Return to Transcripts main page
New Day Sunday
Top Justice Department Officials Objected To Comey Letter; Clinton Demands FBI Release Full Facts In Email Review; Prosecutors Call Lane Closings A "Malicious Scheme"; 6.6. Quake Shakes Central Italy; Town Near Mosul Cleared Of ISIS; Indians One Win Away From World Series Title; CNN Announces Top 10 CNN Hero Candidates Of 2016. Aired 6-7a ET
Aired October 30, 2016 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:00:02] CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. So grateful to have you with us. I'm Christi Paul.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell.
PAUL: We want to get to the latest in the presidential race momentarily. But we need to tell you about a situation unfolding in Italy right now.
BLACKWELL: A new video coming in to us overnight, showing the aftermath of a 6.6 earthquake in Central Italy felt as far away as Rome. The buildings in some areas, you'll see this, just rubble this morning. The damage you see here is northeast of the capitol and close to where this earthquake hit.
PAUL: I want to take a look at this next video, too. The first responders here helping nuns get to safety after their church was starting to crumble. There was rubble, large chunks of masonry left strewn across the ground there.
And in the meantime, part of the Basilica of San Benedetto and the surrounding monastery community has been partly leveled we understand. Amazingly, no reports of fatalities yet and it's now two months since a major earthquake killed 300 people in the same region. In the past seven months this is the fifth earthquake Italy has suffered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): Comey was the one wrote a letter that was heavy on innuendo, light on facts.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton should never, ever based on everything that took place be allowed to run for the presidency of the United States.
CLINTON: Donald Trump is already making up lies about this. He is doing his best to confuse, mislead and discourage the American people.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton's corruption is corrosive to the soul of our nation and it must be stopped. It must be stopped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: We are now in single digits, folks. Nine days now until the election and as the race for the White House enters its final act this weekend, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump sharing the spotlight with FBI Director James Comey.
PAUL: His decision, of course, to notify Congress on Friday of newly discovered e-mails potentially related to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server. That is shaking the campaign with just, as Victor said, single digit days here until this election.
Hillary Clinton calling the probe unprecedented and troubling. Donald Trump on the trail yesterday in Arizona offering some kinder words for the FBI director.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I respect the fact that Director Comey was able to come back after what he did. I respect that very much. And when the other side is complaining and complaining and complaining, there was no reason for it because all of the crimes that were committed, something should have happened then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: In South Florida last night, Hillary Clinton getting a boost of star power and Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez on stage there warming up the crowd for Clinton to help the get out the vote at the event there. She did not mention the FBI investigation. Instead, she urged supporters to stay enthusiastic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: No matter how low our opponents go, we go high! And no matter what they throw at us, we don't back down. Not now, not ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Now we are getting an idea of what went on inside the Department of Justice between top DOJ officials and FBI Director James Comey before he sent that letter to Congress on Friday.
BLACKWELL: CNN justice correspondent, Evan Perez, has that for us this morning. Evan, good morning.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE REPORTER: Christi and Victor, it was an extraordinary 36 hours at the Department of Justice and that FBI top officials wrestled with how to deal with newly uncovered e-mails that appear related to the Hillary Clinton email server investigation.
FBI Director Jim Comey on Thursday told his bosses at the Justice Department that he plans to tell Congress about the newly found e- mails. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, another official at the Justice Department opposed that plan.
They believed that doing so violated the department's policy to not comment on politically sensitive investigation so close to an election. Lynch's staff relayed that message to Comey.
But the FBI director decided to set aside those objections telling his employees in an internal memo, quote, "I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record."
[06:05:03]Officials at the Justice Department think Comey should have at least allowed investigators more time to determine the importance of these e-mails.
At the FBI, officials believe that they would be accused of covering up for Clinton if they held onto the information until after the election. Comey's three paragraph letter to Congress left many unanswered questions.
Now Comey is facing pressure from both the Clinton campaign and the Republicans to provider more information. That's highly unlikely at this point.
The FBI is only beginning the process to review the e-mails. They still don't know whether the e-mails contain classified information or whether some of the e-mails may be duplicates of e-mails they've already reviewed. None of those answers is likely to come before Election Day -- Christi, Victor.
PAUL: All right, Evan Perez, thank you so much. In the meantime, the Clinton camp hitting back demanding that the FBI come forward with all it knows immediately. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN (via telephone): Director Comey was the one who wrote a letter that was light on facts, heavy on innuendo knowing full well what Republicans in Congress would do with it. It's now up to him who owes the public answers to the questions that are now on the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Joining me now to discuss, CNN political commentator, Errol Louis. Errol, what is the likelihood do you believe that information will, indeed, be released before this election?
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, as a journalist, who wants this much information as possible, hope springs eternal that we will somehow get this in the next nine days. I strongly, strongly doubt that.
I mean, the description of what they have, thousands of e-mails that now have to be investigated because of their potential impact on this much broader conversation that's been going on for more than a year.
I find it hard that they can get all of that done within basically a matter of hours? In 100 hours or so. However, assuming that they could, perhaps we could get this all behind us but, no, I think we know all we're going to know.
You have to keep in mind, Christi, that every day is Election Day with all of that early voting going on in 30 odd states. People have to make their decisions based on the little bit of information we have now and before Director Comey does whatever it is he's going to do.
PAUL: I want to talk about some of those early voting numbers as well with you because they're big, 18.6 million we're understanding people have already voted, 9.7 million of those in battleground states.
There are positive signs here for the Democrats in Colorado, North Carolina, Nevada, and positive signs for Republicans in Ohio and Iowa. When we look at this, and I want to clarify something when we say good news for Republicans in Ohio and Iowa.
The Dems are ahead in Iowa by 39,000 votes, but when you compare that to how much they were ahead back in 2012, they were ahead by 50,000 votes.
Flip it around to the Republicans, in Arizona, the Republicans are ahead by 34,000 votes, but they were ahead by 62,000 back in 2012.
So what does that tell you about not just the people who are voting early, but the overall voter turnout, which is a concern for both of these campaigns?
LOUIS: There are a couple of things to keep in mind. One is that we don't know really because someone is a registered Democrat or Republican that they're going to vote with their party. We know that tends to be the case, but this has been a very unusual election year.
PAUL: Exactly.
LOUIS: The other thing to keep in mind, Christi, is that Democrats tend do well in a state like North Carolina with the early vote. They were far ahead with the early vote four years ago, but then they lost the state.
So it's not always all about piling up a big lead if that lead is not enough to sustain you through what happened on Election Day. I guess, finally, this is really all about organization, who's got a field team on the ground, who knows how to go and get people out and walk them to the polls.
And the Democrats definitely have an advantage there in many, many states. So a lot of different factors going into it, but yes, as you said, the Democrats seemed to have an edge. They always do in a lot of these states.
PAUL: In a lot of these states, OK, I want to real quickly talk about this letter that was sent to four top Senate Democrats who are demanding more information from the DOJ and the FBI now.
There is another letter in which write, "This letter is troubling," referring to the initial letter that Comey sent to Congress. They say, "This letter is troubling because it's vaguely worded. It leaves so many questions unanswered."
"It's also troubling because breaks with a longstanding tradition of DOJ and the FBI exercising extreme caution in the days leading up to an election so as not to unfairly influence the results.
Do you think there will be any action taken against Director Comey? Will there be a consequence of some sort for him knowing what we know now this morning, that Loretta Lynch and other folks in the Justice Department did not agree with this decision?
[06:10:08]LOUIS: Keep in mind, nowhere in those stories does it say that Loretta Lynch was going to fire Director Comey because she can't do that. We appoint the FBI director for 10-year terms, specifically to take them out of politics.
I think there's going to be a long discussion about one more institution that appears to be getting sucked into the partisan fray. We've seen it happen with that courts. We've seen accusations at the media. We've seen all of this talk about rigged elections.
This has been a crisis of institutions throughout this campaign and to have one of the more respected institutions, namely the FBI dragged into it now at the last minute, really unfortunate. It will be the source of a lot of conversation after this election is over.
PAUL: It will be very interesting to see if they do, indeed, scramble to make at least some information known to voters before Election Day. We're nine days away here. All right, Errol Louis, always appreciate your insight. Thank you.
LOUIS: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: All right, well, for the first time Democrats and Republicans agree on something in this race. Demanding answers from Director Comey regarding this e-mail review. We've got partisans weighing in. The panel is up next.
Later, we'll look at who James Comey is, how he got to this position. The FBI director behind the Clinton e-mail investigation and the pressure he is under to provide answers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Democrats and Republicans are demanding more information from FBI director James Comey about the Clinton e-mail investigation because there is still so much that the public does not know.
[06:15:01]Let's bring in A. Scott Bolden, a Hillary Clinton supporter, former chairman of the Washington D.C. Democratic Party, and Betsy McCaughey, Donald Trump supporter and former lieutenant governor of New York. Good morning to both of you. Lieutenant Governor, I want to start with you. Still so many things here we do not know, answers we have not yet received. If the e-mails are significant, if they contain classified information, Yahoo! News is reporting that agents have not obtained a warrant to view the e- mails. But Donald Trump in Colorado said this yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Folks, we're living in a third world country. This has never happened before. This has never happened before. This is the lowest point in terms of our judicial system. This is the lowest point in the history of our country. Remember that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: He also said this because that was the wrong sound bite. He said, "I respect Comey's decision this time, but he should have made the right decision before." Lieutenant governor, we don't know if this is a bombshell or just a shell. What is he so excited about now without the answers?
BETSY MCCAUGHEY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Let me point out that when he suggested that the justice system is rigged, it was very shocking to hear President Obama say well before the FBI announced its conclusions in July that Hillary Clinton hadn't done anything wrong.
And then allowing President Clinton, Hillary's husband, to go on that airplane with Loretta Lynch just days before the FBI was about to announce its conclusions and then a few days later for Mrs. Clinton to suggest that Loretta Lynch may indeed be her attorney general in a Clinton administration.
So, yes, it does appear to be very rigged. James Comey is trying to do his job. He told Congress on September 29th that he would not reopen the investigation despite many demands that he do so because he told Congress on that date testifying that Mrs. Clinton has lied when she said she did not send classified information on her private server.
But now obviously there is new information and he has an obligation to do his job and complete this investigation.
BLACKWELL: Donald Trump has also said this --
MCCAUGHEY: It is not politicized.
BLACKWELL: He's also said that the FBI would not have re-opened this case at this time if it was not a most egregious criminal offense. What evidence is there to support that?
MCCAUGHEY: Well, certainly he would not have reopened this without compelling evidence that he must continue the investigation.
BLACKWELL: And re-open is a questionable term, but Donald Trump says most egregious criminal offense. Again, I'm still waiting for evidence. MCCAUGHEY: There was certainly egregious criminal offenses because what came out in the FBI report and in the testimony to Congress is that Mrs. Clinton violated the law by using a private server, by sending confidential information and receiving it on that server and by lying to Congress about her doing so.
BLACKWELL: OK.
MCCAUGHEY: Let me just point out --
BLACKWELL: Let me point out here and I'll let you finish the sentence that Director Comey said there was no criminal activity here, careless but not criminal.
A.SCOTT BOLDEN, FORMER CHAIRMAN WASHINGTON, D.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Exactly.
BLACKWELL: I've got to get to Scott.
MCCAUGHEY: He said there was no criminal intent. There is a difference. The statute doesn't require intent. I wanted to point out something very important to your listeners and viewers, and that is that in eight states voters who are having early voter remorse can actually change their votes.
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Hawaii and Louisiana, if you're in one of those states and you voted early and you want to change your mind, the law allows you to do that.
BLACKWELL: All right, let me stay on topic. Scott, I want to respond to that and I want to bring something in, another element here.
BOLDEN: There's a lot to respond to there. Betsy and Donald Trump continue to say there was criminal conduct here and thank goodness we have an FBI and a DOJ investigation that said that there was no criminal conduct. It may be been reckless conduct, but no criminal conduct.
And let me be real clear, I'm a former prosecutor, I've been a criminal defense lawyer, I've been on both sides and the reality is this investigation is not, quote, "reopened."
This is a separate investigation and all that was disclosed, that there were additional e-mails as part of a separate investigation that have come to light.
That's all Comey could say and do because the FBI hasn't even looked at this information. Now that being said, people want more information.
Reality is you're not going to get more information because if Comey and the FBI give you more information to the public, then they will continue to violate DOJ policy. He's violated it already, which is why I said all they've done is discovered these e-mails.
It was not from her server, not her investigation, not anything else she's done. They're only looking at them. They're only looking at whether there is confidential or rather -- confidential --
BLACKWELL: Classified.
BOLDEN: I'm sorry, classified information in any of these e-mails that is not from her server. If they find it or they don't find it, that has nothing to do with Hillary Clinton and the Republicans, let me be real clear, they love saying this, criminal conduct here.
[06:20:00]They make these pronouncements. You can say it over and over again, but that doesn't make it criminal and that doesn't make it right or wrong, it's just more pronouncements from them. It's dangerous political rhetoric now and after November 8th.
BLACKWELL: Let me bring in another element here because the "Washington Post" is reporting that Huma Abiden, who is married to Anthony Weiner, and this was a device they shared apparently that she did not even know or does not know how these emails got onto this computer.
Not that she doesn't believe that they're relevant, not that she doesn't believe it's classified information, not that she doesn't believe these are original e-mails or duplicates, she doesn't know how they ended up there.
Does that not go directly to Donald Trump's narrative, that Hillary Clinton and by proxy here, Huma Abiden, were careless with this information?
BOLDEN: Not necessarily. Not necessarily at all. She finds -- she signed a statement under penalty of perjury that she had disclosed all of the confidential information or classified information that she had and that she will protect it like any other government employee.
And the fact that she had no knowledge of it and that they found this information or these e-mails as part of a separate investigation means absolutely nothing. It means absolutely nothing.
BLACKWELL: It means nothing if these e-mails that may be pertinent --
BOLDEN: They may not be pertinent. We do not know but if you listen to Donald Trump and Betsy --
MCCAUGHEY: You're filibustering.
BOLDEN: They convicted her and Huma already and there is no evidence of that.
BLACKWELL: All right, 15 seconds, Lieutenant Governor.
MCCAUGHEY: Yes. Mrs. Clinton said that she would provide all e- mails. Again and again she has stonewalled and failed to do it. Now she is trying to make Director Comey the issue. She's the one who used the private server against the law and she is the one who has still failed to provide all the e-mails to officials.
BOLDEN: These are not her e-mails. She's provided everything. It's a separate investigation.
MCCAUGHEY: No, it is not.
BOLDEN: It isn't? Wow, OK.
BLACKWELL: It is, indeed, a separate investigation.
BLACKWELL: Indeed.
MCCAUGHEY: No. He has reopened his investigation.
BOLDEN: Just because you say it, it doesn't make it true. Over and over again it does not make it true and it's reckless for you to say that.
BLACKWELL: We've got to wrap it, but of course, we'll continue the conversation. Thank you both -- Christi.
PAUL: All righty, Chris Christie's reputation on the line as former staffer's confession to court that they plotted to cause a traffic jam as an act of political revenge. A jury is ready to decide now. We're laying the case for both sides here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:25:48]
PAUL: Jurors in the New Jersey Bridgegate trial could get the case tomorrow. Two former allies of Republican Governor Chris Christie charged with closing asset lanes on the George Washington Bridge to punish a Democratic mayor who didn't endorse Christie.
BLACKWELL: Yes, the former aides are accused of being willing participants. Brynn Gingras has more on those closing arguments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They had influence and they had authority. That statement made by federal prosecutors in closing arguments Friday in the trial of former Port Authority executive, Bill Baroney and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Kelly.
The two on trial for corruption related to the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures, better known as Bridgegate. The sixth week of the trial ended with both prosecutors and Baroney's attorneys making their final statements to jurors.
Throughout the trial and again in closing, federal prosecutors alleged that Kelly and Baroney knew that lane closures at a major crossing between New York and New Jersey would cause gridlock.
Prosecutors said the lane closures were an act of political retaliation against the New Jersey mayor who did not endorse Christie in his re-election bid for governor. The defense, however, denied the allegation and maintained the lane closures were part of a legitimate traffic study. The scandal has dogged Christie and arguably impacted his race for the presidency in 2016.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I heard about the bridge scandal, I was beyond horrified.
GINGRAS: And throughout the trial his credibility has come into question as former members of his staff and those involved with the Port Authority testified. However, a spokesman for Christie still maintains the governor had no knowledge that lane closures were part of the traffic study, something the governor has said since January 2014.
The key prosecution witness is a former Port Authority director, David Wildsteen. He pled guilty to his role in the plot to close lanes and snarl traffic, and negotiated a plea deal in which he testified against his alleged co-conspirators.
Baroney's defense used its time in closing arguments to persuade jurors that nothing Wildsteen said was credible and Baroney always believed what happened was part of a traffic study.
Kelly's defense attorney will summarize her case to jurors on Monday and then deliberations are set to begin. Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACKWELL: Top Democrats are now joining the Clinton campaign demanding more information from the FBI director and questioning his release to the public this close to the election.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:30:29]
PAUL: Mortgage rates (INAUDIBLE) this week. Here's your look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: 6:32 on a Sunday morning. Thank you so much for sharing your time with us. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Let's get you more on the breaking news that we brought you at the top of the hour. This 6.6 magnitude earthquake that rattled Central Italy this morning.
PAUL: Take a look at some of the pictures, the latest pictures we're getting in here.
Reports of several injuries now. No reports at this point of fatalities, but this is a place that struck the city of Norcia. It's not far roughly three miles from where two powerful earthquakes took place on Thursday. Now ancient buildings already weakened by those previous quakes.
Think about it, this is the fifth quake this year, crumbled upon impact there. And you can see the pictures here, reports of aftershocks as well. Those aftershocks they say coming about every 20 minutes.
BLACKWELL: First responders helped nuns you see here running out of a heavily damaged church. A lot of people who live there were already stationed in emergency shelters after Thursday's tremors.
Well, the deadline has been set and it is tomorrow, Monday. Top Senate Democrats now joining the Clinton campaign in demanding answers from the FBI saying they want more information on the Clinton private email server investigation, specifically these emails that could be pertinent to that investigation and they want it within the next 24 hours or so.
PAUL: This follows FBI Director James Comey's letter to Congress saying new evidence is being reviewed. We are now learning more about inner turmoil as well leading up to this decision to go public with the update. Top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Loretta Lynch, apparently disagreed with Comey's decision to release that letter saying, any news on the investigation would be against department policy to not comment on investigations close to an election.
Now when FBI director James Comey decided to announce this new review of emails possibly linked to Hillary Clinton's private server during this contentious campaign obviously he put this spotlight at the end of the day squarely on himself.
BLACKWELL: And there are still questions that some people who were just coming into the race are wondering about this top man at the FBI. Who is James Comey? Here is CNN's Tuchman with the closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I, state your name.
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: I, James B. Comey --
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: James Comey became the seventh director of the FBI in 2013 in the beginning of President Obama's second term.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me God.
COMEY: So help me God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations Mr. Director.
COMEY: Sure.
TUCHMAN: But years before that he became the number two at the Justice Department under President George W. Bush and was a registered Republican. Although now he says he's -- quote "not registered any longer." But in the past he donated to both the Mitt Romney campaign in 2012 and John McCain campaign in 2008.
[06:35:04]
He also served as a counsel on the Whitewater Committee back in 1996 but his reputation for bipartisan fairness has long been well known.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bob Mueller and Mr. Jim Comey.
TUCHMAN: When Comey took over the FBI director's spot from Bob Mueller, this is what Mueller had to say.
ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: I have had the opportunity to work with Jim for a number of years in the Department of Justice, and I have found him to be a man of honesty, dedication and integrity.
TUCHMAN: Comey gained a degree of fame for his role in one of the most dramatic incidents during George W. Bush's in the White House.
Comey's boss Attorney General John Ashcroft was gravely ill in the hospital. Two of President Bush's top aides rushed there to try to get Ashcroft to endorse a warrantless eavesdropping program. Comey was acting attorney general while Ashcroft was in the hospital. And when he found out about the plan he rushed to the hospital and stopped it.
COMEY: I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man.
TUCHMAN: The eavesdropping program was not endorsed. As a federal prosecutor, Comey dealt with the Khobar Towers terrorist bombing case following the attack 20 years ago on a U.S. military facility in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 service members. He prosecuted members of the mafia.
COMEY: We are here this afternoon to announce the unsealing of three separate indictments against 14 alleged members and associates of the Gambino crime family.
TUCHMAN: And he prosecuted America's domestic diva.
COMEY: Martha Stewart is being prosecuted not because of who she is but because of what she did.
TUCHMAN: Back in July Donald Trump tweeted, the system is rigged, after Comey's statement regarding Hillary Clinton.
COMEY: We are expressing to justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case.
TUCHMAN: But today as this news continues to develop, Trump said this.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It might not be as rigged as I thought, right? Right? The FBI, I think they're going to right the ship, folks. I think they're going to right the ship.
TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL: Let's go back to our political panel here. A. Scott Bolden, Hillary Clinton supporter and former chairman of the Washington D.C. Democratic Party, and Betsy McCaughey, Donald D. Trump -- Donald Trump's supporter I should say and former lieutenant governor of New York. Thank you both for sticking around with us.
I want to get to you as we just heard that news from or that statement from Donald Trump, lieutenant governor, he seems to be intimating that Director Comey is now making up for past mistake. Is that really the message that he wants to send, that the Republicans want to send at this point?
BETSY MCCAUGHEY, FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: Well, I don't think the issue should be James Comey's behavior. He has clearly been presented with new information and he's doing his best to provide justice.
It's indisputable that the president put a lot of pressure on the FBI by declaring before their investigation was complete that Mrs. Clinton was innocent and, of course, I've already discussed the behavior of the attorney general. He in the face of all of that is trying to do the right thing, but I would say that this is a really big issue. If Mrs. Clinton is elected, she will be the first woman president and she will also be the first president in the 21st century to be impeached. Because she is facing not only investigations currently by House regarding perjury and obstruction of justice. Now the ongoing look at her emails by the FBI but Mrs. Clinton is going to bring to the White House an attitude that she is above the law.
For example, just yesterday in the "New York Post" it was reported she's in trouble with the Chappaqua, New York, authorities because she's rebuilding or renovating her house without getting any permits. So let me just say this --
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL: OK. I'd like to -- I'd like to just stand here. Go ahead and finish your thoughts, please.
MCCAUGHEY: Why Americans should ask themselves, do they want our nation embroiled and incapacitated by this kind of scandal and investigation and corruption and legal turmoil for four years while Mrs. Clinton is in the White House?
PAUL: OK. Just to -- just to clarify here, when we talk about what's happening right now, Director Comey wrote in his letters that these are emails that appear pertinent to the investigation. These are emails that are sent and received by Huma Abedin, not by Hillary Clinton herself. So we need to be very clear about what we're talking about in what has been released since Friday. And also him saying that the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may even be significant. A. Scott Bolden, regardless of whether it is significant it's out there. What is the damage control strategy for Hillary Clinton now, especially if they do not get anymore information as they have demanded from the FBI?
[06:40:05]
A. SCOTT BOLDEN, FORMER CHAIRMAN, WASHINGTON D.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well, we're going to continue to point out how inaccurate and how inappropriately the Republicans and Donald Trump have been using this letter that absolutely says nothing other than they discovered other emails on another server in a separate investigation.
You have got to do that with Trump supporters and with Donald Trump because you can see how they have completely politicized the FBI, how Mr. Comey has put himself in the middle of a political process whereby while he may have a strong reputation for independence and honesty, he's politically tone deaf. Now that he's sent this letter you see Democrats and Republicans demanding more information. And I guess, once the cat is out of the bag, maybe he tries to release something or tells more information. The problem is, he can't because he doesn't know what the emails say.
PAUL: Yes.
BOLDEN: But the Republicans, if I may, are now using the FBI as their investigatory arm for their political purposes 10 days before. And Mr. Comey had to know and understand what he was doing and how he was doing it to protect himself personally. That's highly inappropriate and very problematic for this election.
PAUL: There has been a letter sent from four senators to Attorney General Lynch and to Director Comey. And in it they say, no later than Monday, October 31st, 2016, we request that you provide us with more detailed information about the investigative steps that are being taken, the number of emails involved and what's being done to determine how many of the emails are duplicative.
They go on to say that Director Comey's letter has been misunderstood, that it has already been used for political purposes as we're seeing, and that it is not clear whether FBI agents even have in their possession these emails nor whether they've been able to review them.
So with that said, lieutenant, I'm just wondering, lieutenant general McCaughey, how do -- how does Donald Trump make his case that Hillary Clinton has done any wrongdoing when this does not have to do as far as we can see with Hillary Clinton personally or the fact that they may not even have in their possession these emails?
BOLDEN: Exactly.
MCCAUGHEY: Well, let me first underscore that Hillary Clinton is responsible for the actions of her staff, especially Huma Abedin who has been by her side for many years. And as Donald Trump pointed out very early on, it was extremely careless and dangerous for her to allow staff members, including Mrs. Abiden or Mrs. Weiner to use these private devices and then fail to provide them to law enforcement and to Congress when asked to and to allow what could be very confidential, classified government information to fall into the hands of a sexual pervert who can be easily black mailed.
PAUL: OK.
BOLDEN: Oh my goodness gracious.
MCCAUGHEY: This is a (INAUDIBLE) Weiner gave -- put the nation at risk. Donald Trump pointed that out years --
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL: I have 10 seconds. I have to give -- I have 10 seconds. I have to give Mr. Bolden a chance to respond to quickly.
BOLDEN: Well, Christi, there's a lot to respond to but the bottom line is this. This server was not even Huma Abedin's server. So Hillary Clinton can't be responsible for that.
Look for the senators or the ones who wrote that letter to take some action after Monday possibly even putting forth -- even having hearings and calling Comey to the front of a Senate committee to even look at this.
My goodness, this campaign has gotten even crazier, and that would be a first.
PAUL: Yes. And there's a lot of scrambling to do with nine days left before this election and a lot of people yet who have to go to the polls wondering what they're going to do based on all the information that's coming out. A. Scott Bolden --
BOLDEN: I think, Christi, this is why that the letter, the damage of the letter, because now it's going to get -- that action is going to be a reaction, if you will. You could have hearings and that's why the letter never should have been moved forward.
(CROSSTALK)
PAUL: Right. OK.
(CROSSTALK)
MCCAUGHEY: The letter regarding the American people with the truth.
PAUL: A. Scott Bolden, Betsy McCaughey, we appreciate both of you being here. Thank you so much.
BOLDEN: Thank you.
PAUL: Thank you (INAUDIBLE).
BLACKWELL: All right. We'll see though if those committees are convened in eight days.
PAUL: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Doesn't seem like they will when people at home are trying to keep their jobs.
PAUL: That would be a lot of scrambling.
BLACKWELL: All right. So the fight against ISIS -- let's move on to this because it's causing thousands of women, children and the elderly to flood into Mosul.
CNN's Arwa Damon is in Iraq.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And more reports of ISIS carrying out executions inside Mosul as forces attempt to encircle it on multiple directions. Saying they're making progress but sending more people fleeing for their lives. That's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:48:00]
BLACKWELL: Coming up on 12 minutes before the top of the hour now. Let's go to Iraq where Iraqi forces are moving closer to Mosul.
PAUL: Officials there say that they've cleared ISIS fighters from the town just south of the city and Iraqi forces liberated Sura (ph) yesterday after an hour long battle. So now the focus is on getting nearly civilians to safety as ISIS fighters clear out that area.
BLACKWELL: CNN is talking with witnesses in that area and senior international correspondent Arwa Damon joins us lived now from Erbil with the latest.
Arwa, what are you seeing there?
DAMON: Well, to start off with, ISIS has released what can only be described as a propaganda video showing this side of the battlefield. But amongst the images that they have put out there some of them do show a fairly sophisticated anti-tank missile system. And of course, this is going to be quite concerning to Iraqi forces as they move towards the city of Mosul itself because not only will ISIS also have the capability to use these type of weapon systems, they have also been using car bombs, truck bombs that they've rigged with armor to try to prevent Iraqi forces from stopping them in their tracks.
This is armor that can deflect a rocket propelled grenade, for example. There's also been growing concern for a civilian population. Already reports of around 75 people executed after firefights broke out inside Mosul. We have over the course of the last week to 10 days hundreds of people being executed because they tried to stand up to ISIS.
Also reports of ISIS stringing together around 20 people, electrocuting them to death and then leaving their corpses out as a message to anyone who may think or even consider trying to cooperate with Iraqi and coalition forces as they advance. And of course the situation for the civilian population inside the city itself is only really growing more dire upwards of 1.2 million people.
[06:50:08]
There are great concerns that ISIS will continue to use them basically as hostages, as human shields.
BLACKWELL: Some gruesome details there but illustrating just how difficult this fight for Mosul is and forces knew that it would be. Arwa Damon for us there in Erbil. Thank you so much.
PAUL: All right. Back here, a lot of people have their eyes on the Cleveland Indians and the Cubs. (INAUDIBLE) Andy Scholes?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Could be, Christi. The Indians one win away from winning their first World Series title in 68 years. What the team is saying about tonight's possible clinching game up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: The Cleveland Indians are now just a single win away from their first World Series championship in 68 years.
PAUL: Andy Scholes has more on this morning's bleacher report.
SCHOLES: Hey, guys. You know, Cleveland went 52 years without winning any kind of title and now they might get two in a span of four months. What a turn --
PAUL: What a year for them.
SCHOLES: And then for the Cubs on the other hand, I mean, maybe they really are cursed. You've got the Billy Goat, Steve Bartman. Now Cubs fans are going to cringe whenever they hear the name Corey Kluber. You know, the Wrigley (ph) faithful (ph) hoping to see their first World Series win in Wrigley in more than seven decades but Kluber had (ph) other ideas in this game. Shutting down the cubbies for the second time in the series he took six innings giving up one run. Did it all on short rest. And in second baseman Jason Kipnis for the Indians -- he's a Chicago native, grew up a Cubs fan but he put the game away for Cleveland (INAUDIBLE) with a three-run home run. The last visiting player to hit a three-run home run in the World Series at Wrigley Field Babe Ruth back in 1932. So a nice list to be on there for Kipnis.
[06:55:04]
Indians win 7-2. They're now one win away from ending their 68 year championship drought.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY KLUBER, INDIANS PITCHER: I think it's business as usual. I mean, I think that we have to take tomorrow with the same approach we've taken every game to this point. I think that if we relax or take our foot off the gas pedal, that's just inviting them to get more momentum and come back into the series.
JASON KIPNIS, INDIANS SECOND BASEMAN: They're not lineups you want to give momentum. They're not teams who you want to start feeling good about themselves. So we got to -- the best thing you can do is kind of put them away before they can feel that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: The Indians can win it all tonight, a game five first pitch will be a little after 8:00 Eastern at Wrigley Field. And even if the Cubs don't win the series, guys, I'm kind of pulling for them tonight. I wouldn't want them to lose all three at Wrigley Field and go another who knows how before winning a game in the World Series.
PAUL: I with you on that. You're right. You're right.
Andy, thank you so much.
SCHOLES: All right.
PAUL: We're back in a minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: CNN is a proud sponsor and proud to announce the top 10 CNN heroes of 2016. Each honoree will receive a cash prize and a shot at CNN hero of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Now that we've announced the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2016, I want to show you how you can help decide who should be CNN Hero of the Year and receive $100,000 to help them continue their work.
Just go to CNNheroes.com where you can learn more about each hero. And when you're ready, click vote over here, then choose your favorite.
[07:00:00]
Now, confirm your selection using either your email address or Facebook account and you're all set. And this year for the first time you can also vote through Facebook messenger and on Twitter. You can vote up to 10 times a day per method every day through December 6th.
