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Michelle Knight Relives Incredible Rescue; Schools Reportedly Denying Admission; Sherman Speaks Out on NBA Ban of Sterling

Aired May 08, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, AC360 (on camera): When I saw you in court that day at the sentencing, I was blown away. Were you determined to do that?

MICHELLE KNIGHT, ARIEL CASTRO'S VICTIM: Yes. It was important to me to express how I felt about what he did and how he did it and let the judge know that he needed to be punished for what he did.

COOPER (voice over): The man who had held her for nearly 11 years was indicted on 977 counts and sentenced to life plus 1,000 years. Just a month into that sentence, however, he was found hanged in his jail cell.

KNIGHT: I understand why he did it. He couldn't face what he did with his head held high. He had to face it like a coward because he was ashamed and embarrassed at what he'd done. And he didn't want what he did to us to happen to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: She's just incredible. Knight says that right now she's focused on starting over. She's changed her name to Lilly, which is her favorite flower and she's gone back to school. She hopes one day to open up her own restaurant.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the woman heard on the audiotape with Donald Sterling is reportedly being investigated for allegedly blackmailing him. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

This just in to CNN -- we've been waiting quite some time to hear from the man himself, and I'm talking about Donald Sterling. He has responded to racist remarks made in the privacy of his own home to RadarOnline. Now I must tell you we don't know who Sterling is talking to or the circumstances surrounding this tape, but it is interesting to listen to. So here it is.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP) DONALD STERLING, LA CLIPPERS OWNER: You think I'm a racist? You think I have anything in the world but love for everybody? You don't think that. You know I'm not a racist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know I got -- what I mean when I heard --

STERLING: I can't hear you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about when I hear that tape, though? That tape I heard?

STERLING: I grew up in east L.A. East L.A. is dying to get out of there. I got out of east L.A. I was the president of the high school there. I mean and I'm a Jew and 50 percent of the people there were blacks and 40 percent were Hispanic. You been to Boyle Heights?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I've been to Boyle Heights.

STERLING: So I mean people must have a good feeling for me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you talk to Griffin or anybody yet? Did you talk to anybody?

STERLING: I didn't talk to anybody. I'm in my house in Beverly Hills.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

STERLING: I mean, how could you think I'm a racist, knowing me all these years? How could you be in this business and be a racist? Do you think I tell the coach to get white players or to get the best player he can get?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best player he can get.

STERLING: I mean, you -- I don't expect anything from anybody, but I do from you. I mean -- it breaks my heart that Magic Johnson, you know, a guy -- a guy that I respect so much wouldn't stand up and say, well, let's get the facts. Let's get him and talk to him. Nobody tried. Nobody. I'm here on Beverly Drive and Sunset across from the Beverly Hills Hotel, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're going to -- they're probably trying to force you to sell. That's the thing.

STERLING: They don't -- you can't force someone to sell property in America. Well, I'm a lawyer. That's my opinion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that well no I'm just saying, I think they've got Sean Combs, Diddy, he's the one that's seeking to buy, him and Oprah.

STERLING: Who?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Diddy, Sean Combs and -- and Oprah are the ones trying to -- (END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. That's Donald Sterling talking to RadarOnline. Don't know exactly who he was talking to, but it was interesting, right? Because you heard him clearly say that he's not going to sit back and let somebody force him to sell his team. That was very clear to me and it was also interesting that he didn't know who Oprah was.

Jason Carroll is with me and also Darren Kavinoky he's the creator and host of "Deadly Sins" and on the Investigation Discovery Network. Welcome to both of you.

OK so I guess Darren, I'll start with you because you can speak freely. As you listened to this, what went through your mind?

DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: That he seems a little bit detached, and I don't know if he is two full scoops of crazy, in the clinical sense or if he's just somehow not getting it. But here's what's interesting. He mentions that in America, you can't be forced to sell your property and he may actually find support for that proposition, Carol.

I mean look, Donald Sterling, in my estimation, is an idiot, but I will defend idiocy not because I love idiocy, but because I love freedom. And there may be people who align with the point of view that, look, these are his privately expressed views in the privacy of his own home, illegally leaked and that he may find backers just because of that.

COSTELLO: All right, so I'm going to go to Jason Carroll now who will give us a more measured response. So Donald Sterling clearly does not think he's a racist. You know the area where he grew up. You're from California, right?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: East L.A., for those who are unfamiliar with it, east L.A. is I would say predominantly Latino at this point. Perhaps when he grew up there, it was predominantly Latino -- split between Latinos and blacks.

But clearly, you know, he's got some explaining to do. I mean, because in one sense, you have him saying don't bring blacks to my games. If that cannot be interpreted as a racist comment, then I don't know what could be. But he's telling this man, whoever this person is, how can I be a racist when I grew up in Boyle Heights? It sort of reminds me of people who say, well, you know, some of my best friends are black. How can I possibly be a racist? He has some explaining to do. I do think what's --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: Well, he kind of sort of said that, Darren, right? Because he said I hire African-Americans. I pay them really well. Why would I hire and make these people part of my business if I didn't love them?

KAVINOKY: Right. Well, but the logic doesn't hold up and history doesn't support that proposition. And by the way, this is yet another thing that may be a thorn in the NBA's side that now there's this notion from Adam Silver that oh, goodness, we've just learned of his racist views.

There have been lawsuits both relating to basketball operations and also relating to his private real estate dealings that suggest that everybody knew and certainly the NBA knew for a long time that he held these views. And it's ridiculous to think that just because he grew up in a particular area of Los Angeles amongst a certain population that therefore he's not a racist. I don't think anybody's going to be buying that, Carol.

COSTELLO: The curious thing, Jason, is he decided -- now, we don't know who he's talking to at Radar Online.

CARROLL: Right.

COSTELLO: We don't know if that interview, too, was taped by someone else and they gave it to RadarOnline, which it could have been for all I know at this point.

Carroll: Right.

COSTELLO: But what a strange forum.

CARROLL: And you know, very odd. And what's interesting to me, though too is his quote where he says you can't force someone to sell property in America. Clearly that means the NBA is in for a fight.

But also remember, if he did what -- what we are hearing, which is that, you know, he signed off on you know in this contract where basically it says if you bring shame or, you know, disgrace in some way to the NBA, we can take action against you. I mean, this is a man who used to be an attorney. He, more than anyone else, will know that if you do something that does bring shame upon the NBA, the NBA is going to -- is going to fight you for it.

COSTELLO: Yes but Darren he has an out because it seems like his wife, Shelly Sterling is positioning herself right to buy the team and become the sole owner. So it remains in the family.

KAVINOKY: Well yes but this adds a whole other layer of complexity and it's so interesting because Shelly Sterling has made some very public statements where she's held herself out as an owner. These statements that owners would make concerning team policies and so forth.

CARROLL: Yes.

KAVINOKY: But -- but there's a misalignment between what she's saying publicly perhaps through a publicist and what she's saying privately. You know, publicly, she's saying that he's a racist and I support the NBA's action against racism. And then privately, if you'll remember, Carol, when a paparazzi was in her face as she's leaving a restaurant and she's saying oh, he's no racist. So there's this fundamental misalignment and fundamental distrust. And I don't think the NBA is going to sit by and allow that to happen, but it does add a whole other layer of legal complexity about the ownership because it is held in a family trust and what could be a huge hand grenade in the garden, of course, is if there's a divorce filing which then makes the family trust under the jurisdiction of the California family courts.

I mean this is not going anywhere any time soon.

COSTELLO: Well, I don't think that will happen any time soon either. I mean, this woman has stuck by him through many, many controversies, let's just put it that way. And a lot of women, right?

So the other interesting thing out there is V. Stiviano, the woman that started it all, is now being investigated criminally for blackmailing the Sterlings. And tell us more about that, Jason.

CARROLL: Well, look. The L.A. District Attorney would not comment on whether or not they are looking into these allegations that she tried to extort money from Donald Sterling for keeping quiet about these tapes. Sterling's representatives, one of whom I spoke to yesterday on the phone, says this is not true, saying that there is no way in the world that, you know, that she tried to -- she tried to give up the tapes or hold on to the tapes in exchange for money.

Basically saying that this is a man who had given her gifts in the past, willingly gave her gifts in the past, and this is just another attempt to shift attention away from him to her.

COSTELLO: Although Donald Sterling gave an interview to some newspaper, some smaller newspaper, and I'll pose this question to you, Darren. And he said -- there I am -- he said -- he said "I should have paid her off. Why didn't I pay her off?" Which sounds to me like he could be hinting that she really was trying to blackmail him.

KAVINOKY: That's right. The quote that I should have paid her off suggests that he had the opportunity to pay her off. And had he paid her off, he wouldn't be in the mess that he now finds himself in. And of course, extortion, under California law, basically means gaining property in exchange for your silence.

And -- and so clearly she would meet this definition of extortion if she's saying, look, I'll be hush-hush about this if you give me this money. And I'm sure in 20-20 hindsight now since Donald Sterling clearly views all matters in life through this business set of lenses, if he could have paid her anything shy of the $2.5 million check he's got a right to the NBA, it would have been a better business deal for him.

COSTELLO: It's so ugly.

KAVINOKY: But this could be a big mess for her.

COSTELLO: All right. I got to end it there, but it's been a fascinating conversation. Jason Carroll, Darren Kavinoky, thanks to both of you. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The Obama administration is reminding school districts nationwide that they have to educate all students, even those who cannot prove U.S. citizenship. Officials held a conference call with reporters on the issue just moments ago. Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan also outlined the requirements in a letter to educators. This after reports of some districts denying children admission to public schools.

CNN's Evan Perez is in Washington with more on this. Good morning.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

You know, this is an issue that, you know, could well have some political blowback for the administration. There are many states, for example, Alabama that have passed laws to try to limit public schools to legal residents and citizens. And the courts have blocked the Alabama law. But on this call just a moment ago, officials said that they're still getting reports of undocumented kids being pulled out of schools because of paperwork requirements.

The Supreme Court has said that kids have a right to public education, even if they're undocumented or their parents are not in the country legally. There are about a million undocumented kids in the U.S. according to the Homeland Security Department -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So how widespread is this problem?

PEREZ: Well, the education department just said that they have about 17 complaints over the past three years of schools asking for driver's license from parents or other paperwork requirements. The department -- the justice department says that it's made legal agreements with school districts in Henry County, Georgia, and Palm Beach County, Florida, in the last couple of years.

But they say that there have been problems in places from Texas to Washington, D.C. And they say most of these problems have been unintentional. Basically schools trying to verify that the students actually live in the districts or their age, Carol. So it's not necessarily something that they're trying to keep the kids out.

COSTELLO: Evan Perez reporting live from Washington, thank you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, you know star NFL cornerback Richard Sherman doesn't hold back with his remarks. Now he's talking about the Donald Sterling scandal.

Andy Scholes is here to tell us more.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Hey Carol, you know, Sherman says things would be very different for Donald Sterling if he was an NFL owner. We'll tell you exactly what Sherman said and what the Washington Redskins have to do with all of this after the break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Rumors are swirling about a possible return to the "Today" show for Katie Couric. Here's what she told Bill Weir on "CNN TONIGHT".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATIE COURIC, TALK SHOW HOST: The dirty little secret is I never got up that early. I got up at, like, 5:30. And they'd be, like, uh, is she coming in today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you ever go back?

COURIC: I don't think so. No, no. No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Earlier this week, Couric was said to be in talks to fill in for "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie when she goes on maternity leave. We'll see.

Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman has an interesting take on the NBA banning Donald Sterling for life for racist comments. Sherman tells "Time" Sterling would not get the same punishment in the NFL. Really, Andy Scholes?

SCHOLES: You know, that's right, Carol. We all know Richard Sherman is not shy when it comes to speaking his mind. In that interview with "Time Magazine" he was asked if an NFL owner made comments similar to Sterling, would Roger Goodell ban them for life? And this was Sherman's response.

He said, "No, I don't because we have an NFL team called the Redskins. I don't think the NFL really is as concerned as they show. The NFL is more of a bottom-line league. If it doesn't affect their bottom line, they're not as concerned."

That's a very interesting take Carol because along with the player outrage, you know, a big reason the NBA banned Sterling and is trying to force him to sell the team was basically because all the sponsors started pulling out and the financial backlash the league will have to deal with. Sherman did add in his "Time Magazine" interview that he hopes what is happening with the NBA right now will help bring the Redskins' name debate back to the forefront, but he's not very optimistic about it.

COSTELLO: Yes, Andy. And didn't Redskins owner, Daniel Snyder say the team name was just not an issue?

SCHOLES: He did. And he told the A.P. just last month, he understands the issues facing Native Americans. And the Redskins' name, not one of them. This is what he said, basically they have real-life issues, real-life needs and people should start focusing on reality. And you know, Carol, Snyder is on record saying he will never change the team name, never. He told someone to put that in all caps once.

COSTELLO: Wow. Andy Scholes, thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

And you thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. I'm John Berman.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: And I'm Michaela Pereira.

We are going to begin with brand new audio we want to play for you that purports to be the voice of banished L.A. Clippers owner, Donald Sterling talking on a phone to an unknown speaker. This all comes from radaronline.com.

BERMAN: So we hear a male voice. It's said to be Sterling. To us it sounds like the voice from the previous recording that we heard.