THANKS FOR JOINING US. PLEASE STAY WITH US.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ROLL THROUGH OUR COVERAGE HERE ON
THIS. >>> TONIGHT LEADERS OF THE
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
ARE PRAISING THE APPOINTMENT OF ROBERT MUELLER AS THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL OVERSEEING THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
>> THIS IS I THINK A POSITIVE THING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THAT YOU GOT A FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE FBI AND A HIGHLY
RESPECTED LAWYER WHO CAN WORK FOR THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL.
AND THERE WON'T BE ANY REASON TO THINK THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT
OF INTEREST FROM THE HILL, FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, OR FROM WITHIN
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. >> I THINK THERE IS FAR GREATER
CHANCE WITH A TRULY INDEPENNDEP COUNSEL CONDUCTING THIS,
PLARNDLY SOMEONE OF THE STATURE OF BOB MULE THEY'RE THE PUBLIC
IS MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT THE RESULT OF THE DECISIONS THAT MR.
MUELLER MAKES. >> JOINING US THE FORMER
ASSISTANT WATERGATE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AND A FORMER GENERAL
COUNSEL OF THE ARMY. AND CLINT WATTS, A FORMER FBI
AGENT WHO WORKED UNDER ROBERT MUELLER FOR FIVE YEARS.
HE IS ALSO AN MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR. CLINT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT THE NEW SPECIAL PROSECUTOR?
>> I THINK IT'S GOING ABOUT THE A GREAT CHOICE.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT ALL THESE NIAM ARE LEAVING THE FBI
RIGHT NOW WERE ONCE THE DEPUTIES TO MUELLER'S DEPUTIES.
THIS IS HIS OLD CREW. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WITH HIM
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTERTERRORISM YEARS.
SO THEY'RE GOING HAVE A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP FROM THE
OUTSET. I THINK THE OTHER THING WE
SHOULD LOOK AT IS MUELLER IS VERY STRAIGHT ARROW IN TERMS OF
HOW THESE INVESTIGATIONS RUN AND HIS OWN CONDUCT.
IF YOU NOTICE TODAY THE VERY FIRST THING HE DID AS HE TOOK
THIS POSITION IS HE RESIGNED FROM HIS POSITION AS A LAWYER AT
A LAW FIRM. >> WITHOUT A SECOND OF
HESITATION. NOTHING LIKE WHAT WE SAW WITH
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HANGING ON TO CERTAIN PIECES OF
THEIR ACTIVITIES. >> MUELLER IS AMERICA FIRST.
AND WE DON'T SEE THAT FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE. AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY
DIFFERENT VIBE. I THINK YOU'LL SEE A VERY
DIFFERENT REACTION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AS WELL.
AND THEY MADE A GOOD CHOICE WITH THIS.
>> I WONDER IF YOU HAVE AN INSIGHT AS TO TIMING HERE IN THE
FOLLOWING WAY. IF SOMEONE -- IF YOU GET THE
CALL FROM ROSENSTEIN, I'D LIKE YOU TO BE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR,
YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. YOU HAVE TO SAY WHAT DO I HAVE
TO DO? HOW DOES THIS CHANGE MY LIFE?
YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT. HOW LONG DO YOU THINK BOB
MUELLER WOULD NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT BEFORE SAYING YES,
BEFORE AUTHORIZING THE ANNOUNCEMENT?
>> NOT VERY LONG. I THINK WHEN HE GOT THAT OFFER,
HE PROBABLY LOOKED AT HAVING SPENT 12 YEARS THERE.
12 YEARS OF HIS LIFE REBUILDING THE IMAGE OF THE FBI 56 9/11.
IF YOU REMEMBER AFTER 9/11 WAS A TIME OF CRISIS WHEN THEY WANTED
TO TAKE INTEL AWAY FROM THE BUREAU.
MUELLER RESHAPED THE FBI INTO AN INTELLIGENCE-LED ORGANIZATION.
SO I THINK HE SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK, SOLIDIFY
THE FBI IN ITS STANCE WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT AS BEING NONPARTISAN,
ENFORCING THE RULE OF LAW AND WAY TO SUPPORT HIS COUNTRY ONE
MORE TIME. >> JILL WINEBANKS, YOU WERE
THERE IN THE WATERGATE SPECIAL COUNSEL OFFICE IN WHAT TURNED
OUT TO BE A 14-MONTH PURSUIT OF PRESIDENT NIXON AND A LONGER
PURSUIT OF OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THAT INVESTIGATION.
TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE AS YOU MARCHED THROUGH THOSE MONTHS AND
AS YOU GET THE FEELING OF GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE
PRESIDENT. >> WELL, WE ALL STARTED OUT NOT
KNOWING WHAT WE WOULD FIND. AND NOT HAVING ANY PRECONCEIVED
NOTION. SO IT WAS QUITE SHOCKING WHEN WE
LEARNED THERE WERE TAPES AND THEN WHEN WE FINALLY HEARD THEM
TO SEE THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS REALLY INVOLVED DEEPLY IN THE
COVER-UP AND OTHER CRIMES. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I SEE A
PARALLEL TO TODAY. I'M VERY GLAD WITH THE
APPOINTMENT OF A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES IS COMING FROM THE
LAW FIRM WITH MR. MUELLER. SO THAT'S A GOOD SIGN.
IT MEANS THAT THERE SHOULD BE A FAIR AND COMPLETE INVESTIGATION.
I SAID LAST NIGHT ON TELEVISION THAT WE NEEDED A SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR. AND TODAY WE NOW HAVE ONE.
I THINK THIS IS GOING LEAD TO A TRUE REVELATION FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE. I HOPE ALL OF THEM WILL BE
LISTENING. AND THAT THE PUBLIC OUTCRY WHEN
THEY GET THE FACTS WILL LEAD TO FURTHER ACTION IN THE CONGRESS.
>> YOUR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE WAS REALLY OPERATING IN
UNCHARTED TERRITORY. TODAY I FOUND THAT THE VERY
FIRST THING WE COULD CALL A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN ULYSSES S.
GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION. REALLY, THERE WAS NO MAP, NO
PLAYBOOK TO DO THIS. WHAT DID WE LEARN IN THE SPECIAL
COUNSEL WATERGATE OFFICE THAT APPLIES TO THE INVESTIGATION
TODAY? >> WE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE INDEPENDENCE AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE LEAD OVER THE
OFFICE. WE LEARNED THAT NO MAN IS ABOVE
THE LAW, AND THAT WHEN THE COURT SAYS WE HAVE A RIGHT TO
EVIDENCE, THAT THE PRESIDENT, EVEN THE PRESIDENT HAS TO COMPLY
WITH IT. AND I THINK WE ALSO LEARNED JUST
WATCHING THE EVENTS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SPEAK TRUTH
TO POWER. AND THAT'S WHY SALLY YATES IS
NOW ONE OF MY HEROES. BECAUSE SHE ONE OF THE FIRST
PEOPLE WHO SAID TO THE PRESIDENT THIS IS FACTS.
YOU NEED TO KNOW AND OCTOBER ON. AND HE DIDN'T AND INSTEAD FIRED
HER. IF JOHN DEAN HAD SPOKEN UP
SOONER, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A WATERGATE.
THERE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE PROLONGED COVERUP.
HE PARTICIPATED FOR TOO LONG AND REALIZED HE NEEDED TO STOP IT.
IF HE HAD HAD THE COURAGE TO GO FORWARD SOONER, IT WOULD HAVE
ENDED THE COVER-UP FROM THE BEGINNING.
>> CLINT, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO PEOPLE WORKING IN THE WHITE
HOUSE TONIGHT? >> I THINK THEY NEED TO START
CHECKING ALL OF THEIR DOCUMENTATION AND MAKING SURE
THAT THEY GOT EVERYTHING IN LINE.
BECAUSE THIS INVESTIGATION IS NOT GOING TO SLOW DOWN.
AND THEY COULD ACTUALLY GO BACK WHETHER BIT FINANCIAL OR
COMMUNICATIONS OR ANY SORT OF NETWORKING BETWEEN KEY FIGURES.
AND THEN IT'S GOING TO BE THE COVER-UP.
THE COVER-UP IS WHAT IS GOING TO GET PEOPLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
NOW. THE CLOCK STARTED ON
INAUGURATION DAY. THEY WERE IN POWER.
THEY THEN MADE THE DECISION AROUND FLYNN.
THEY MADE DECISION AROUND CARTER PAGE AND MANAFORT DURING THE
CAMPAIGN. AND THEN THEY MADE DECISION
ABOUT THE COMEY FIRING. THIS IS ALL GOING TO BE A PAPER
TRAIL, A COMMUNICATIONS TRAIL. AND THE REAL PARTS OF
OBSTRUCTION ARE NOT GOING TO BE TRUMP MAKING INFLUENCE JEST
CHERS. IT'S GOING TO BE WERE THERE ANY
MINIONS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TRYING TO SUPPRESS THIS CASE
OVER AT THE FBI. >> JILL, I WANT TO GO BACK TO
YOU WITH ONE MORE THING. IN THE HALF MATH OF THE
WATERGATE INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO SAID
NIXON JUST SHOULD HAVE BURNED THE TAPES.
HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TURNED THOSE AUDIO TAPES.
HE SHOULD HAVE USED HIS PRESIDENTIAL POWER AND JUST
BURNED THEM AND SAY IT'S CLASSIFIED AND THEY'RE GONE AND
YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM. AND IF HE HAD BURNED THE TAPES,
THERE WOULD NEVER BE THOSE TAPES THAT DROVE HIM OUT OF OFFICE.
WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS THE
LESSON FOR THE TARGET OF AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS?
>> I'D LIKE TO SAY I'M VERY GLAD HE DIDN'T BURN THE TAPES BECAUSE
IF IT HAD COME DOWN TO HIS WORD AGAINST JOHN DEAN'S WORD, I'M
AFRAID THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT WOULD HAVE GONE TO HIM.
AND IT WAS WHEN DEAN TESTIFIED, HE DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE HAD BEEN
RECORDED. SO HE TESTIFIED OPENLY AND
HONESTLY, AND 100% ACCURATELY. AND NO ONE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED
HIM IF HE HADN'T BEEN CORROBORATED BY THE TAPES.
I THINK THAT'S THE WRONG LESSON TO TAKE FROM THIS.
AND OF COURSE, ONCE THEY'RE SUBPOENAED, AND I KNOW HERE IT
HASN'T EXACTLY BEEN SUBPOENAED. BUT IT'S UNDER REQUEST.
I THINK THAT IT COULD BE CONSIDERED OBSTRUCTION AND COULD
BE AN IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE FOR HIM TO DESTROY THE
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