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Sources: Mar-a-Lago Workers Could Testify in Docs Case; Man Wanted Over Jan. 6 Attack in Custody After Major Manhunt; IRS Reveals New Tax Brackets to Tamp Down Inflation. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired November 10, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Why Robert de Niro's production company is having to pay his former assistant $1.2 million?

[09:30:01]

We'll be right back.

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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: To exclusive CNN reporting this morning, what do a plumber, a maid, a chauffeur and woodworker have in common? They all could be potential witnesses in Donald Trump's criminal trial in Florida. At least that's what sources tell CNN.

Prosecutors are building their case against former president over his mishandling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

That's why we've got Katelyn Polantz with more on this from Washington.

So, Katelyn, what more are you learning about who may take the stand in this case?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Omar, these are the types of people that would be the eyes and ears of the Mar-a- Lago resort after Trump left the presidency.

[09:35:02]

And they are the types of people that not only did investigators find them whenever they were investigating this case and deciding how to charge it, they are also the people that are very likely to be called to the witness stand to testify against Donald Trump when he goes to trial.

Right now, that trial is set for May of next year. are We're waiting to see if the judge moves that date back and how far she pushes it back. It's been more than a week where the judge said, I'm going to let you know when the trial will take place and what other deadlines will be. We still haven't heard from her on that.

But these people are important because of two things. One, they were the people who were noticing things around the Mar-a-Lago property, who may be able to paint the picture for the jury of what it was like inside the property, how Trump is behaving, how things were moving around. The woodworker for instance noticed stacks of papers they looked so suspicious they looked like movie props to him. He wasn't sure what they were but they may have been classified documents.

And then the second thing these people will be able to do is highlight just how unsecured Mar-a-Lago was once you were inside the gates. There were temporary employees around. There were maids cleaning bedrooms.

And these people are access to the very same locations -- the ballrooms, the bathroom, the bedroom suite of Donald Trump where classified documents were kept, where the justice department has been able to find that based in photographic evidence, or where they believe classified documents may have been stored inside boxes being touched by people, who wouldn't have security clearances.

So, all of this could be very important at the trial of Donald Trump. Big question though on whether those people, whether these witnesses will tell their stories publicly before Donald Trump faces voters in presidential election.

JIMENEZ: You highlight two very important factors in this. Obviously, the intricacies of what these people might be saying if they are called to testify. But also, whether the judge keeps the timeline of this case on track for before the election or whether it ends up getting pushed after. We will see.

Katelyn Polantz, thank you as always.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about this polling with former federal prosecutor for the southern district of New York, Sara Krissof.

Thanks for jumping on with me.

What do you make of Katelyn's reporting on this? The range of people the special council is talking to? What does it say about their investigation?

SARAH KRISSOF, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Listen, it means they have been doing a thorough investigation, so they are talking to everybody, who has been in that property. They have seen things that were untoward, that were out of place. And, you know, it sounds like would have recording as of the really talking to these people and quite possibly use them to tell the story to the jury.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, and, Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and former U.S. attorney who's now running for president, he said something pretty similar about his take and what this says about the investigation while speaking to CNN.

Let me play this for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What you want to see in the witness list is a broad and deep witness list that could cover every potential contingency, every potential exit ramp that the defendant may have to try to justify his or her conduct that you believe is based upon evidence is criminal.

So, I think what you're seeing is how thorough Jack Smith's investigation has been, and that there's no one who has seen or heard anything at Mar-a-Lago regarding these documents, who is going to be immune from testifying if they believe they have vanity information.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And they are going to the next step. What do these people, a plumber, a woodworker, a chauffeur, a maid -- what do they do for the special counsel's case if they are called and put on the witness stand?

KRISSOF: That's a good question. I think they actually add a lot of credibility to the case, right? Because these people are just going to be able to provide a glimpse into what happened in Mar-a-Lago, a sort of slice of time, the woodworker in Mr. Trump's bedroom and things like that.

But they are going to bolster the case. So the case will come in piece by piece. Everybody will provide a little bit and then the government is hoping that it all adds up to a conviction at the end of the day.

BOLDUAN: Yeah. I want to ask you about another slice of the legal troubles that Donald Trump is facing. Today an ally of Trump's, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, filed a judicial complaint with the New York State Commission of Judicial Conduct, conduct against Judge Engoron. This is the judge handling the physical fraud case against Donald Trump.

I'll read a quote from the filing as Stefanik's team put out. It says: This judge's bizarre behavior has no place in our judicial system where Judge Engoron is not honoring the defendant's rights to due process and a fair trial.

It also says, simply put, Judge Engoron has displayed a clear and judicial bias against the defendant throughout the case, breaking several rules in the New York code of conduct -- several rules in the New York Code of Judicial Conduct.

[09:40:12]

Do you see a basis for this? And what can happen with the complaint -- when a complaint like this is filed with a state commission on judicial conduct against a judge?

KRISSOF: So if the complaint has legs, that it has merits, the commission can launch an investigation and look into it. You know, this complaint I think Stefanik should have done more legal research because there is a lot in there that's sort of legally wrong and she discusses the summary judgment opinion issued by the court and seems to sort of discredit that opinion. I mean, that is sort of a normal process in every civil case in this country that there's an opportunity to seek some re-judgment, which is what both parties did here.

So I think she has some legal infirmities in her complaint here that they are going to make the commission rather dismissive of it.

BOLDUAN: Thanks for coming on. Really appreciate it.

KRISSOF: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Omar?

JIMENEZ: Well, Kate, some breaking news in this hour. The man at the center of a major New Jersey manhunt connected to charges in the January 6th attack on the Capitol is now in custody.

CNN Polo Sandoval has the latest on what happened here,

Polo, walk us through how this came to an end.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Omar, this development into CNN a few minutes ago marks the conclusion of a search that was about 48 hours in for His name is Gregory Yetman. Police in New Jersey confirming in the

last few moments that he surrendered to authorities, turned himself into authorities without incident.

Quick background on this. It was about two days ago authorities moved in on his home to exit a search warrant. According to authorities, Yetman fled by jumping over a fence. Yetman previously served in the New Jersey army national guard as a military police officer. He also mentioned he had previously spoken to "USA Today" saying he had been at the Capitol the day of the attacks, but he insisted that he did not commit a crime. In fact, that he was even interviewed by federal authorities and that everything had been sorted out the way the least had been resolved in his own words.

But here we are now just two days after the search was launched for him and authorities do have him in custody. Main question to answer still and we're working to track this down for folks, Omar, are the details of that. Warrants the authorities were trying to execute when Yetman fled.

JIMENEZ: We will see. I know you'll stay on top of it. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

Coming up for us, the latest on a violent ambush on two Florida police officers captured on video. Their status and more details on why the suspect targeted them, next.

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[09:47:22]

BOLDUAN: So there is some dramatic new footage coming in this morning of a violent and terrifying ambush of two Florida deputies. Police say that they were targeted by a man who was, quote determined to kill them.

We're going to play some of the video for you in a moment. Of course, at first I want to warn you that it is graphic. It is disturbing. It shows the deputies responding to a 911 call.

A man had left the scene, but then came back. And according to the sheriff, deliberately sped up his car and violently collided them with the deputies who were in you could consider the worst possible place standing just in front of their patrol car.

Now the audio of this clip has been removed because it's too disturbing. Let's watch this together.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

BOLDUAN: Now, CNN's Isabel Rosales has more on this for us. She's seen more of the videos. She's joining us now.

Isabel, can you walk us through what is known and not known about what happened and how are the deputies doing?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning. That video -- those videos, multiple videos are absolutely horrific. At last check here, these deputies were airlifted. There are two of them airlifted to Tampa General Hospital to undergo surgery to try to save their lives and their legs.

One of the deputies may actually lose his leg. That is according to Sheriff Chad Chronister of the Hillsboro County Sheriff's office who said that leg might have to be amputated.

So let me walk you through this. This happened in Brandon. This is about 10 miles east of Tampa. These deputies critically injured after responding to a 911 call by a man that the sheriff says, as you mentioned, determined to kill deputy sheriffs.

On Thursday, a woman, she called 911 indicating that she was in fear for her life of her son, who was behaving erratically. So deputies showed up to the scene there and tried to keep with Ralph Bouzy, who was in his car in the driver's seat, but said that Bouzy refused to speak to them, and then backed up off the driveway and drove off. But then he came back.

We're going to show you a closer look at this video. But first, another warning, this is extremely graphic. You see Bouzy coming back in his car, and rounding the cul-de-sac and then speeding up. One deputy actually jumps out of the way to avoid getting hit. There he goes.

He violently collides with Corporal Carlos Brito and Deputy Manuel Santos who were standing outside of the patrol car 10 feet away when they got hit.

[09:50:09] Here's the sheriff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA: These deputies never had a chance. They didn't have a chance to get out of the way. Our agency has been rocked today.

Fortunately, we won't be planning a funeral regardless of how intended and determined this suspect was to take a deputy's life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: Yeah, the sheriff, Chad Chronister, obviously, heartbroken and outraged by what has happened to his deputies.

I want to show you now a video of what happened after that crash, that collision, we can Bouzy getting out of his car and walking toward the deputies. They gave him multiple commands, according to the agency, but when he refused to comply with the commands, you see them using their Tasers there, and then they arrest him. Bouzy is facing three counts of attempted murder on a law enforcement officer.

Governor Ron DeSantis has also commented on this on X, saying, quote: We don't tolerate attacks on our law enforcement officers in Florida, and the coward who brutally attacked these deputies will be punished -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Isabel, thank you for going through that with also such delicacy, thank you.

Omar?

JIMENEZ: That is disturbing video.

Still ahead for us, how the newly announced tax brackets could start changing your paychecks starting in January.

And Secretary Blinken's strongest words yet, urging Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza. We're live in the region ahead.

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[09:55:32]

BOLDUAN: A bit of good news this morning. I know. You can't believe it is coming from me.

Starting in January, folks could see more money in their paychecks. This is linked to the IRS releasing new tax brackets to tamp down inflation.

Let's bring in CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich. She's got more details on this.

So, Vanessa, how much of a difference are people going to see with this?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS & POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It could be significant for a lot of Americans. Every year, the IRS readjusts the tax brackets, and they have widened all of them this year.

So, let's take an example if you were making $45,000 in 2023, your tax bracket was 22 percent. This year, because of the widening of the brackets, you are only going to be taxed at 12 percent. So that is significant savings for everyday Americans.

Now, one of the ways that people can also save is through deductions. You can deduct a certain amount that will not be counted against your income and you will not be taxed on that. So for married couples, that amount increases by $1,500, and for single taxpayers, it is $750, and head of the household it is up to $1,100 and those small amounts could push you into a lower tax bracket.

And then for folks who have children, if you qualify for the child tax bracket and if you have three or more children, it is increasing up to $7,830 up from $4,530. So a couple of hundred dollars to come back from the federal government.

Remember, this applies to income starting next year and going into effect when you file for your taxes in 2025, but something to look forward to. The IRS is clearly taking into account that people are paying more every single day and they want to make sure that we are all taking a little bit more home in our paychecks, so good news starting in 2024.

BOLDUAN: Let's leave it there for the moment, and just, we can all take it together.

It's great to see you. Thanks, Vanessa.

YURKEVICH: You, too. Thanks.

Omar?

JIMENEZ: Well, Kate, speaking of money. One week to avert a shutdown, and Congress is out today. What the senior Republicans are saying about a plan next.

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