>>> GOOD EVENING. I'M CHRIS MATTHEWS IN
WASHINGTON. IT LOOKS LIKELY THAT FORMER
TRUMP NASHT SECURITY ADVISER MICHAEL FLYNN BROKE THE LAW WHEN
HE FAILED TO DISCLOSE ON SECURITY CLEARANCE FORMS THE
MONEY HE EARNED FROM RUSSIA AND TURKEY IN 2015 AND 2016.
AT ISSUE IS THAT NOW INFAMOUS DINNER FLYNN ATTENDED WITH
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, WHERE HE MADE $45,000 FOR
A SPEECH HE DELIVERED FOR THE RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA NETWORK RT AS
WELL AS HIS FOREIGN LOBBYING WORK THAT BENEFITED THE
GOVERNMENT OF TURKEY. ACCORDING TO THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE, IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT FLYNN REQUESTED OR RECEIVED
THE REQUIRED PR MISSION NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT THAT
WORK, WHICH ALL FORMER U.S. MILITARY OFFICERS MUST DO.
ALTHOUGH FLYNN'S ATTORNEY SAID HE DID ALERT THE PENTAGON.
ANYWAY, LAWMAKERS ALSO SAY THAT FLYNN DID NOT DISCLOSE THOSE
FOREIGN PAYMENTS WHEN HE RENEWED HIS SECURITY CLEARANCE.
AFTER REVIEWING DOCUMENTS RELATED TO GENERAL FLYNN AND A
BRIEFING THE DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, JASON
CHAFFETZ AND ELIJAH CUMMINGS DELIVERED A SCATHING SUMMARY OF
FLYNN'S CONDUCT WHICH MIGHT CONSTITUTE A FELONY UNDER THE
LAW. >> GENERAL FLYNN HAD A DUTY AND
AN OBLIGATION TO SEEK AND OBTAIN PERMISSION TO RECEIVE MONEY FROM
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS PRIOR TO ANY ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM.
IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO US THAT THAT WAS EVER SOUGHT, NOR DID HE
EVER GET THAT PERMISSION. IF THAT MONEY WAS RECEIVED BY
GENERAL FLYNN -- AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT WAS -- THAT MONEY NEEDS
TO BE RECOVERED. AS A FORMER MILITARY OFFICER,
YOU SIMPLY CANNOT TAKE MONEY FROM RUSSIA, TURKEY, OR ANYBODY
ELSE. >> KNOWINGLY FALSIFYING OR
CONCEALING A MATERIAL FACT IS A FELONY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN
FINES AND UP TO FIVE YEARS OF
IMPRISONMENT. WE NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO ASK GENERAL FLYNN DIRECTLY WHY HE CONCEALED THESE FOREIGN
PAYMENTS. >> I SEE NO INFORMATION OR NO
DATA TO SUPPORT THE NOTION THAT GENERAL FLYNN COMPLIED WITH THE
LAW. >> IN HIS DEFENSE, FLYNN'S
ATTORNEY RELEASED THIS STATEMENT TODAY.
AS HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPORTED, GENERAL FLYNN BRIEFED THE
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, A COMPONENT AGENCY OF DOD,
EXTENSIVELY REGARDING THE RT SPEAKING EVENT TRIP BEFORE AND
AFTER THE TRIP, AND HE ANSWERED ANY QUESTIONS THAT WERE POSED BY
DIA CONCERNING THE TRIP DURING THESE BRIEFINGS.
ANYWAY, BUT THIS IS A STRIKING REVERSAL FOR FLYNN, WHO HAS A
TOP SURROGATE AND ADVISER TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, FAMOUSLY CALLED
FOR HILLARY CLINTON TO BE LOCKED UP AT THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
LAST SUMMER. >> WE DO NOT NEED A RECKLESS
PRESIDENT WHO BELIEVES SHE IS ABOVE THE LAW.
[ AUDIENCE CHANTING LOCK HER UP ]
>> LOCK HER UP. THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. LOCK HER UP!
DAMN RIGHT. EXACTLY RIGHT.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. IF I, A GUY WHO KNOWS THIS
BUSINESS -- IF I DID A TENTH, A TENTH OF WHAT SHE DID, I WOULD
BE IN JAIL TODAY. >> GENERAL FLYNN LAST MONTH
REQUESTED IMMUNITY FROM CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATORS AS
WELL AS THE FBI IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS TESTIMONY.
IT ALSO FOLLOWS THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY THAT FORMER ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL SALLY YATES WILL TESTIFY BEFORE THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ON MAY 8th. YATES INFORMED THE WHITE HOUSE
IN LATE JANUARY THAT FLYNN MIGHT BE COMPROMISED BECAUSE OF THE
WAY HE DESCRIBED HIS RUSSIAN CONTACTS, MISLEADING THE VICE
PRESIDENT AND OTHERS ABOUT THE NATURE OF HIS CONVERSATIONS.
I'M JOINED NOW BY U.S. CONGRESSMAN MIKE QUIGLEY OF
ILLINOIS WHO SITS ON THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE WHICH IS
INVESTIGATING RUSSIA. MR. QUIGLEY, LET ME GET TO THE
BOTTOM LINE OF WHAT WE THINK ABOUT -- AT LEAST I DO A LOT,
WHICH IS WHAT WAS RUSSIA DOING IN OUR ELECTION LAST YEAR, AND
WHAT ROLE MIGHT THE TRUMP PEOPLE HAVE PLAYED WITH REGARD TO THAT?
CLEARLY, GENERAL FLYNN DOESN'T WANT TO BE PUT IN PRISON.
SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT IMMUNITY. HIS LAWYERS ARE TALKING ABOUT
SOME KIND OF DEAL. HOW DOES THIS INFORMATION THAT
HE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THESE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS ABOUT
HIS DEALINGS OVER THERE AND THE MONEY HE TOOK FROM RUSSIA AND
RT -- HOW DOES THAT PUT HIM IN A POSITION WHERE HE MAY WANT TO
TALK ABOUT THOSE ABOVE HIM, I.E., DONALD TRUMP?
>> CERTAINLY HE COULD BE PROSECUTED.
THAT'S GOING TO BE UP TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.
RE-LISTENING TO THE TAPE YOU JUST PLAYED WHERE HE WAS SAYING
"LOCK HER UP, LOCK HER UP," HE'S CERTAINLY IN TROUBLE IN THE
COURT OF KARMA. IT UNDERSCORES THE NEED FOR THIS
INVESTIGATION TO GO FULL THROTTLE.
IT UNDERSCORES THE FACT HE WAS GROSSLY UNFIT FOR THIS POSITION
IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND JUSTICE WILL TAKE PLACE.
>> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF SALLY YATES NOW TESTIFY SOMETHING
SHE'S IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR NOW. SHE CAN SPEAK.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT BASICALLY THREW THE ALARM SWITCH ON THIS
GUY, THAT HE MAY BE COMPROMISED BECAUSE THE RUSSIANS HAVE
SOMETHING ON HIM. THEY GAVE HIM MONEY.
THEY HAD HIM OVER THERE, AND HE WASN'T COMING CLEAN ABOUT IT, AT
LEAST NOT OFFICIALLY. >> YEAH.
I'M ANXIOUS FOR HER TO TESTIFY. I UNDERSTAND SHE'S TESTIFYING
BEFORE THE SENATE FIRST. SHE'S INVITED TO THE HOUSE
SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE.
I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WILL TAKE PLACE SHORTLY THERE AFTER.
I'D LOVE TO SEE WHAT SHE HAS TO SAY.
WHAT DID SHE SAY TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND WHEN?
WHEN DID SHE WARN THEM ABOUT GENERAL FLYNN'S VULNERABILITIES
TO RUSSIAN BLACKMAIL AND THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR'S CONNECTION
WITH GENERAL FLYNN? WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN, AND IF
THAT IS TRUE, WHY DID THE WHITE HOUSE SIT ON IT FOR SO LONG?
>> I'M GETTING A LITTLE FRUSTRATED WATCHING THIS STORY
DEVELOP. CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE
SENATE -- YOUR COUNTERPART, THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
SEEMS TO BE SLOW-BALLING THIS THING.
THEY'RE NOT REALLY GEARED UP IT SEEMS TO GET ANYTHING DONE YET.
DO YOU THINK YOUR COMMITTEE OR THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OR
THE HOUSE JUDICIARY -- WHICH COMMITTEE IS LEADING THIS FIGHT?
ARE YOU GUYS OUT FRONT BECAUSE I SEE THIS BEING DIVIDED UP, AND
IT SCARES ME BECAUSE WHAT IT GETS DIVIDED UP, THE ARMY FAILS.
SO I'M WONDERING IS THERE ENOUGH OOMPH, ENOUGH COHESION TO CATCH
THE BAD GUYS? >> THERE'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE
THE EFFORT. I'M AS FRUSTRATED AS YOU ARE.
JUST UNDERSTAND ON OUR SIDE, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH
DISTRACTION FOR SOME TIME. THE CHAIRMAN'S MIDNIGHT
EXCURSION, THE PRESIDENT SAYING
THERE WAS WIRETAPPING IN TRUMP TOWER, CLOSING AND STOPPING THE
OPEN HEARING THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE.
AGAIN, I'M OPTIMISTIC WE'RE GOING TO RESET, REBOOT, AND GET
GOING. THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS AN
ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO KNOW HOW THE RUSSIANS WERE ABLE TO SUCCEED
ATTACKING THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
>> I HOPE YOU AND ADAM SCHIFF AND THE REST OF YOU CAN REALLY
PUSH THIS ALONG. I KNOW NUNES WAS TAKEN.
HE WAS HUMILIATED BY THAT MIDNIGHT RIGHT OF PAUL REVERE
OVER TO THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, THEN COME BACK THE NEXT MORNING
WITH WHAT HE GOT FROM THE PRESIDENT WAS A JOKE.
HE LOOKS
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