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Trump's DHS Altered Intel Report; Escaped Inmate and Corrections Officer had Relationship; Svitlana Zalishchuk is Interviewed about Sanctions; Chappelle Attacked on Stage. Aired 9:30- 10a ET

Aired May 04, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:30:30]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: A damning new report from the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general. The watchdog found that former President Trump's DHS, led by his former appointee for acting secretary, appears to have deliberately downplayed Russian interference in the 2020 election. Why? Because it could make Trump look bad.

CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild following the story.

So, Whitney, what are we learning about what exactly was altered and why?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we're learning is this IG report addresses suspicions that my brilliant colleague, Zach Cohen, brought up in September of 2020 when he reported on a whistle-blower complaint. This IG report is a damning look at the way the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis dealt with intelligence related to Russia's interference in the U.S. election.

Remember, the U.S. intelligence community announced during the 2020 campaign that Russia was actively meddling in the election to weaken then candidate Joe Biden. At the time, Trump downplayed those findings and promoted false claims about Biden that aligned with Russia's disinformation efforts.

The watchdog found the DHS office deviated from standard procedures when handling some of these intelligence products. For example, the IG says then acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf participated in the review process multiple times, despite lacking any formal role in reviewing that product. That caused delays.

The IG also followed up on a July 2020 meeting, mentioned by a whistle-blower, who claimed Wolf had asked for an intelligence report to be held because it made the president look bad. According to the notes of the meeting obtained by the IG, one top official wrote, AS1 will hurt POTUS, kill it per his authorities. The official told the IG the notes meant that acting secretary -- the acting secretary had told him to hold that intelligence report because it would hurt the former president.

Wolf denied saying this, and added that he asked for the product to be improved because as written it simply wasn't valuable to the people who would be receiving and using that information. Those are the state and local partners on the ground who regularly used these intelligence products produced by DHS.

The bottom line here is that the IG believes those delays and disruptions put the office at risk of creating the perception that the office was being politicized, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean seems kind of obvious when you look at it. And, by the way, it fits a pattern of what we saw in 2016.

Whitney Wild, thanks very much.

WILD: You bet.

SCIUTTO: Authorities now say that a corrections officer had a, quote, special relationship, believed to be romantic, with the inmate -- an accused convicted murderer, by the way -- she's accused of helping escape an Alabama jail. Vicky White and Casey White, no relation, disappeared last week when she said she was taking him for a mental evaluation. There was no such appointment. Now a woman who testified against Casey White in 2015 has a warning for Vicky White.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FORMER VICTIM: Casey White is very dangerous. He's dangerous to everybody that is around him. If she is still alive, get the hell out. Run. Run. Run as far as you can and turn yourself in and contact somebody. Like, do the right thing before you lose your life or before somebody else does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: That's a stark warning.

CNN's Ryan Young is live in Alabama with the latest.

Ryan, do we know where the manhunt stands?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's the big question right now, Jim.

Look, I found like that sound bite so fascinating because when you think about this, this woman really saw terror in a different way. You think about Casey White being convicted and actually serving part of that 75 year sentence before being transferred to this other jail because he was facing capital murder charges.

One of the reasons why I'm standing in a parking lot, Jim, it's not just to stand here, it's because this is where the car was hidden, the getaway car. And they drove from that jail, which is about three miles away, took about eight minutes to get here, and that Ford Edge was parked here. She purchased that Ford Edge a few days beforehand. They had that car ready to go.

We believe it was some surveillance video in this area that gave police and the sheriff deputies that clue that they were switching to that car. And now they have said there may be extra weapons in the car as well.

But when you think about it, this has really turned this city upside down. People are saying that Vicky was the kind of person that you could trust, that you could count on. For 17 years she worked at that jail. And that facility there is still baffled by what happened here.

But when you see that video from the inside, her taking this man to the sally port, obviously there were things that were done very wrong in that situation.

[09:35:05]

You're talking about a murder suspect being moved by one person. That's not how things happen here. Usually, it's two deputies in a van. That mental health evaluation that you talked about, never scheduled. She also said she wasn't feeling well on that day and she was going to go to the doctor. That didn't happen as well.

But listen to the sheriff talk about this special relationship and some of the things they've been figuring out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF RICK SINGLETON, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, ALABAMA: She has occasionally transported, you know, inmates with lesser offenses. But this particular guy, and someone in there on these charges, no, that should have never happened, even if we had to delay getting him to court.

My message would be, Vicky, you've been in this business for 17 years. You've seen this scenario play out more than once. And you know how it always ends. Go ahead and end it now. You know, get -- get to a phone. Call 911. Turn yourself in and help us get Casey White back behind bars because you know that's where he's going to eventually end up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Jim, you've been at this long enough. You know sometimes when you're doing stories with law enforcement, they can be really closed off. This is not the case here. Everyone here is talking to us and giving us the information that, you know, we sort of need in terms of this investigation. They've been very forth coming.

One of the reasons why I feel like they are just sort of shell shocked about how this has played out so far.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And they probably want the public's help, right, in trying to track these -- track them down.

Ryan Young, good to have you on the story.

Still ahead, as Europe prepares a dramatic sixth round of sanctions against Russia, Russian forces continue relentlessly to bomb cities in Ukraine, including civilians. We're going to peak with a Ukrainian government adviser about the status of the war, next.

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[09:41:23]

SCIUTTO: This morning, the European Union is proposing a new round of stiff economic sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. These new sanctions include banning all oil imports from Russia by the end of this year, faster than they'd originally discussed, as well as cutting off Russia's biggest bank from the SWIFT international payments network. That has a big impact on banks and financial transactions.

The sixth round of sanctions would also hold individuals accountable for alleged war crimes in Bucha, as well as ban three more state-owned broadcasters from Russia from the airwaves in Europe.

Joining us now to discuss the war, the west response, Svitlana Zalishchuk, she's the foreign policy adviser to the Ukrainian deputy prime minister.

Thanks so much for joining us.

SVITLANA ZALISHCHUK, FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO UKRAINIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, this is a tactic we've seen before throughout this invasion and, in fact, prior to the invasion, to trying to squeeze Russia economically. And these are not insignificant sanctions. But Russia is leveling cities in Ukraine today, is attacking civilians today. Will sanctions that take effect over the course of the next eight months make a difference in Ukraine, in your view?

ZALISHCHUK: Sanctions are not enough. Sanctions have to be also worked together with military support, with financing support. But sanctions, if voted, this sixth package of the European Union, it will be a very huge blow on Russian economy.

Let's be honest, embargo on oil, it's -- I would use Russian (INAUDIBLE). It will be demilitarization of Russian economy.

Indeed, EU is dependent on Russian energy resources. But so is Russia dependent on its capacity to buy energy resources and to get its revenue. And oil revenues were the main wallet for the Russian economy. So, during the last two months, during this war month, they have been getting two -- 1 billion a month, a day for their energy resources.

So -- and oil revenues amounted to more than half of those revenues. So, without a doubt, when this embargo is imposed, the Russians will get less chances to finance the war against Ukraine. SCIUTTO: Is it fast enough, though? Because, as you say, I mean every

month they're getting virtually just as much money from energy exports as they got before the invasion. And they could turn that money into weapons.

ZALISHCHUK: You are absolutely right. We believe here in Ukraine that embargo and energy resources would have worked, immediate embargo would have worked as a red button, or if you want as a nuclear weapon in economic sphere against Russian ability to continue this war. But we also know that Europeans are not ready because for many years they have ignored, were reluctant to build its infrastructure independent from Russia, to diversify its roots, its supplies from elsewhere. However, Ukraine, for many years, have been informing our partners that Russians are using gas and oil as a weapon.

SCIUTTO: Yes. There were a lot of warnings in advance about that dependence.

The Ukraine military says that Russia's missile attacks, that we've seen more of in Lviv, as well in the west, intended in part to strike weapons supply lines and now Russian officials are speaking openly saying that they will attack NATO supply lines. Has Russia successfully struck those supply routes so far, or are they still open?

[09:45:04]

Is NATO able to get enough weapons to Ukrainian forces on the front lines?

ZALISHCHUK: I'll start answering your question with a little maybe personal kind of reminiscences.

You know, today is 4th of May, and it would have been 100 years anniversary of my grandmother. And her family suffered much during the World War II. She personally had been -- has been captured by Nazis and spent two years in labor camps and she left me a diary. And when I read that diary, I thought -- I had just one thought, it just impossible.

And today we live through those horrors, you know. And yesterday night, in Kyiv, there was a missile attack on Kyiv region but also on other seven regions in Ukraine. And six railway stations have been hit by Russian rockets. They are hunting, as you say, they are hunting after weapons that is coming from the west.

And I have to say that despite those attacks, yes, our railway (ph) infrastructure has been severely damaged, but we also have a capability, a capacity to mend it, to repair it pretty quickly. So they cannot destroy those routes. The weapon is coming.

And it feels like Russians really recognize that the west embrace the idea that Ukraine actually can win this war. And started to supply Ukrainians with all the needed heavy weapon. And I think they start panicking. That's why they increased escalated its attacks on the supply routes of the weapon closer to the front. SCIUTTO: We'll see if that continues, if those routes can stay open.

Svitlana Zalishchuk, thanks so much, and please be safe.

ZALISHCHUK: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, a shocking physical assault. Comedian Dave Chappelle attacked on stage right in the middle of a show. The moment an audience member rushed the stage carrying a knife, and the aftermath. We'll have that next.

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[09:51:47]

SCIUTTO: New this morning, police say comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage at the Hollywood Bowl last night by a man armed with a knife. This is video of the suspect being subdued by security after witnesses say he tackled -- he tackled Chappelle in the middle of the show. The LAPD says the 23-year-old was then arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Quite a moment.

CNN's senior entertainment reporter Lisa France joins me now with the latest.

This was scary. The guy got to him, tackled him, had a knife but Chappelle came back on stage. How did it all play out?

LISA FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Well, it wasn't funny but, of course, Chappelle made it funny. He made a joke about the incident. Also joking about having to add security to his home. One of the members of the audience tells us that there were other comedians there that were supporting him, like Jon Stewart and Jamie Foxx. They rushed to the aid. And Chris Rock, the audience member told us, even grabbed the mic and said, was that Will Smith? You know, making a joke, of course, about his own incident where he was slapped at the Academy Awards. And, of course, the audience roared.

But we're still waiting on Dave Chappelle to offer a formal comment about what happened. We just know that he was not injured and that he was able to poke fun at what had happened.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Glad he's safe. That was too close for comfort., certainly.

Lisa France, thanks so much.

FRANCE: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: The Houston Astros Dusty Baker has become the first black manager in MLB history to win 2,000 career games. He hit that milestone when the Astros defeated the Mariners last night. Baker is the only manager in MLB history to lead five different teams to the playoffs in the post season and to win division titles with five different clubs. Not a bad record. It was quite a moment for him. And still ahead for us, we go back live on the ground in Ukraine where

we have some news. Discouraging reports about blocked evacuation efforts from Mariupol. Civilian lives hanging in the balance, right as warnings of heavy fighting at the steel plant that became something of a haven for civilians there underway.

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[09:58:21]

SCIUTTO: The parents of the U.S. Marine veteran abducted in Syria say President Biden is offering support on efforts to bring their son home. Journalist Austin Tice, kidnapped near Damascus 10 years ago, 2012, while reporting on the Syrian civil war. His parents met with the president this week. They spoke with CNN on Tuesday and said they came away from that meeting feeling encouraged by U.S. efforts.

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DEBRA TICE, MOTHER OF AUSTIN TICE: We were astonished at how up to date he was on Austin's case and how committed he is to getting him home.

MARC TICE, FATHER OF AUSTIN TICE: And, you know, to me, that makes the potential for a real sea change because when the president is behind something, the rest of the system falls in step and makes things happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Ten years for that poor family and for Austin Tice.

Later this morning, the family members of Americans unlawfully detained in Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Venezuela and Rwanda will be protesting in front of the White House. We're going to speak to the family of two of those detained Americans, those held in Iran, just ahead.

And coming up at the top of the next hour, President Biden will address efforts to reduce the deficit, as well as give remarks on the broader U.S. economy from the White House. That will be 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The president will also tout new Treasury Department estimates that it says will, quote, pay down the national debt this quarter for the first time since 2016. We're going to bring you those remarks from the president live on CNN.

Good morning to you.

We have breaking news this hour.

I'm Jim Sciutto.

[10:00:00] The news out of Ukraine. A source close to the Mariupol evacuation effort tells CNN that 50 buses taken there ended up being left empty. Not used.