULD READ THOSE PASSAGES OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT AND THEN SAY