Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Jussie Smollett Facing Charges; Coast Guard Lieutenant Facing Terror Charges; Mueller Probe: Done By Next Week?; Zion Down and Out. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired February 21, 2019 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:01] BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Chicago police say you did. Jussie Smollett is accused of staging a racially motivated attack.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, domestic terrorist on active military duty. A Coast Guard officer with a political and media hit list had 15 guns and thousand rounds of ammunition.
SANCHEZ: Plus, the Mueller report could be in the attorney general's hands by next week. What Bill Barr does with it is the big question.
ROMANS: And a big blow for Duke and Knicks fans. Zion Williamson goes down and literally out of his shoes.
Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: Great to be here with you, Christine. I'm Boris Sanchez. It is Thursday, February 21st, 5:00 a.m. in the East Coast.
And we start with this. That hashtag that you saw #justiceforjussie, it has a different meaning this morning as the "New York Post" emphasizes. "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett facing a felony charge for allegedly filing a false police report claiming two men attacked him last month. Chicago police tells CNN they hope Smollett will turn himself in overnight. Right now, they don't know where he is.
ROMANS: A class four felony, the kind Smollett is charged with, carries as prison sentence of one to three years. The actor himself has insisted he did not stage any attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, ACTOR, "EMPIRE": Who the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) would make something like this up or add something to it or whatever it may be. I can't even -- I'm an advocate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Assuming he is in custody, a bail hearing for Smollett is expected later today.
CNN's Nick Watt outside Chicago police headquarters with more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christine, Jussie Smollett has gone from victim to suspect, and he now faces a felony charge -- a class four felony -- disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.
The "Empire" actor, of course, claimed he was attacked in the early hours of January 29th on a cold, frigid morning here in Chicago, by two men who threw racial and homophobic epithets at him, hung a noose around his neck, and poured an unknown chemical on him.
Now, two men were arrested last week. They were questioned by police, then they were released on Friday night. Law enforcement sources told us Saturday that they believe Jussie Smollett had paid these two men. That Jussie Smollett had staged this attack on him.
Now, police tell us that they were expecting Smollett to show up at a meeting with them and his lawyers Wednesday. When Smollett didn't show up they decided to go the grand jury route. A grand jury was convened. Those two brothers -- those two one-time suspects testified that Smollett had paid them to stage the attack.
Smollett's lawyers released a statement to us last night and they say that "Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked."
This story is far from over. In fact, the fallout from this story is really only just beginning -- Christine and Boris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Nick Watt, thank you for that.
A spokesperson for the 20th Century Fox, which produces "Empire", said the studio has no comment at this time.
BRIGGS: A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant under arrest this morning as a suspected domestic terrorist. Authorities say 49-year-old Christopher Paul Hasson of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a white supremacist who had a hit list that included several high profile Democrats, and among them, some presidential candidates. Prosecutors filed as evidence a draft e-mail in which they say Hasson wrote, quote, I'm dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth.
Ryan Browne is at the Pentagon with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN BROWNE, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Good morning, Christine and Boris.
The Department of Justice charging an active duty Coast Guard officer with gun and drug charges, and for being an alleged domestic terrorist who was plotting attacks on senior Democratic officials and senior members of the media, both from MSNBC and CNN.
Now, he's also charged with adhering to a manifesto of a Norwegian terrorist, Anders Breivik, who in 2011 killed some 77 people in a series of domestic terror attacks. Now, as part of that manifesto, he is being charged with using drugs as part of an effort to bolster his ability to carry out these attacks.
Now, some 15 weapons and 1,000 rounds of ammunition were discovered in his home, according to the official charge documents provided by the Department of Justice.
And again, he was posted here in Washington, D.C. at the Coast Guard headquarters. It remains unclear how someone could have such high- level access with all these links to domestic terrorist groups, to white supremacists organizations, and in possession of so many weapons and so much ammunition.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Just remarkable.
All right. Thank you for that.
You know, the completion of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation could be announced as early as next week. Sources familiar with Justice Department plans tell us that soon after that, Attorney General Bill Barr will submit a confidential summary to Congress.
[05:05:06] But that does not mean we'll get to see Mueller's report quickly or ever.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Right now, the scope and contours of what the attorney general will send to Capitol Hill are unclear. Barr was noncommittal at his last month. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, THEN-ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: I am going to try to get the information out there consistent with these regulations. And to the extent I have discretion, I will exercise that discretion to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: So, the special counsel regulations instruct Mueller to submit a confidential report to the attorney general, but they don't require that it be shared with Congress or the public. Yesterday, the president said he is leaving the entire matter up to Barr.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLIN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Should the Mueller report be released while you're abroad next week? DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That'll be totally up to the new attorney general. That'll be totally up to him -- the new attorney -- the new attorney general, yes.
REPORTER: Should the report become public?
TRUMP: Now, I guess from what I understand, that will be totally up to the attorney general.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Of course depending on what is or is not released, months of wrangling between Congress and the Justice Department may follow. The precise timing of Barr's announcement is subject to change. Late next week, President Trump holds a summit, of course, with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
CNN has told justice officials, they don't want to interfere with White House diplomatic efforts. But remember, 12 Russians were indicted last year while the president met with Queen Elizabeth and just days before his Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin.
SANCHEZ: And while Trump is overseas next week, his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen will be testifying in public. He is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on February 27th. And he will be questioned about President Trump's finances, his business practices, but not about the Russia investigation. Cohen's first scheduled appearance was canceled because of threats against his family.
ROMANS: On Wednesday, he tweeted: Looking forward to the American people hearing my story in my voice. #truth.
The next day, he will testify privately to the House Intel Committee. Cohen had been scheduled to report to prison on March 6, but a federal judge agreed to delay the start moving it back to May. I think it was for physical therapy after shoulder surgery. Cohen was sentenced to three years. He pleaded guilty to charges that included campaign finance violations related to payments he arranged, you'll recall, to women who claimed they had affairs with Trump.
SANCHEZ: A climate change skeptic will lead a panel to examine climate change. "The Washington Post" reports that proposed commission will be led by this man, William Happer. He is on the National Security Council and he believes that carbon emissions linked to climate change should be viewed as an asset rather than a pollutant.
And that's not all. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM HAPPER, TRUMP NOMINEE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE PANEL: The demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler. Carbon dioxide is actually a benefit to the world, and so were the Jews. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: I've heard that three times this morning and I still don't -- the White House is not commenting on the "Washington Post" report. Just a few weeks ago, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats confirmed the long standing belief climate change is a significant security risk. CNN has learned White House officials are discussing replacements now for Coats, they are concerned that the president may be prepared to fire him.
SANCHEZ: Much of the eastern U.S. is cleaning up this morning after a big winter storm rolled through.
Thunder snow caught on a doorbell camera in Cumberland, Maryland, yesterday. Major flooding in Giles County, Tennessee. That's just south of Pulaski. The front stalled over the south bringing on all the high water you see. And the flooding threat will not abate with another winter storm taking shape out west.
Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has more on this one-two punch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Boris and Christine, good morning, guys.
Yes, the Northeast here watching the snow showers around Boston -- a wintry mix just south of town. And go to the north there, it's all about the snow.
And, of course, it was a winter wonderland across Central Park as well in the past 24 or so hours. But you cross over into the airports, it was an entirely different story. Major disruptions as far as cancellations and delays across portions of the country.
And a lot of this activity now going to begin to improve quickly, at least for the Northeast. In fact, by 11:00 a.m., noon, much of the showers exit the picture.
And then, you draw the attention back down toward the south because the southern fringe of all of this, that's where the frontal boundary has stalled and that's where not only thunderstorms are prevalent this morning. As much as 1,000 strikes since midnight across portions of the south.
But extensive flood watches and warnings and a lot of river flooding taking place in northern Alabama and northern Mississippi and western Tennessee. And frankly, with that front that's really not moving much, notice the rainfall amounts are going to be significant, four to six inches around Memphis. Two to three inches around Nashville over the next 24 or so hours.
And then back towards the west, another system right on its heels here is bringing in additional rainfall and additional storms going in towards this weekend for much of the country -- guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right.
SANCHEZ: If you didn't get enough, there is more on the way.
ROMANS: All right. Schools are back in session in West Virginia today, but another major city will see teachers walk off the job.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:14:09] ROMANS: The son of a North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris says he warned his father about a political operative's shady and perhaps illegal tactics to secure votes. John Harris' testimony before the state elections board undercuts claims by his father and his father's campaign strategist that they were not aware of any red flags. Harris says he repeatedly warned his father about Leslie McCrae Dowless. Dowless is now the center of an election fraud investigation in North Carolina's ninth congressional district.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN HARRIS, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY IN NORTH CAROLINA: I had no reason to believe at any point that my father actually knew or my mother or anyone else affiliated with the campaign actually knew that McCrae and his folks were doing the things that have been described today. I had no reason to believe that at all. I believe that Mr. Dowless told them he wasn't doing any of this and they believed him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:15:02] ROMANS: At one point during police testimony, John Harris' voice cracked and his father went. The younger Harris did not tell his parents that he was testifying at that hearing.
SANCHEZ: Ralph Northam's apology tour is off to a rough start. The Virginia governor forced to cancel his first stop. The student government at Virginia Union University asked him not to attend a chapel service honoring 1960 civil rights protesters. Northam says he appreciates the initial invitation from the school but he will abide by the students' wishes.
A photo in his medical school yearbook shows one person in blackface and another in a KKK robe. He initially apologized and then insisted that neither of those people in that picture is him.
ROMANS: And on the front page of "USA Today," they looked at 900 year books and fund racist images easily in almost all of them. And they say blackface parties, KKK, mob lynchings, all the something -- de rigueur.
All right. Schools in Oakland, California will be open today, but some 3,000 teachers will not be showing up to work. They are set to go on strike this morning demanding smaller classes and more support for 36,000 students. They also want a 12 percent pay raise to offset the high cost of living. The district has offered 7 percent. In West Virginia, teachers and school service personnel, they will
return to work ending a two day strike there. This comes after state lawmakers killed a controversial education bill that would have moved public money, public school education to private institutions.
SANCHEZ: It took more than four decades, but the accused killer of an 11-year-old girl in California is finally in custody. Seventy-two- year-old James Alan Neal arrested this week. He allegedly strangled 11-year-old Linda Ann O'Keefe in July of 1973 after the girl's mother told her to walk home from summer school.
ROMANS: Investigators honed in on Neal using DNA collected from Linda's body shortly after her death and an online genealogy website. Last July, Newport Beach police released Linda's story on Twitter, essentially live tweeting what would have been the girl's last day from her perspective to raise awareness in the cold case. Both of O'Keefe's parents have since died, but she was survived by two sisters.
SANCHEZ: A safety reminder for those of you going to great lengths or heights to capture that perfect selfie.
Triston Bailey and his friends decided to climb a bridge to snap a selfie with the Dallas skyline in the background, but Bailey slipped, plummeting more than four stories to the ground. And look at this, the teenager's body hit the ground so hard it left this imprint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISTON BAILEY, TEENAGER: I broke my pelvis, I had rib fracture, punctured lung, broke my face a whole bunch and has rate lacerated my spleen.
DR. J. DARRYL AMOS, METHODIST HEALTH SYSTEM CHIEF OF TRAUMA: It is amazing that he didn't snap his neck. It's amazing that he is not a paraplegic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Doctors were stunned that he wasn't more badly injured. Those who treated him say they see a growing number of people with selfie related injuries. Don't do it for the gram if it means following off a bridge.
ROMANS: You sound so young and hip, do it for the gram. Come on.
SANCHEZ: I've done things for the gram, but never anything like that. You don't see me tiptoeing off a bridge.
ROMANS: I don't even know how to use my phone.
All right. Eighteen past the hour. Duke's freshman sensation Zion Williamson blowing through a shoe and injuring his knee. Andy Scholes with details in this morning's "Bleacher Report", next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [05:22:49] SANCHEZ: With former Barack Obama in attendance, North Carolina upsets duke after the blue devils painfully lose their star player in the first minute of the game.
ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more on this morning's "Bleacher Report".
Hey, Andy.
SANCHEZ: Good morning.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, guys.
This was such a buzz kill. Duke/North Carolina, best rivalry in college basketball, tickets for this game were going for more than the Super Bowl and it was because everyone wanted to see freshman phenom Zion Williamson go up against the Tar Heels. That includes former President Barack Obama. He was sitting court side. You see him shaking hands with people as he entered the game.
But just 30 seconds into this one, Zion making a move and the 6'7", 250 pounder's shoe just explodes causing him to slip. Zion immediately grabbing his knee. He would leave the game.
North Carolina goes on to upset top ranked Duke 88-72. And after the game, Coach K says Zion had a mild knee sprain. He didn't know how much time he would miss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, DUKE COACH: We have to come up with a game plan based on Zion not playing and hopefully he will be back playing at some time in the near future. But that's where we're at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Obama tweeting after the game, Zion Williamson seems like an outstanding young man as well as an outstanding basketball player. Wishing him a speedy recovery.
LeBron also tweeting: Hope young fella is OK. Literally blew through his shoe. Zion was wearing Nikes. And look at the shoe, it literally ripped in half. Never seen anything like that before.
People on social media were letting Nike have it over this and Nike put out a statement saying: We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.
All right. Speaking of Nike, they launched their first limited edition Colin Kaepernick jersey yesterday. It is black and silver, almost looks like a raiders jersey. It retails for 150 bucks and it actually sold out on line in a matter of hours.
[05:25:03] Kaepernick tweeting that he was humbled by the continued support. Last week, Kaepernick and the NFL settled his collusion grievance for
an undisclosed amount. Kaepernick, he remains a free agent.
SCHOLES: All right. Finally, over the years we've seen some creative ways people celebrate the loser in their fantasy football league. This may be the best ever.
Steven was faced with a decision, pay the winner an extra 250 bucks or get down to his underwear and cover himself in peanut butter and go to a dog park for five minutes.
SANCHEZ: What?
SCHOLES: As you can see, he chose the latter. His buddies filmed it from their car giggling the entire time. This picture was taken as all the dogs ran over to greet Steven. He says he will not be playing in that same fantasy football league again next season.
But that is fantastic. Best ways I've of ever seen for a loser to have to pay.
SANCHEZ: Get out of that league. I think I'll pick up on that idea.
My brother-in-law is about to be head to toe in peanut butter next year.
Andy Scholes, thank you so much.
ROMANS: Really needed that this morning. Really needed that.
Twenty-six minutes past the hour.
The victim is now the suspect. Jussie Smollett is facing charges, police say that he planned a racially motivated attack on himself.
SANCHEZ: And Robert Mueller's report could be in the hands of the attorney general by next week. But how much will Barr make public and when?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
