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McCarthy: Rep. Santos Facing Ethics Complaints, House Investigators Haven't Convened Yet; 2022 Intel Report Mentioned Sighting Of Chinese Surveillance Balloon In Hawaii & Florida During Trump Presidency; Jury Hears Evidence Of Murdaugh's Alleged Financial Crimes; Massive Security Preps Underway For Super Bowl. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired February 07, 2023 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:30:28]
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says that George Santos is facing ethic complaints, but an investigative panel has not yet convened.
In just the past week, Santos has faced allegations of sexual harassment and renewed questions about his campaign finances. Those are just a few.
You know, the list of the concerns that are prompting some of Santos' constituents to confront him in person today. A literal busload of New York District 3 voters are traveling to Capitol Hill to call for his resignation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICIA CAOZZO, NEW YORK DISTRICT 3 VOTER: I'm here as a singular individual who is outraged to be represented by George Santos.
BEN MARZOUK, NEW YOUR DISTRICT 3 VOTER: I happen to be a Republican. That's why I'm disappointed in the Republicans, especially McCarthy, who stands by this guy, literally and figuratively, with somebody who has embarrassed this District 3 and is just going to be ineffective for the next two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Just a little while ago, Santos said he would welcome those voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. GEORGE SANTOS (R-NY): I look forward to welcoming them and having a thoughtful discussion for them.
(CROSSTALK)
SANTOS: That's their freedom of speech. And I'll entertain a conversation with them every single day. I represent them all equally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Kara Scannell is following this story for us.
We'll see how he greets the voters when they come with their questions.
From your reporting, what could the Ethics Committee be investigating right now? There's a long list of potential topics.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. To go through the whole list would take half this time.
BLACKWELL: At least to 3:00.
(LAUGHTER)
GOLODRYGA: Four.
SCANNELL: A lot of them are his biography and what he's said about that that has been proven false and fallen apart.
The other big piece of this is the financial filings that have been made to the FEC. You have a number of complaints brought against him as well as a criminal investigation.
It all will come down to, were these statements false that were made and, you know, what is actually behind them?
One of the things that's jumped out to people are a series of these entries, these disbursements to vendors for $199.99. One penny shy of what would be required to file receipts and other materials with the FEC.
Now interestingly, for Santos, the volume here is very big. He also had a number that went to anonymous vendors.
What me and my colleagues had done by looking into these filings, found that Lee Zeldin, when he was a congressman, also had 21 $199.99 filings to anonymous venders on one day.
The one thing they had in common is the same treasurer. So there's a lot of questions.
Santos is trying to distance himself from this, saying he had nothing to do with the FEC complaints.
This treasurer, Nancy Marks, resigned at the end of last month. So there's some rift here, which makes it interesting from an investigative perspective. What is going on? Are they not on the same page?
She is interesting. She's been in campaign finance for a long time. She's worked with Zeldin. She worked for Santos. And this Santos work put her under the spotlight. We reached out to her multiple times. She has not responded for
comment.
Santos' attorneys declined to comment, citing all of these ongoing investigations.
BLACKWELL: Very interesting common denominator there.
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: Kara Scannell, thank you.
[14:34:03]
GOLODRYGA: In the Alex Murdaugh first-degree murderer trial, the disgraced lawyers alleged financial crimes are taking center stage as the prosecution tries to carve out a motive. We're live outside the courthouse.
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GOLODRYGA: Efforts to recover fragments from that suspected Chinese spy balloon continue off the South Carolina coast. These are new pictures show the rush to collect debris after it was shot down on Saturday.
China says what's left of the balloon and its payload now belongs to them and not the United States.
BLACKWELL: Give us out balloon back.
On Capitol Hill, staff members for the so-called Gang of Eight, congressional leaders there, were briefed on the balloon by U.S. intelligence officials. And the lawmakers expect to get their own briefing tomorrow.
House Republicans are considering a symbolic resolution of condemning China but are likely to steer clear of attacking President Biden directly.
CNN's Natasha Bertrand joins us now.
What are you learning about this balloon?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Victor, interestingly, my colleague, Zach Cohen, obtained a military intelligence report outlining details about these kinds of balloons.
Not this balloon exactly, because that one was shot down on Saturday. And we're waiting to see what intel officials and military officials can glean from the wreckage there.
In terms of what the administration and the U.S., writ large, knows about these balloons, an Air Force report from 2022 lays it out really well. It says, over the last several years, China deployed multiple balloons across the world that can fly as high as 328,000 feet. [14:40:00]
It's circumnavigated the globe in 2019, a specific balloon the Air Force report covered, and went over Hawaii and Florida undetected by the Trump administration at the time.
This raises questions about the United States' ability to track these balloons over the United States.
We heard from the commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM yesterday who told us that there was a "domain awareness gap" in what the U.S. has been able to detect in terms of where these balloons actually are.
That's why this balloon in particular that we saw travel over Montana last week went undetected by the U.S. before, of course, it was traveling into U.S. airspace. This was a report that was sent to Congress.
We know now that the administration has been aware of these balloons for quite some time -- guys?
GOLODRYGA: All right, Natasha Bertrand, thank you.
For more on this, CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton, and Sheena Chestnut Greitens, the director of the Asia Policy Program at the University of Texas, Austin.
Sheena, let me start with you because I'm trying to figure out why China sent these balloons in the first place, especially given the timing and knowing that Xi and President Biden were hoping to stabilize relations between the two countries.
SHEENA CHESTNUT GREITENS, DIRECTOR, ASIA POLICY PROGRAM, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN: That's a great question. That raises some troubling questions about the decision-making process on the Chinese side.
This is a sensitive time in the U.S./China relations. The two leaders said they wanted to stabilize things a little bit. Either this was a sensitive operation authorized by Xi Jinping or it is a global operation that was not authorized.
There have been instances where the Chinese military or other actors have undertaken sensitive operations without the knowledge of key leaders.
But Xi Jinping has tried to fix a lot of those coordination problems with the Central National Security Commission. Either those efforts have not worked, or this indicates more risk acceptance on the part of the Chinese leadership than we thought.
As the Chinese is trying to put blame on to the United States, this has not helped the bilateral relationship. but it's been a problem for the broader global narrative that China has tried to portray.
GOLODRYGA: And one could argue an embarrassment for China and Xi at home even though they are not portraying it that way. Colonel, as we heard, something that is troubling, that this is not
the first time the balloons have been traveling through the United States. As we now know, in the Trump administration they went undetected.
The NORAD head and commander said he attributed it to the domain awareness gap. How worrisome is that.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's very worrisome, because the key thing that really is in that word, domain awareness gap, is that we didn't see it or detect it.
That fact is a key indicator that we have a lot to do in order to fill that gap. So, whether it's radar coverage, intelligence coverage, a combination of both of those, those are the kinds of things that actually need to be put together where you have a complete picture of the airspace from the ground level all the way up to outer space.
That's what was missing here. We didn't think the Chinese would be using balloons to this -- for this purpose. And the fact is, of course, they are using them. They gave us indications that they were doing it and we should have followed up on that.
GOLODRYGA: There's also one flying over Latin America as we speak.
Sheena, given all of that, do you think it was right -- I know there was pressure from Republicans and Democrats for President Biden to respond, and respond he did, by canceling Tony Blinken's trip to China.
Do you think that was the appropriate response, not canceling it but postponing it?
GREITENS: I think, just in a practical level, as long as that balloon was in the air over the United States, it would have been difficult for Blinken and his team to get a lot accomplished.
The balloon would have overshadowed and made any progress on the trip very, very difficult. You know, this was a sensitive operation that took place right on the eve of a major visit.
I think postponing certainly while the United States gets more information and tries to figure out both the gaps on our own side, and as you were discussing a moment ago, but also more about what the Chinese decision-making process is that led to these balloon flights is an appropriate step.
GOLODRYGA: Colonel, if I could get you to weigh in on the U.S. military notifying Congress that China has more land-based intercontinental range missile launchers than the United States.
We should note that the United States has more nuclear-tipped missiles, but the Chinese are expected to develop more over the coming years.
[14:45:00} What should the U.S. do in response to that?
LEIGHTON: I think what we're looking at here is the way things have played out. There is no arms control treaty in place. So there's really no nuclear arms control treaty like SALT1 and SALT2 we had with Russia and the Soviet Union. There's nothing like that with the People's Republic of China.
So, what you're seeing here is, in essence, an arms race that the Chinese are running without us playing in it, although we are the ones they're competing against.
GOLODRYGA: We're likely to hear more from the president on U.S./China relations in his State of the Union address as well.
Colonel Cedric Leighton and Sheena Chestnut Greitens, thank you for your time.
BLACKWELL: In Syria and Turkey, more than 7,000 people are dead, tens of thousands have been injured, and an unknown number of those still unaccounted for. Details on the precarious rescue mission for people still trapped after the earthquake.
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[14:50:25]
GOLODRYGA: Today, in the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, the jury heard testimony from the CFO of Murdaugh's former law practice about his alleged financial crimes. Prosecutors say they explain the motive for him allegedly killing his wife and son.
BLACKWELL: CNN's Randi Kaye is right outside that courthouse.
Randi, get us up to speed.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor and Bianna, this is what's happening so far. Jeanne Seckinger, who is the CFO of Alex Murdaugh's former law firm, has been there on the stand for hours today.
She's really there to help the state prove what they say is the motive that Alex Murdaugh had for his wife and son, that he was trying to distract from these alleged financial crimes and prevent them from being exposed.
She and the prosecutor took the jury through the dozens of cases they say Alex Murdaugh worked on. And she told the jury that he stole millions of dollars from his clients, going back as far as 2013. Many of these were car accident victims who really needed this money.
She talked about how she confronted Alex Murdaugh on the day of the murders.
Here's what she told the jury about that, and also how the defense pushed back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE SECKINGER, WITNESS: He was standing outside of his office, leaning on a file cabinet, and he looked at me with a pretty dirty look, one I'd not seen before, and said, what do you need now? Clearly disgusted with me, which kind of raised my hackles.
So I said, let's go in my office and talk about it. When we went in his office, I said, I have reason to believe that you received the fairest (ph) money directly to you and you need to prove to me that you did not. He assured me again that the money was in there.
UNIDENTIFIED ATTORNEY: But your mind didn't go to, gosh, I bet he killed his wife and son because I asked him about the thing, right?
SECKINGER: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE: Now on the day of the murders, she says she confronted him about the missing attorney's fees totaling near $800,000. That was a pretty big deal.
But the way it worked, the prosecution says, is that he would take money and put it into this fake account that he set up, so when he would get the settlement money, he could put it in his own name and send it to this fake account that he had set up for himself.
So we will see what happens this afternoon. She is done testifying for the day. We'll see where it goes from here -- Victor?
BLACKWELL: Randi Kaye for us there in Walterboro, South Carolina. Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Could a fungal pandemic threaten humanity? We'll examine the science behind the real live fungi that inspired the HBO series "The Last of Us."
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[14:57:33]
BLACKWELL: Super Bowl LVII is this Sunday in Phoenix. There's a massive security plan. More than 800 local, state, and federal officials involved. Also includes sophisticated cybertechnology and drones. FBI officials say right now there are no credible threats.
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ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We have a very important message to communicate. It is a message that we are grateful to the NFL for amplifying. And it is a message of vigilance. If you see something, say something. We all have to be alert to a potential threat to make sure that it does not materialize.
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BLACKWELL: Now for the game, Philadelphia Eagles/Kansas City Chiefs. The players spoke with the media today.
CNN sports anchor, Coy Wire, is in Phoenix.
What are you hearing, Coy?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, Victor. I'm hearing excitement in voices. Even disbelief from some players that they actually made it to the Super Bowl.
Some of the greatest players of all-time have never played in one. Hall of Famers, Eric Dickerson, LaDainian Tomlinson, all more than a decade in the league, and no Super Bowl appearance.
So many of the players that have made it though, Victor and Bianna, the most remarkable journeys.
One player will be tough to miss on Sunday. The 6'8", and 365-pound Eagles offensive lineman, Jordan Mailata, paving the way for Jalen Hurts.
He grew up in Australia, and his dream was to play in a rugby league down under, and he struggled to make it. Took all sorts of side jobs to support himself and he was told he didn't fit the mold.
He took his talent 10,000 miles to the U.S. And gets an opportunity with the Eagles and he's in the Super Bowl.
He told me all about these tough days early on. Listen.
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JORDAN MALATA, EGALES OFFENISVE LINEMAN: I was a scaffolder, stage builder, demolition expert, and junior -- I wouldn't even call myself a junior carpenter. I was just there helping the actual carpenter do his job. I was, like, cool. You want me to pick this up?
I think the hardest part was just waking up at 4:30. That was the hardest part. The hardest part is always waking up. Once you're on the job, you just got to be where your feet are at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Those feet need size 18 shoes.
[14:59:48]
And Jordan the giant said the toughest part was not seeing his family while he was away from home from this train and trial tracks in the rugby just worth $4,000 to being told he wasn't good enough.
And now a $60 million plus- contract extension. Playing in the Super Bowl. He's a great example, Victor and Bianna, of betting on yourself as many of these players have.
