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Wolf
A.G. Jeff Sessions to Testify Before Senate Intel Committee Soon; Trump Friend: President Considering Firing Special Counsel; Senate Intel Committee Requests Memos, Tapes of Comey Conservations; Jury Deliberations in Bill Cosby Case. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired June 13, 2017 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[13:32:34] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Once again you're looking at live picture coming in from the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing room where the Attorney General Jeff sessions will testify soon on the Russia investigation. He's likely to be asked many very sensitive questions, including about his meetings with the Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak and the firing of the FBI Director James Comey. We'll have live complete coverage. That's coming up.
Let's get some perspective on the investigation from Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, of California. He's a member of the House Intelligence Committee is joining us from Capitol Hill.
Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL, (D), CALIFORNIA: Good afternoon, Wolf. Thanks for having me back.
BLITZER: What's the main thing you'd like to hear from the attorney general?
SWALWELL: Clear up how many meetings did he have with the Russians during the campaign at the time that the Russians were interfering in our election. Also what was his role in the firing of the James Comey and what has his role been in the hiring of a new FBI director. I think those are three important questions that we would all be well served to hear.
BLITZER: Are you confident that he will testify fully on all those matters or will he go ahead and say these are privileged conversations I had with the president and I'm not at liberty to discuss them publicly? That's what we heard from some other intelligence officials as you remember last week, the head of the NSA, the chief of -- the director of the DNI, the director of national intelligence.
SWALWELL: Wolf, why will he hide behind any privileges? The president said in the rose garden last week he would 100 percent be willing himself to testify under oath so why would he allow anyone else to use the shield of executive privilege. Also, Wolf, the word is privilege. It's not a right. The courts have found in the past that when criminal conduct is being reviewed that it does not necessarily prevent testimony from being elicited. BLITZER: He's about to testify before the Senate Intelligence
Committee. Congressman, are there any plans to push for the attorney general to also testify before your House Intelligence Committee?
SWALWELL: Wolf, we have an agreement with Republicans that we're keeping our witness list close to the vest, but I can assure you we are seeking testimony from all relevant witnesses and we want to review and are relevant documents.
BLITZER: A friend of the president, Chris Ruddy, says the president is actually considering firing the special counsel, Robert Mueller. A source says the president is being advised against any such move. The deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, says he has seen no reason at all to fire Mueller and he would be the one to have to make that call. Still, are you concerned at all that Robert Mueller could be fired?
[13:35:16] SWALWELL: I am very concerned, Wolf. I don't know whether the president is indeed considering that. But I know what he can do. He can put this rumor to bed right away. Instead just like with the issue of the tapes or the issue of President Obama allegedly wiretapping Trump Tower, he just lets this fester and what it does is create chaos and that prevents us here in Washington from doing the real work we're supposed to do. He controls this chaos and he allow it to persist.
BLITZER: Do you know if in fact those conversation Comey had with the president were recorded?
SWALWELL: Wolf, we don't. We're seeking them on the Intelligence Committee, but I also want to put into context, it was put out there that the president may have taped James Comey conversations. In spite of that, James Comey still came forward knowing that if he lied under oath he could risk himself going to jail. I think that shows us that his testimony should be viewed with high believability knowing that he took that risk, that he may not have been taped in the past.
BLITZER: Your committee, the Intelligence Committee, has called on both the White House to hand over any material related to the Russia investigation, including memos and recordings by June 23rd. Have you received or heard anything yet based on this request? It's not a subpoena. Just a request.
SWALWELL: I'm not aware whether we have or not. You're right, Wolf, the goal is to work cooperatively with the White House and any witness in this case. And if they refuse to cooperate, options that we have at our disposal includes subpoenaing that. If people don't have anything to hide and they want to be cooperative, they care about their country, want us to get through this investigation, they'll be forthright.
BLITZER: Last week, your committee received Michael Flynn's documents. Have you seen those documents yet? Have you had a chance to go through them? And if the answer is yes, has anything new surfaced as a result?
SWALWELL: I can't go into any documents we have received or not received yet. We have subpoenaed those documents. That is public. Again, I can just assure you that we are still trying to work with Republicans since we had Mike Conaway come in as the chair. We are back on track. We're going to be bringing Jeh Johnson in, the former Homeland Security, to talk about whether the Russians were able to get into any elections system. I hope we can report back soon as to what we've reviewed.
BLITZER: Eric, a big, big fan of the Warriors. Congratulations on the NBA win.
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BLITZER: They're in your district. I know they are.
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SWALWELL: They're in Oakland, just outside, yes.
Thanks, Wolf. My pleasure.
BLITZER: You had nothing to do with the win except you were cheering your home team on.
SWALWELL: Yes, I was.
BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us.
This hour, the Vice President Mike Pence is up on Capitol Hill meeting with Senate Republicans. This, after the president and vice president lunched with 13 key Republican Senators over at the White House during the last hour. The president was asked at that meeting about when he'd be ready to sign a bill.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: As soon as --
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TRUMP: As soon as we can do it.
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BLITZER: As soon as we can do it. That could be a while though. These meetings are part of an all-out effort from the House to push through their Obamacare repeal and replace legislation before the summer recess. So far, though, negotiations have all been behind closed doors without any public hearings in the Senate. Republican aides say the Congressional Budget Office needs a proposal by this week for there to be any chance of a vote before the summer recess. We'll see what happens.
In the meantime, live pictures once again from Capitol Hill where the Attorney General Jeff Sessions will soon appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee. What will he be asked? Will he invoke executive privilege? Our extensive live coverage, that's coming up. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:43:12] BLITZER: Looking at live pictures from the Senate Intelligence Committee where Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify soon on the Russia investigation. We'll bring that to you live.
Meanwhile other news, the jury is continuing its deliberations in the Bill Cosby sexual assault trial. They've been at it now for about six hours. Just a little while ago, they asked the judge a question, the third one since deliberations began yesterday. Cosby is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault during an alleged incident at his Pennsylvania home back in 2004.
CNN's Jean Casarez is joining us from where the trial is being held.
Jean, so what questions has the jury been asking?
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very interesting. The first two questions, Wolf, had to do with deposition sworn testimony of Bill Cosby back in 2005. This is while the civil case was going on. The parts they selected had to do with Bill Cosby saying he saw her from afar, he was interested in her. He knew it right away. He wanted to get to know her. He devised a plan to become friends with her and then gain her trust. And then see if it could become romantic, if there would be permission or no permission. He also very rapidly describes in his testimony what he says that he and Andrea did sexually. He also says that he gave her Benadryl. So the jury wants to hear his words to assess his credibility, confirm his credibility or to discredit him because of what Andrea said on the stand, which was no consent whatsoever. And he would stop him the two prior times he had tried to make moves on her.
The third question, very interesting, an element of the third offense where it says that, can you say beyond a reasonable doubt that Bill Cosby gave into intoxicants or drugs to her without her knowledge? She testified that she saw the three blue pills. She said what is this? And he said they're your friends. Down them. Are they herbal? Yes, he said, they are. She took them. But he said in his deposition testimony and his police statement that it was Benadryl. Also telling her mother he couldn't remember, he'd have to look at a prescription bottle.
[13:45:40] BLITZER: Jean Casarez standing by for the deliberations to continue -- they're continuing right now for a verdict to come forward.
We'll be in close touch with you, Jean. Thank you.
Live pictures from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Our big story, the breaking news we're following, the attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions, he will soon start his testimony before that committee on the Russia investigation. Very sensitive issues about to unfold. We'll have live coverage. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Looking at live pictures from inside the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify starting in a little while. Live coverage of that.
Our senior Washington correspondent, Brianna Keilar, is just outside the hearing room.
Brianna, does there seem to be any tension there among those who have gathered for the hearing?
[13:50:24] BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: So far, no. There just seems to be anticipation of this beginning here in about 40 minutes. There are a number of people on the other side of the hearing room who have been lined up for almost three hours. It seems like a number of them are interns and some of them are tourists. We are parked here at the rear entrance, which is the hearing room where Jeff Sessions will be testifying today, and we are awaiting Senators who may be taking this entrance into the hearing room.
But just to show you how big of a hearing this is going to be, you'll recognize the hearing room as the same one where Jim Comey testified. You'll recognize it from Supreme Court nominee confirmation hearings. And these Senators, Republicans and Democrats, are going to have a number of questions for the attorney general. For instance, in that mid-February meeting where Jim Comey was, Jim Comey said that as the president asked for a one-on-one meeting with him coming out of a larger group meeting, that the attorney general kind of hung back and lingered. It would seem because he knew it would be inappropriate for the FBI director to have a one-on-one meeting with the president. So he'll be asked about that.
And about his meetings with the Russian ambassador. He was a top aide to then Donald Trump before and after he was elected and we know now that when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee he didn't talk about any of these contacts, which included a one-on-one meeting in his congressional office with Sergey Kislyak. Maybe he'll clear up this issue whether there was a third encounter with the Russian ambassador.
And something so recent, whether the president is considering firing Bob Mueller, the special counsel in this office. This has been suggested that this could be in the works. We'll find out if Jeff Sessions is asked to weigh in on that -- Wolf?
BLITZER: That could be a very, very sensitive issue.
Brianna, stand by. We'll get back to you.
Senators on the Intelligence Committee may soon, could question their former colleague on his role in this Russia investigation, but some will likely push the attorney general on the issue harder than others.
Let's bring in Chris Cillizza, our CNN Politics editor and editor-at- large.
You've done research and you've sort of ranked the Senators. Who is going to be most aggressive, the top three, starting with number three.
CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS; REPORTER & CNN EDITOR-AT-LARGE: So, three, Dianne Feinstein, of California, who is on the Intelligence Committee but also ranking member on Judiciary. She has her hand in the pot and knows a lot. Not every Senator does. Two, Kamala Harris, in that she's new, also from California. Given that she's new to the Senate but someone who's been very aggressive about Sessions. She was the attorney general of California prior. Number one -- and I don't think this number one will be directly confrontation but he may get more out Sessions than others will. It's Angus King, the Independent Senator from Maine. We've seen him at both the hearing with director of National Intelligence Dan Coats as well as with James Comey, really able to elicit responses that made the ball move. So my guess is King, who is a good questioner, will do --
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BLITZER: Listen to this exchange that Senator Angus King had with Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, last week on the whole issue of executive privilege.
CILLIZZA: Right.
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REP. ANGUS KING, (I), MAINE: Why are you not answering these questions? Is there an invocation by the president of the United States of executive privilege? Is there or not?
ADM. MIKE ROGERS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY: Not that I'm aware of.
KING: Then why are you not answering my questions?
ROGERS: Because I feel it's inappropriate, Senator.
KING: What you feel is not relevant, Admiral.
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BLITZER: Strong words.
CILLIZZA: They are strong words, but he's right. Executive privilege is something that only the president can invoke. It's not called Admiral privilege or attorney general privilege. If Jeff Sessions does today what Mike Rogers tried to do there and say under executive privilege or my conversations with the president are covered, then the next question has to be, did the president specifically ask you to invoke executive privilege as it related to this question? If not, then there's no standing. You can't simply say, oh, executive privilege would dictate that I can't cover it. The only person who can invoke executive privilege is the president. Unless the president tells you directly, I want you to invoke it on this one thing, it's sort of a meaningless turn. Now, that said, that doesn't mean that former Senator and attorney general has to answer. He can still say, I prefer not, as Rogers did. But this whole invoking executive privilege is grossly misused, overused and misunderstood.
[13:55:09] BLITZER: He could say, without invoking executive privilege, these are private conversations I've had with the president. I really don't want to discuss them publicly.
CILLIZZA: And at that point, as Jeff Toobin has said a number of times, you can hold him in contempt, but that weeks and months to get answers. The truth of the matter is, you probably don't have a lot you can fall back on if he chooses that answer.
BLITZER: Stand by, Chris Cillizza
We'll have a lot more of our special coverage coming up. The attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions, will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee. We'll resume our coverage right after a quick break.
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[14:00:03] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is CNN special live coverage of Attorney General Jeff Session's testimony --
