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Goodell News Conference; Missing Student Search; U.N. Meeting on ISIS; Obama and Generals Disagree; Calls for Judge's Resignation
Aired September 19, 2014 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Good afternoon. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Brooke Baldwin. Great to be with you.
Let's talk about the story that is developing right now. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell just announced that he will hold a news conference, that will be at 3:00 Eastern Time. He is expected to make a statement and then he's going answer questions about the league's personal conduct policy. He is also supposed to address the myriad of domestic violence issues that are currently plaguing the NFL.
Five players have been arrested on domestic violence charges in the last several weeks. The uproar started with former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice, who was caught on video punching his then girlfriend. She is now his wife. And then you have the Carolina Panthers Greg Hardy. He was granted and now face as jury trial after a judge found him guilty of assaulting and threatening his ex-girlfriend. The 49ers Ray McDonald was arrested last month after an alleged argument with his fiance. A Texas grand jury indicted Vikings Adrian Peterson on child abuse charges after pictures surfaced of marks that he allegedly left on his four-year-old child in a spanking with a tree switch. And then more recently, the Cardinals Jonathan Dwyer is accused of head butting his wife, as well as throwing a shoe at his 17-month-old son.
Some of the players were allowed to keep playing despite their legal troubles, and that has sparked public outcry and put heat on the NFL and the commissioner to address the issue of domestic violence. CNN's Sports Rachel Nichols joins us now from the "Unguarded" set.
And, Rachel, any idea, insights as to what exactly is going to be said here?
RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS: You know, we certainly expect him to come out and take some responsibility for what has been happening. That has been largely missing throughout this week from the NFL offices. And we expect him to maybe discuss going forward how things might change. Is there going to be a new, more uniformed discipline policy?
Part of the issue here is it seems like a roll of the dice every time one of these cases happens, right? The Minnesota Vikings deactivate Adrian Peterson, then they reactivated Adrian Peterson, then they deactivate Adrian Peterson again. Greg Hardy plays one week for the Carolina Panthers, then he is taken off the field even though absolutely nothing has changed in his case. And different cases have been handled different ways. You can go back a few years ago. Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers
quarterback, well, he was suspended for what was ultimately four games when he was investigated for sexual assault but never charged. Meanwhile, in San Francisco right now, you've got Ray McDonald who's being investigated for domestic abuse case against his pregnant girlfriend and yet the 49ers are letting him play and the NFL is letting him play because he hasn't been charged. So people have been crying out for a consistent policy, they've been crying out, frankly, for a more stringent policy and we hope that we'll hear all of that from the commissioner this afternoon.
SAVIDGE: And do you think in any way he's going to address the issue of people demanding for his resignation or that he at least step down?
NICHOLS: I mean I would expect somebody in the gallery maybe to ask him about that, but I don't expect him to resign today.
SAVIDGE: OK. Rachel Nichols, thanks very much.
And, again, a reminder, we will bring you Roger Goodell's news conference live. That will be at the top of the hour just a short while from now.
Well, there is also now a major break -- what at least police are calling a major break in the frantic hunt for missing college student Hannah Graham. The 18-year-old disappeared this weekend after bar hopping with friends in Charlottesville, Virginia. Police tell CNN the break stems directly from search warrants that were executed today on an apartment and a car near Charlottesville. Three men were in an apartment when police arrived. No one was detained or questioned. Eighteen year old Graham was last spotted being followed by a man - and you'll see it in this surveillance video that was taken early on Sunday.
Joining me on the phone, senior producer Eric Fiegel. He's been tracking the story in Charlottesville.
And, Eric, what are you hearing from police and did they find physical clues linked to Hannah's disappearance?
ERIC FIEGEL, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER (via telephone): Well, Martin, we can say that we have seen several bags of evidence removed from the apartment building. Police are still on the scene. They've been on the scene all day actually from early in the morning. And the interesting part is what brought the police here was a vehicle they wanted to search. When they searched that vehicle, it gave them probable cause to search the apartment itself.
Now, another interesting part is that the three gentlemen that you mentioned that were here -- that were here at the apartment when police arrived, it so happens that one of them fits a description of a person of interest. And that's the 5'10" to 5'11" male who's 295 pounds described to have a beer belly. Now, we asked the police chief, Longo, if that person fit the description of one of the three people that were here when police arrived and he said yes. Now, none of those three men were detained. None of them are
considered suspects. They were let go. We're now asking if any of those three men pose a danger to the community here. The police chief said no as well. So police are still on the scene and they're still searching this apartment, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Any indication, Eric, that she may have known those people in the apartment?
FIEGEL: That's what we're wondering. We're wondering what actually brought them to this apartment itself. What the connection is between any of these people in this apartment and Hannah. We know that Hannah was seen on this pedestrian mall in Charlottesville, which is only two to three miles from this apartment complex. We know one witness, you know, called police and said he was concerned. The other person seen is this another gentleman that they have an interest in. Now whether he has any relation with Hannah, we don't know. Whether he was trying to help Hannah, we don't know. But police are trying to figure that out.
SAVIDGE: All right. Eric Fiegel, we'll continue to stay in touch with you. Thanks for the update.
Well, any moment Secretary of State John Kerry will be speaking live at the United Nations as the U.S. calls on a coalition to fight ISIS terrorists. This as a report suggests that there is a rift between President Obama and his generals over the strategy.
Plus, as Roger Goodell gets ready to speak live, it's not just the NFL that's getting a backlash for handling of domestic abuse cases. There are new calls now for a federal judge to step down after being charged with hitting his wife. Stay right here.
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SAVIDGE: At this hour, the fight against ISIS now in front of the United Nations. Secretary of State John Kerry, he is right now chairing a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. The goal, to support the new Iraqi government and its fight against the militant group.
Let's go straight now to Richard Roth. He's the senior U.N. correspondent.
And, Richard, one of the key topics here, a unified Iraq. What is Secretary Kerry's goal in this Security Council meeting today?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: His goal is to start looking and gathering as much support as possible for an international coalition to move against ISIS in support of the Iraqi army and maybe elsewhere in the region. Shades of past years, Iraq and the Security Council and a major meeting at the ministerial level. I could almost see Colin Powell on February 5, 2003, before my eyes as we see Secretary of State John Kerry there be touched briefly by Samantha Power, his U.S. ambassador, and flanked to his right by the British ambassador. (INAUDIBLE) as many countries to support (INAUDIBLE), which is not
seemingly going as smooth as it went for George Herbert Walker Bush. I mean there are concerns about U.S. involvement, military involvement, where are the boots on the ground, what's the overall strategy. Also lurking, Iran. There are talks on the sideline here regarding Iran's nuclear program. Perhaps there could be some traction achieved there to get Iran's support. But the U.S. is very lukewarm on that idea for now.
The meeting does look like it's going to start. There's really no votes. This sets the table, Marty, for next week's big foreign fighters resolution to be approved with President Obama in the president's chair. A measure designed to put a legally binding resolution together to compel all nations of the world to stop their citizens from going to fight with ISIS and to stop them from coming back and being a threat at all.
SAVIDGE: And really quick, next week, you mentioned that, what is the attitude then going to be towards the fight against ISIS? Any different?
ROTH: Probably not. As secretary of state chairs the meeting, we're going to here from an Iraq -- the U.N. representative in Iraq. The United Nations has -- is dealing with so many crises, whether it's Ebola, Ukraine and elsewhere. ISIS, though, is one issue the Security Council has been able to rally around. There are no differences that we saw on these other crises behind closed doors in the council. So for now, going against ISIS and trying to put resources and humanitarian aid and military logistical support, that's a good issue here at -- on the world front.
SAVIDGE: Richard Roth, thank you very much, from the United Nations. Good to see you.
Well, as the U.S. edges closer to launching possible air strikes in Syria, President Obama may be getting pushback from his top military brass. At least according to "The Washington Post." It reports, quote, "flashes of disagreement over how to fight the Islamic state are mounting between President Obama and U.S. military leaders." The heart of the clash, military leaders are feeling restrained by Obama's vow not to send U.S. ground troops in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. JAMES MATTIS (RET.), FORMER CMDR., U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: We didn't look for this fight. But once you go into it, you don't tell your adversary in advance what you're not going to do. We have the most skillful, the most - the fiercest and certainly the most ethical ground forces in the world and I don't think we should reassure the enemy in advance that they'll never face them. I'm not saying we'd have to commit them right now, but certainly don't pull it off the tables here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Plus, U.S. military officials tell CNN, ISIS has already modified its behavior and communications in preparation for possible U.S. air strikes in Syria. ISIS targets may become much more elusive. So let's bring in CNN global affairs analyst Kimberly Dozier.
And, Kimberly, how big or how much should we make if there is a rift between Obama and his top military advisers? How serious is it?
KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I wouldn't call it a rift. I would call it a debate. The kind of debate that normally goes on behind closed doors. Yes, some of the military commanders are saying, don't limit our options. Let us get in there on the ground and see what else we think needs to happen. See if the methods and tactics we're using now, alongside the Iraqi military, work. Don't prejudge this.
At the same time you've got to look at the fact that when a member of the military, the retired General John Allen, criticized the Obama administration and called for speedy action in an editorial in late August, he was afraid he might get fired from his current - his last position advising the State Department. Instead of firing him, they hired him. So you can see them embracing some of this criticism.
SAVIDGE: It's not unusual, I suppose, for a general to want every option in front of them when it comes to possibly combatting an enemy, right?
DOZIER: Absolutely. But what we're also getting into is a little bit of an argument over semantics. What the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dempsey, was saying this week is that he might advise the president that he thinks that U.S. special operations advisers need to go forward with Iraqi ground troops, not put U.S. ground troops in there leading combat and picking targets. It's a big difference between the two. And also you've got U.S. special operations advisers already in other parts of the globe who are alongside combat forces that they are advising who are not even paying attention to that. It's just with the white hot controversy over this right now, anything that's being said is being questioned.
SAVIDGE: But if there is not a heavy presence of U.S. forces on the ground in any way, is perhaps the president promising too much then by saying the U.S. will destroy ISIS? I mean can you simply do it from the air?
DOZIER: You know, I -- everyone I've spoken to says, no, you can't just do it from the air. But there is a debate within the military about how many U.S. forces are needed to do something like this. It can even be counterproductive to have large numbers of U.S. forces in there. Post the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. military commanders internally have debated when you have Americans going in and taking and then holding territory, just how permanent is that? Whereas when they look back and see that when Iraqi or Afghan forces have chosen to take and hold certain areas, it seems to last longer. So they're saying, yes, this might be longer and messier, but just perhaps it's the winning strategy. It's just - it just won't be very satisfying for our 24/7 news cycle.
SAVIDGE: Kimberly Dozier, we appreciate the insights. Thank you very much.
DOZIER: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: Just ahead, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gets ready to speak publicly for the first time in nine days, outrage over domestic violence scandals spreading beyond the NFL. A judge accused of beating his wife still on the bench. Mark Geragos and Sunny Hostin debate whether he should go and who has the power to impeach him. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: We want to show you these live pictures rights now because we want to encourage you to stay with CNN because in just minutes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is going to take reporter questions about the crisis that i's hitting the NFL.
Abuse or assault arrests have forced all of these players off of the field and now we may have a judge who is forced off of the bench. Maybe for good. Three Alabama lawmakers are pressuring this federal judge to resign after he was arrested for allegedly hitting his wife. Mark Fuller has presided over the middle district of Alabama since 2002. In August, his wife called 911 from an Atlanta hotel saying that Fuller was beating her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLI FULLER (voice-over): I hate you. I hate you.
MARK FULLER (voice-over): I hate you. I hate you too.
EMS DISPATCHER: Atlanta EMS. What is the address of your emergency?
911 DISPATCHER: Kelli? Kelli? OK, she needs an ambulance. I'm sending the police. They're in a domestic fight now at the Ritz-Carlton.
K. FULLER: Please help me, he's beating on me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: That obviously extremely troubling to listen to.
Now Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby want Fuller gone. And Congresswoman Terry Suel (ph) says that she would support impeaching Fuller if he doesn't quit on his own.
So, let's bring in CNN legal analyst Mark Geragos and Sunny Hostin.
And, nice to see you both, I should say.
Sunny, let me ask you this. If he doesn't quit, what should be done?
SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Oh, he should be impeached. He certainly should resign at this point. But if he doesn't, and I suspect he will not want to resign and may not --
MARK GERAGOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Why should he resign?
HOSTIN: Because we need to, at this point, Mark Geragos, have a zero tolerance policy for domestic violence. If an NFL player can lose his job, as he should, for domestic violence -
GERAGOS: Why -
HOSTIN: Then this judge, who is an officer of the court, who is supposed to be meding (ph) out judgment -
GERAGOS: Right.
HOSTIN: Who should be above reproach -
GERAGOS: So why should he -
HOSTIN: Needs to go.
GERAGOS: Right, but he hasn't been - he hasn't been convicted of anything. The NFL players haven't been convicted of anything. Why is this a zero tolerance, you've got to lose your job? I don't understand that. It's like, just because it's domestic violence, because that's the flavor of the month for crimes or whatever it is --
HOSTIN: It's not the flavor of the month.
GERAGOS: Yes, it actually is.
HOSTIN: Child abuse, domestic violence, those are cases that should --
GERAGOS: Don't go with the Adrian Peterson thing as well.
HOSTIN: Well, it's true though, Mark, and you should know that.
GERAGOS: Why?
HOSTIN: Those kind of cases -
GERAGOS: There's -
HOSTIN: When you have a man hitting a woman or hitting a child or a woman hitting someone, or a child, those cases require, as a society, for us to have a zero tolerance policy.
GERAGOS: Well, then that's a -
HOSTIN: Across the board.
SAVIDGE: Well, Mark, let me ask you this, just as a point. He's a judge, of course.
GERAGOS: Right.
SAVIDGE: And assuming that this will be adjudicated in some way.
GERAGOS: Right. SAVIDGE: If he's found guilty, then automatically he's off?
GERAGOS: Well, not automatically, but Congress has got the option. I mean, remember, we've had that precedent before where federal judges have been convicted of something and then Congress has to step in. But in this case --
SAVIDGE: But he will oversee possibly cases in the future --
GERAGOS: This is exactly the kind of - this is exactly the kind of judge you want. You want somebody, I think --
HOSTIN: What?
GERAGOS: Yes. You want a judge who has had to go through the system. I like the idea that somebody has actually had to go through the system. I just tried a case in L.A. -
HOSTIN: That's ridiculous.
GERAGOS: Where the judge himself had been on trial in Los Angeles and was acquitted of a case and he was a perfect judge who had some empathy for what you go through when you have to go through the criminal system.
SAVIDGE: Well, that would make federal prisons the perfect place to recruit judges. (INAUDIBLE).
HOSTIN: I mean, thank you, Mark, I mean that's so absurd.
GERAGOS: There's something, Martin, in the sense of - in the sense of, if you get convicted, I understand. Then there's a problem. I understand once there's a conviction. But having the focus --
HOSTIN: What if he takes a plea? And what if he takes a plea -
GERAGOS: That's a conviction.
HOSTIN: And then goes into a diversion program where after a year, when he plays nice-nice with his wife, he has no record? Should he retain his job?
GERAGOS: IF the -- if the code section says -- in California, for instance, if you do a diversion - although you can't do it for domestic violence -- it says it cannot be used for any employment purposes. The expungement (ph) or the diversion. If that's the case and that's the law, then I agree with it.
HOSTIN: And, see, and that's the problem because we don't have a zero tolerance policy. We've seen that at least in the Adrian Peterson case. He's - and Ray Rice allowed -
GERAGOS: But why - but, Sunny, could I ask you a question.
HOSTIN: Sorry - allowed to into a diversion program -
GERAGOS: Can I ask you a question.
HOSTIN: And allowed to probably play again.
GERAGOS: Let me ask you a question. That's not -
HOSTIN: And so if you have a judge in a diversion program, which is exactly what's going to happen here, unfortunately, he -
SAVIDGE: His record could be expunged.
HOSTIN: Exactly. He should not be allowed to keep his job.
GERAGOS: But if the law says that you can't use the diversion for employment purposes, then what you're proposing is changing the law because he's a federal judge as opposed to following the law.
HOSTIN: Domestic violence abusers should not be eligible for diversion programs.
GERAGOS: OK. Now, can I ask you a question?
HOSTIN: Bottom line.
GERAGOS: By the way - by the way -
HOSTIN: Do you agree with that?
GERAGOS: There are many states --
HOSTIN: Do you agree with that?
GERAGOS: No. Many states say that domestic violence can be diverted. You agree with that? So what you're advocating is to change the law.
HOSTIN: Absolutely.
GERAGOS: That's great if you're a social commentator. But as a legal analyst, that's not the law. So --
SAVIDGE: Those asked to uphold the law, the judge -
HOSTIN: It should be the law.
SAVIDGE: Do you think in any way they should get a higher standard when it comes to their action in public life?
GERAGOS: Yes, but - yes, but until a judge is convicted, I think it's outrageous that people are saying, you've got to resign or do this or that. I'm telling you, I just -- where is the presumption of innocence if you're saying, OK, the wife's on the phone. She's saying I hate you, I hate you. They --
HOSTIN: There were injuries as well. The police --
GERAGOS: OK. But then let it get adjudicated. Let it get adjudicated.
HOSTIN: I'm fine with it being adjudicated, of course, as an attorney.
GERAGOS: Right. So, wait, should he be - should he resign prior to an adjudication?
HOSTIN: Yes.
GERAGOS: Oh, well then there's - then there is no presumption of innocence.
HOSTIN: Yes. Not only should be resign, he should be ineligible for a diversion program.
GERAGOS: Why?
HOSTIN: Which I suspect is what is going to happen.
SAVIDGE: He is not -- he's not on the bench now, we should say that. I mean he isn't listening to cases.
HOSTIN: Well, he is on the - he's not being assigned new cases while this case is pending, his own case. And other judges are assuming his case load. But he still retains his position on the bench for cases that are already in front of him and that is absurd.
GERAGOS: And so your position is - so your position is, if he's not convicted, he should still resign?
HOSTIN: If there is a diversion -- yes.
GERAGOS: Than you - then you've repealed the presumption of innocence.
HOSTIN: But if their - and he should also not be eligible for diversion.
SAVIDGE: But, Mark, if he is found guilty, absolutely he should go?
GERAGOS: If he is found guilty, then you've got - well, there's no way he can -
HOSTIN: He's not going to go - he's not even going to go that far.
SAVIDGE: I'm asking you. Do you think he should go?
GERAGOS: He's - he - yes, he will go, because Congress will impeach him.
HOSTIN: Should he go?
GERAGOS: If he's convicted?
HOSTIN: Yes.
GERAGOS: Yes, because he's on probation. What are you going to do at that point?
SAVIDGE: All right, we've got to leave it there. Sunny Hostin, lovely to see you.
HOSTIN: Hmm, a little give. A little give.
SAVIDGE: Mark Geragos, great to see you as well. Thank you both. We'll continue to follow this very closely.
Well, happening now, a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. We've talked about this. Secretary of State John Kerry scheduled to speak soon about the situation in Iraq and the war against ISIS. We'll bring that to you live.
And we're also keeping an eye out for Roger Goodell, the news conference. The NFL commissioner is expected to make a statement about the rash of recent arrests of NFL players. We'll have all of that for you as well. Lots going on in the NEWSROOM, so stay here.
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