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Russia Investigation; Trump Targets Clinton; Interview with Eric Swalwell; New Roy Moore Accuser; Roy Moore's Supporters not Swayed by 8th Female Accuser. Aired 11-12p ET

Aired November 18, 2017 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:59:55] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: But a new report shows Kushner did receive an e-mail about WikiLeaks and forwarded it to a campaign official. All of this, after accusations this week that Kushner withheld Russia-related documents from a Senate committee.

Here's CNN justice correspondent, Jessica Schneider.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The questions about Jared Kushner's cooperation continue as Congress is asking for more documents, and they're implying that Kushner has not been forthcoming with handing them over.

(Voice over) The Senate Judiciary Committee is calling Jared Kushner's disclosures into question, labeling what he's submitted so far incomplete and demanding more documents. The letter sent by Chairman Chuck Grassley and top Democrat Dianne Feinstein points to revelations Monday that Donald Trump Jr. exchanged direct messages with WikiLeaks over Twitter during the campaign.

Trump, Jr. e-mailed Jared Kushner and other top campaign officials telling them WikiLeaks had made contact. The committee wants Kushner to hand over the e-mails. They also want all documents relating to a so-called Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite, Kushner's communications with former national security adviser Michael Flynn and any e-mails relating to his firing, all documents related to his security clearance.

JARED KUSHNER, PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: My name is Jared Kushner.

SCHNEIDER: Kushner has had to update his forms three times for not reporting several meetings with foreign officials and all communications with Sergei Milion (ph), a Russian businessman who the "Washington Post" reported is a source for the dossier.

SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D): He's definitely apparently omitting documents. And that is the reason that I have long advocated subpoenas for all of the documents. That's the only way we will know whether he's producing all of them. He certainly is doing himself no favor by withholding some, apparently. And I think he ought to be subpoenaed to appear before the committee in open, under oath at a hearing. SCHNEIDER: Kushner's lawyer releasing this statement. "We provided

the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushner's calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request." Adding, "Kushner will continue to voluntarily cooperate."

MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I don't think it's obstruction. I think he's saying, look, congress, write us a clear letter and we'll give you a response to your clear letter.

SCHNEIDER: Meanwhile the special counsel has subpoenaed the Trump campaign, according to sources. The subpoena seeks more records based on expanded search terms, suggesting investigators believe there are still documents that haven't been handed over.

The campaign had provided documents to that special counsel that had also been given to congressional investigators. One source describes the request as covering a large amount of material. The Trump campaign hasn't responded to requests for comments.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions who was forced to recuse himself from the Russia investigation after he initially failed to disclose he met with then Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak twice during the campaign, made light of the situation at the same hotel where he encountered Kislyak at a speech during the campaign.

JEFF SESSIONS, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: Is Ambassador Kislyak in the room? Before I get started here -- any Russians?

SCHNEIDER: And on Russian television this week -- Kislyak joking about the investigation, saying any list of his contacts with Americans would be too long to list during the show.

(On camera) And also in the coming weeks, special counsel Robert Mueller's team plans to meet with key White House staffers for interviews. They include White House counsel Don McGahn and 29-year- old communications director Hope Hicks, who has been a crucial part of the Trump organization and campaign and administration.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Jessica Schneider -- thank you so much.

All right. Let's discuss the possible implications of the latest developments in the Russia investigation. With me right now, Michael Zeldin -- you saw him in the piece -- CNN legal analyst and former special assistant to Robert Mueller at the department of Justice. Good to see you.

Ok. So Kushner's attorney, likely instructed him to only answer the question as it was asked. So if Kushner was not asked specifically about WikiLeaks, is that Kushner's protection against perjury, obstruction -- you know, untruthfulness?

ZELDIN: Absolutely. It is incumbent upon the questioner to put forth a question and the answer to that question is then what the answer is. If the questioner doesn't ask a specific question, there is no perjury for not answering that question.

In this case I think what we really have here is in the mind of congress they believed they asked for a broader answer than Kushner gave. In the mind of Abbe Lowell, counsel for Kushner, he believes that they asked a specific question, which he has answered.

So the letter that Lowell sent to Congress today says essentially here's why we answered it the way we answered it. If you want us to give you additional copies of that, which you already have, we're happy to make another copy and send it over to you. And if you have other things that you want us to clarify, we're happy to clarify.

[11:04:58] So it's sort of a difference of opinion about what was asked for and what was intended to be asked for. But I don't think there's obstruction at all between Kushner and his efforts with the committee.

WHITFIELD: So there are the investigations on the hill, that line of testimony and questioning; and then of course, there's the special counsel team having their own line of questioning. So we don't know exactly what special counsel team has been asking Kushner. But you know, how does Bob Mueller's team take into account what is answered or not answered on the hill? How do they fold that into their investigation?

ZELDIN: Well, so if they saw that he was testifying under oath on the Hill in a way that was inconsistent with the way he was testifying under oath before them then they could set up a possible lie -- one or the other, if it's binary, has to be true. In this case I don't think we have that.

We don't have any evidence yet that Kushner has been put under oath by the special counsel. But in the end I think the special counsel's going to principally rely on the testimony that's put forth before him and not so much rely on that which has been behind closed doors in Judiciary or Intelligence Committee hearings.

WHITFIELD: So British publicist Rob Goldstone, who helped arrange that Trump Tower meeting with the Russians, has also agreed to talk to Mueller and team. Why is he important? And what could be that carrot dangled, you know, to get him to come to the States to be honest, to be truthful?

ZELDIN: Well, I'm not sure what the carrot is other than ones, you know, sort of moral fiber to participate in an investigation and help the prosecuting and investigative authorities get to the truth of the matter.

Why he's important is because the whole of the June 9th meeting between Trump and Manafort and Kushner and eight or nine Russians was at the behest of this guy. He's the one who wrote to Don, Jr. and said we have dirt on Hillary Rodham Clinton and her campaign which we'd like to share with you. How about a meeting?

And Don, Jr. said, cool, let's have a meeting. A little bit later in the summer would be better than now. That meeting ultimately took place on June the 9th.

So what it is that was intended, what it is that actually happened, we've gotten different stories, you know, Kushner has said one thing. The attorney, Veselnitskaya -- however I pronounce her name, I think I garbled it there -- said two different things about the meeting. Manafort said one thing. Kushner said another.

So this is another voice -- it's like watching a car crash. I mean where you stand depends on what you saw.

WHITFIELD: And he would be asked about --

ZELDIN: So this is another -- this is another voice.

WHITFIELD: -- and he would be asked about, you know, what is the dirt? What was really, you know, promised? What was delivered? How quickly did the other side seem to jump at the chance? Those kinds of questions.

ZELDIN: Exactly right. But the question is going to be is he credible? Or is he there just to tell a story, leave the country because he's not a U.S. citizen, and therefore more difficult to get a subpoena to return and indictable and extradited.

So he may come in and, you know, tell a story that's not completely true and vanish. So his credibility as a witness is, in my estimation, somewhat suspect.

WHITFIELD: All right. Michael Zeldin -- thank you so much. We'll leave it there.

ZELDIN: Ok -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right.

Let's talk some more about this with the Congressman Eric Swalwell -- he's a Democrat from California. He's also a member of the House Judiciary and House Intelligence Committees. It's good to see you -- Congressman.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D), CALIFORNIA: Good morning -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. So what questions do you have for Jared Kushner when called back to either clarify or answer new questions?

SWALWELL: Same question that I had for Jeff Sessions when he appeared before our judiciary committee this week. Once and for all, tell us all of the contacts you had during the campaign, all of the discussions you heard that were in your presence about working with the Russians.

We know there was a deep effort by the Russians to work with a preferred candidate, Donald Trump. And we know that there was a deep eagerness on the Trump team to receive their help.

So for the benefit of the country, so that we're not in this mess for the next few years and that the ballot box is secured, the next time we go and vote just tell us.

And if Jared Kushner cares about his country, I hope he'll do that.

WHITFIELD: Has that been part of the problem though that, you know, the questions are perhaps too generic, not more specific, to these witnesses to testify? And so thereby you have all of these gaping holes?

SWALWELL: They're only two generic, Fredricka, if you don't want to cooperate. And that's a response that somebody, you know, who wants to obstruct or delay would give.

[11:10:00] They know what we're looking for. And it's contacts with Russia about Russia and the 2016 election. I've sat in on these interviews. It's pretty clear what we are seeking.

And, again, just if -- put aside the, you know, the campaign and the politics of this. We are trying to make sure that the next time we go to the polls we understand what our foreign adversaries are trying to do and doing all we can to protect against any further interference. And I hope he has an interest in helping us do that.

WHITFIELD: Calling back witnesses, the subject is one thing. There have also been amendments, particularly to Kushner's SF-86, the disclosure form, at least 100 times.

And as a result there have been many Democrats who have called for his security clearance at the White House to be revoked. But, you know, isn't that moot without Republicans also being on board to say, you know, we've got a problem with these inconsistencies and his security clearance?

SWALWELL: That's right. There's been more amendments than the bill of rights when it comes to Jared Kushner's prior contacts and the forms that he keeps updating.

But Fredricka -- you bring up another point that is disturbing which is the Republicans have the subpoena power in our investigations and so we don't have to just run a take their word for it investigation. We actually can confront witnesses by subpoenaing Twitter and subpoenaing these messaging apps to see if their stories add up.

And I would point you to the George Papadopoulos interview. If you read his guilty plea in January 2017, the FBI -- you know these men and women with guns and badges they confront him, he lies.

February, they confront him again, he lies.

The third time they confront him, five months later in July, he finally tells the truth. And that's because they got all the Facebook logs and the Skype messages and were able to go at him with, you know, evidence that he could not contradict. And that's how you interview witnesses in investigations like this.

We're not doing that in our investigation, and so we're allowing witnesses to just assure us that they're telling us the truth. And I don't think that's right.

WHITFIELD: And the possible outcomes lead to different roads. The Mueller investigation would lead to possible prosecutions but not necessarily these congressional inquiries. So what is the objective, you know, to these congressional queries?

SWALWELL: To never allow a foreign adversary to interfere in our elections again. I look back to September 11th. I was an intern on the Hill when that happened and I saw the 9/11 Commission, an independent bipartisan-appointed commission, work and toil away for years to understand the vulnerabilities and who was responsible. And they recommended how we could protect the country.

And those reforms were put into place. I think everyone would agree that we're safer because of that.

Now, what gives me hope is that that commission was created a year after September 11th. So I think the window is still open for us to have an independent commission.

I wrote legislation with Elijah Cummings to have that. Every Democrat and two Republicans are on board. But we're going to need more if we're going to assure voters the next time they go to the ballot box that they still have the freedom to choose.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Eric Swalwell, thanks so much for your time.

SWALWELL: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: All right. Up next, the worst and biggest loser of all time -- that's how the President is labeling his former rival this morning. Why Trump is unloading on Hillary Clinton, after the break.

[11:13:15] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: With the exception of a statement last night -- with the exception of a statement that was made while the President was in Asia, President Trump has remained silent on the sexual assault allegations surrounding Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. But the President has been slamming one of his favorite targets.

Here's what he tweeted just this morning. "Crooked Hillary Clinton is the worst and biggest loser of all time. She just can't stop, which is good for the Republican Party. Hillary get on with your life and give it another try in three years."

So what further stoked this sentiment coming from the President? Well, last night in an interview with WABC Radio, Hillary Clinton spoke about the sexual assault or harassment allegations against Moore, Al Franken and President Trump as well as resurfaced conversations involving her husband, Bill Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: This was a painful time, not only in our marriage, but in our country, as I've written about. But it was investigated fully. It was addressed at the time. He was held accountable.

That is very different than what people seem to be remembering from that period because you can go back and look at the history. When credible allegations come forward -- look at the contrast between Al Franken accepting responsibility, apologizing -- and Roy Moore and Donald Trump who have done neither.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Joining me right now, CNN White House correspondent Abby Phillip. So Abby -- the President weighing in on this matter on Hillary Clinton, but he hasn't had much specificity on Roy Moore. He did comment quite pointedly on Al Franken. What is the White House's position today?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, it's been about ten days since those first reports of allegations against Roy Moore. And the President, as you alluded to earlier, mentioned on Air Force One when talking to reporters in Asia that when he came back to the United States he'd have more to say. But so far that hasn't actually happened.

Now, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had some things to say about that this week. Here's what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He has weighed in on Roy Moore. He did it while he was on a foreign trip in Asia. I did it repeatedly yesterday. In fact, I took about 15 questions on that topic and only one on Al Franken.

[11:19:57] So to suggest that this White House, and specifically that this president hasn't weighed in is just inaccurate and wrong. He weighed in. He said if the allegations are true, he should step aside.

He also weighed in when he supported the RNC's decision to withdraw resources from the state of Alabama. It's just a simply inaccurate statement to make about the President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Now, we know that this is a president who isn't exactly shy about making his opinions known. But he tends to tweet about things where he believes he'll make some political gains here when he tweeted about Al Franken, someone who's been very critical of him and also about Hillary Clinton who he apparently wants a rematch with in 2020.

It remains to be seen whether we will actually hear words come out of the President's mouth on this issue. And at the same time a lot of questions being raised about his own past -- being accused of sexual misconduct by about a dozen women.

Back to you -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Abby Phillips at the White House -- thank you so much.

Well, all of this as another woman comes forward alleging sexual assault against the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TINA JOHNSON, ROY MOORE ACCUSER: The moment we walked in it was full on assault. I mean he was very, very flirtatious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:21:16] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Fewer than four weeks now until Alabama voters decide if they want Roy Moore to be their U.S. Senator. The embattled Republican candidate seems to be as defiant as ever with no plans to drop out of the race. His wife says there is no way that he'll step aside amid sexual assault allegations.

Meantime an eighth accuser has come forward, Tina Johnson told CNN what happened when she and her mother were in Moore's law office back in 1991 when Johnson was 28 years old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: The moment we walked in, it was full on assault. I mean he was very, very flirtatious and commenting constantly, the whole time. And it was not like for five minutes. It was like we were there for a long period of time.

It was so uncomfortable. I knew something was up but I just ignored it, tried -- you know, just what it was. When it was time for us to leave my mother had got up and left the room, you know, to go out the front door.

Well, when she was going out the door, and I proceeded out he just grabbed me from behind on my buttocks. He just squeezed it really hard.

And I remember thinking I was so ashamed. I felt humiliated in that moment. It took everything out of me.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: One question a lot of people have with these stories coming out now, of course, is why now? Why, Tina, did you choose to speak out now? Why not sooner?

JOHNSON: Because you couldn't. People didn't want to hear it. Your own family members don't talk about that, you know. Shut up, why are you bringing that up?

BURNETT: What has changed? The environment, other women came forward?

JOHNSON: Other women came forward.

BURNETT: It gave you courage to come out and tell your story. JOHNSON: Yes, and what really did it for me is when I've seen a

citizen of Etowah County say that the 14-year-old -- it was ok, it was no big deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right.

Let's go now to CNN's Nick Valencia in Gadsden, Alabama. So Nick what are people telling you this weekend?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been a difficult week for the Republican Senate candidate. But his supporters, Fredricka, are digging in.

Interestingly enough we saw this new poll this week that showed Roy Moore was behind 20 points among women to his Democratic challenger Doug Jones -- eight points overall.

We wanted to see if that translated here on the ground. So we spoke to some voters, and yes we did find some people here who say they are just flat out disgusted after hearing the allegations.

But then we found some others who said even if these allegations are true, they'd much rather vote for the Republican Roy Moore than have a Democrat in office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HENRY LITTLEJOHN, ROY MOORE SUPPORTER: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just don't trust him -- people with power.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But when you step in the ballot box, if you do decide to go vote, who are you going to vote for?

LITTLEJOHN: Roy Moore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why will you vote for Roy Moore if you think these women are telling the truth?

LITTLEJOHN: Well, because I want the Republican Party to, you know, our agenda and everything is about getting it changed and everything. So -- I don't know for sure if he would be -- if he'd be an asset or not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it concern you enough to not vote for him considering that some of these women were 14, 16 years old?

LITTLEJOHN: Yes. That's probably the reason why I probably won't vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think is going to happen on December 12th?

LINDY TINSLEY, BELIEVES ROY MOORE SHOULD STEP ASIDE: I really don't know. I hope that the best thing happens is that Doug Jones gets it. I really do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not a Democrat.

TINSLEY: I'm going to go with the person that I think's going to be the best suited for the office. And somebody that doesn't have these allegations going against them, like Roy Moore does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Moore's supporters say an innocent man's reputation is being ripped to shreds. His critics meanwhile say that what he's doing in denying these allegations is equivalent to victim blaming.

For now anyway, Fredricka -- Roy Moore shows no signs of withdrawing from this race that's set to happen, the election on December 12th -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Valencia -- thank you so much.

All right. Well, despite an eighth woman now coming forward with allegations against Judge Roy Moore, many of his supporters are still not swayed.

[11:29:57] Amy Kremer is among them. She is the co-chair of Women Vote Trump and had this to say at a rally for the Republican Alabama senate candidate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMY KREMER, CO-CHAIR, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: And after Donald Trump walked through the fire and did not back down, they had met their match. And Donald Trump is our President today. And right here in this state, right here in this state, we have a candidate that has walked through the fire.

Not just this election cycle, but over the years as he's campaigned, not in just local races, but in statewide races for the Supreme Court justice of the state of Alabama, twice, and none of this has come out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Amy Kremer, co-chair of Women Vote Trump, joining me right now. So, Amy, you were there. You were invited to attend. This was mostly women, including Roy Moore's wife who were there in support of Mr. Moore.

So, you know, as it pertains to these allegations, we know why you do support Roy Moore. You made it clear during the rally. But what would it take, based on these allegations, to no longer support Roy Moore?

KREMER: Well, I am not going to talk about hypotheticals because at this point this is all she said, he denies. He is completely denying all of this. If there are criminal acts that have been committed, they need to be tried in a court of law. I am not the judge and jury. The media is not the judge and jury, and Republican officials in Washington are not the judge and jury. But the people of Alabama have chosen him. He not only won the primary, he won the runoff.

He is the GOP nominee. The Alabama GOP is standing beside him and he -- they already have early voting. So, he is on that ballot. He's not coming off the ballot and there are two choices, you have him or a liberal Democrat.

And I think that when people go to the polls in Alabama they are going to look at all of the information in front of them, these accusations, everything that's been lobbed at him. They're going to look at what's at stake.

And I think they're going to make their decision based on that information. I believe that the people of Alabama are capable of making that decision.

WHITFIELD: And based on these accusations that are decades old, there is no, you know, potential criminal option of pressing charges. And your feeling is, it's too late, you know, for that as well. If there were --

KREMER: I don't know. I'm not an attorney. I don't know what the statute of limitations is there.

WHITFIELD: But do you empathize with these women who say that the climate was such that they weren't able to come out at the time? Is it an issue of believability for you, or is it an issue of because no charges were pursued, then --

KREMER: I believe that --

WHITFIELD: -- it's a moot point.

KREMER: I believe that, look, anybody that is sexually assaulted, I mean, I'm not one to judge. I was not there. I don't think any of us can judge anybody on this. It's, like I said, he said, she said, but I do believe that we're trying to put 1970 whatever into a 2017 bottle.

It doesn't work that way. There are things that used to happen back then that are not acceptable today. Our society has changed. I'm not saying it's OK. That's not what I'm saying. But we are in a different time now. I understand people are coming forward.

I can sympathize with people that are coming forward. But the bottom line is, the people of Alabama, they've chosen their nominee, and they have a decision to make, and it's not going to change. He's not going to withdraw from the race.

WHITFIELD: Among those who have been pressed on this issue, Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway who said this just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, Al Franken was a brand new news story yesterday, and the president weighed in as he does on the news of the day often enough. The Roy Moore story is eight days old. The president put out a statement during his Asia trip on that.

And since then our press secretary spoken on behalf of the president by saying that he believes the people of Alabama will sort out what to do with Roy Moore and with that election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Do you see parallels between, you know, Al Franken, on what he is alleged of doing, his apology, he admits he was wrong, and allegations against Roy Moore and whether tackling one issue now is pertinent versus another?

KREMER: The difference is, there's photographic evidence, and Al Franken has admitted to it. Roy Moore has completely denied all this. He's completely denied it. I don't know that he's not telling the truth. Why do you believe one person and not the other without any evidence in front of you? I mean, you're guilty -- you're innocent until --

WHITFIELD: Do you think his accusers feel the same way?

KREMER: I don't know. I haven't spoken with any of them. I can't put myself in their shoes and I don't think you can judge somebody until you walk in their shoes. And I think it's important that we remember, in this country you are innocent until proven guilty.

WHITFIELD: What's your view of the message being sent if Roy Moore is sent to U.S. Senate, and there are members of the Senate who don't embrace him, or are looking for avenues in which not to embrace him or honor, you know, his election to Senate if that is indeed the case, what is the message.

I guess there are two messages, if he goes to the Senate, and the message if there are senators or the chambers who say we are looking for avenues in which not to honor the vote, the Alabama vote.

KREMER: I think we're crossing a very fine line should Mitch McConnell and company decide they're not going to seat him, or expel him because they're subverting the will of the people. That is something, it doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on.

As a matter of fact, all Americans should be concerned about this because it could be on the other side next time. We are innocent until proven guilty. But also, if the voters of Alabama choose for him to be their senator, then for others to come in and say no we're not going to seat him, that is subverting the will of the people.

And what are we at that point? What are we? I mean, when somebody else can choose our elected officials for us, that is a very fine line. I don't think we should go down that road.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it right there. Amy, always good to see you.

KREMER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still so much straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, but first, if you're one of those people who likes to explore like a local does, when visiting a new place, here are a few ways to tour off the beaten path.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I like feeling like a local when I travel. So, what better way than to book a private local tour in the city you're traveling to. Tours by locals offer guides in 158 countries. I booked Brian. He's a volunteer firefighter and a former Wall Street trader and he's a native New Yorker just like me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is federal hall where George Washington was inaugurated as the first president to the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I walked by this building all the time, but I didn't know any of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the Merchant Marine Memorial, a lot of people come here specifically to go to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. They miss so much else that's here like this memorial.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One thing I love about the tours is that you can rate your tour guide. I know it's only five stars. I would give you six stars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's so great. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Another way you can travel like a local is with an app called "Local Lore." The app provides insider tips from locals, also known as Local Lores. Within the app I can find places to eat, drink and play and can even watch videos which gives me a more in depth and personal experience.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:41:54]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back, Russia has rejected another U.N. resolution to extend an investigation into serious use of chemical weapons. It's Russia's third such veto in the last month against the Joint Investigative Mechanism to inspect for chemical weapons, this time citing flaws in the investigation. Ambassadors in the U.S. and the U.K. tore into Russia's decision for protecting the Syrian regime. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR IN THE UNITED NATIONS: Russia's veto, its second in 24 hours, shows us that Russia has no interest in finding common ground with the rest of this council to save the JIM. Russia will not agree to any mechanism that might shine a spotlight on the use of chemical weapons by its ally, the Syrian regime. It is as simple and shameful as that.

MATTHEW RYCROFT, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: This third veto in a month, clearly exposes, if it wasn't already obvious, Russia's determination to protect their Syrian ally, whatever the harm that causes, to the ban on the use of chemical weapons, to the wider international system of rules, to Russia's own reputation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, let me bring in CNN global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott. How big of an impact does Russia's veto have?

ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I think it has a very big impact, Fred, because you remember that this attack was back in April when President Trump saw enough evidence from the intelligence community to launch strikes against the Syrian regime after that gas attack.

Now not only is this the third veto in the last month on extending this chemical weapons investigation team, but it's also the 11th veto by Russia of the Syrian conflict, and it also really just makes a really hamper the investigation's work.

That's what they said they found flaws in the investigation. But clearly the issue of chemical weapons, a very serious one. I mean, everyone has pretty much acknowledged, except for the Russians and the Syrians that ISIS and the insurgence, the rebels, nobody else has the ability to launch a chemical weapon attack from the sky like the Syrian regime did.

And so, I think that this just, you know, basically the sign that Russia does not want to, as it says, you know, hold the Syrian regime accountable for everything that it does and really have an equal hand on the conflict here -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Elise Labott in Washington, thanks so much.

Still so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM, but first, Anthony Bourdain in Seattle for this week's "PARTS UNKNOWN." He explores the city's booming tech industry and the food scene that is popping up with it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, "PARTS UNKNOWN": Seattle, if you're looking for a dump site to dispose of the recently killed victim of your serial killing spree, this would be the perfect environment.

[11:45:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Literally, you can hide bodies like a short drive from wherever you are.

BOURDAIN: In fact, it's been favored by serial killers throughout the ages also chefs. Wow, that's really good and musicians.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's hundreds, thousands of bands here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact you had us on the show made me realize we've run out of things to --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it's the landscape that inspired Curt Kobain.

BOURDAIN: Look at that? You have no idea how much that cost to arrange.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The food in the subliminal or overt messages of other things, follow Anthony through Seattle tomorrow, 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:29]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. A new report by Human Rights Watch accuses Myanmar's military of carrying out a vicious campaign of rape against Rohingya Muslim women and girls in the country's Rakim (ph) state.

Earlier this week, a U.N. envoy said sexual violence was being commanded, orchestrated and perpetrated by the Armed Forces of Burma. Burma's military denied all allegations of rape and killing by its security forces. It also announced it was replacing the general in charge of Rakim state.

Senior international correspondent, Clarissa Ward has been in the Bangladeshi refugee camps where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims are. She spoke to multiple women who described being rape as part of her ongoing series of reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rashida Begam (ph) rarely speaks these days, but she does tell her story. She speaks quietly and mechanically as if trying to recount what happened without reliving it.

We were five women with our baby, she says, the military grab us, dragged us into the house, and shut the door and they raped us. She tells us they stabbed her and tried to kill her. She survived by pretending to be dead.

It will be good if had died, she says, because if I die then I wouldn't have to remember all these things. Stories like Rashida's are all too common in the Bangladesh camps that now host nearly 1 million Rohingya Muslims.

Every tent it seems has a story of agony, shame, and death inside it. When the military came to Aisha's village, her husband fled, leaving her alone with five children. Two soldiers stood guard in front of my door, she says. Another came in and pointed his gun at me, he raped me.

(on camera): Did he say anything to you?

(voice-over): He punched me and ripped off my clothes. He said if you move, I will kill you. If you scream, I will kill you. And he covered my mouth with his hand, she says. I feel so awful. He did it so roughly. He did it without mercy.

Human rights groups say that rape is one of the Myanmar military's most feared weapons. While it's difficult to estimate how many women have been assaulted, hundreds of cases have been reported.

These Rohingya women are learning songs to offer support to the victims. Rape can happen to anyone, the lyrics go, within three days of rape, you need to consult a doctor. The program developed by Doctors Without Borders is headed by Midwife Aerlyn Pfeil.

She explains that beyond tactical concerns, many victims are struggling to reclaim their dignity.

AERLYN PFEIL, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDER: Peace for me that is kind of the most heartbreaking is that the women coming in are still wearing the same skirts. It's just heartbreaking that three months later, you are still putting the same skirt that someone assaulted you in.

WARD: For Aisha, the call of shame still hangs heavy. When I remember what happened, tears come to my eyes. Why did they do this me, she asked? Why did they rape me? She finds peace in reading the Koran. For many here, faith and ritual provide some solace amid the squalor. Rashida's anger still burns.

(on camera): What do you want to see happen to the man who raped you?

(voice-over): If we get the opportunity then we must take revenge, she says. We'll be pleased if the military who raped us and killed our parents are hanged. But for now, survival takes priority over justice. There are mouths to feed and a new generation to protect from the horrors of the past. Clarissa Ward, CNN, in the Kutapalong Camp, Bangladesh.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We've got so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:59:24]

WHITFIELD: Hello, again, everyone and thank you so much for being with me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right. Jared Kushner's testimony to congressional investigators is raising questions about his truthfulness. The president's son-in- law and senior adviser is accused of lying under oath about the campaign's communications with Wikileaks and the Russians.

Sources tell CNN Kushner told congressional investigators he did not communicate with Wikileaks and did not know anyone on the Trump campaign who had. A new report shows Kushner did receive an e-mail about Wikileaks and forwarded it to a campaign official.

Let's bring in CNN crime and justice reporter, Shimon Prokupecz. So, Shimon, what are Kushner's attorneys saying about these latest allegations that he may have lied under oath?