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Michigan AG Says She was Target of Plot to Kill Jewish Government Officials; Man Arrested, Accused of Trying to Bring Explosives on Flight; Severe Turbulence Injures Several Passengers on Flight Out of Texas; Defense on the Alex Murdaugh to Lay Out Closing Argument; Paul Ryan Defends Decision to Stay on FOX Board of Directors. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 02, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:53]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Thursday morning. I'm Erica Hill.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

We are following breaking news this morning out of Michigan. CNN learning disturbing details about a plot aimed at killing Jewish elected officials in that state. Among those targeted the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. We're going to break down the details of that plot, coming up.

Plus today a Pennsylvania man is expected in court this after investigators say he hid explosives inside his luggage on a flight destined for Orlando. Federal agents arrested him after he fled the airport. The latest on that case and the growing scrutiny facing the aviation industry.

HILL: Plus Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting face-to-face with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago. Details from that conversation which has happened on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. We're going to bring that to you.

But we do want to begin with this breaking news out of Michigan. At this hour the state's attorney general confirming she was one of the targets in a plot to kill Jewish elected officials in that state.

SCIUTTO: CNN's Polo Sandoval and CNN chief law enforcement intelligence analyst John Miller joining us now.

Polo, first tell us the details of the plot as we know them.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim and Erica, I did reach out to AG Nessel's office this morning. They responded saying that she will not be commenting further beyond what she already has shared on social media earlier this morning when she wrote on Twitter that the bureau had, quote, "informed," at least confirmed, "I was a target of a heavily armed defendant in this matter."

The attorney general then writes, "It is my sincere hope that the federal authorities take this offense just as seriously as my hate crimes and domestic terrorism unit takes plots to murder elected officials. AG Nessel referring to Jack Eugene Carpenter, a Tipton, Michigan, man who federal agents say took to Twitter on February 17th to issue a death threat to Jewish officials or rather to Michigan state officials, and specifically writing that he was, quote, "heading back to Michigan now," threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is Jewish in the Michigan government if they don't leave or confess.

Now we should mention that the next day the FBI working with Michigan state police then were able to track him down to Michigan. His mother telling investigators that he potentially had possession of three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun, and at least two hunting rifles. His mother also providing Carpenter's cell phone. And with that is how investigators were able to track him down to the Fort Worth, Texas, area.

Carpenter is still scheduled for an upcoming hearing. We are still trying to reach out to investigators to try to find out if he actually had possession of these weapons. But certainly extremely concerning for officials there in Michigan in light of the kidnapping attempt that was foiled against Michigan's own governor.

HILL: Understandably concerning given, as you point out, Polo, what has already happened in that state.

Also, John, when we look at this incredibly significant rise in antisemitism in this country. I'm just looking quickly, it's the stats here from the ADL. 2021 was the highest year on record for documented reports of harassment, vandalism, and violence directed against Jews. And they say it's part of a consistent five-year upswing in the number of antisemitic incidents.

How is this figuring into the way investigators, the way law enforcement is tracking and looking out for plots like this?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, I mean, you look at a threat like this, and you know, you can argue, well, people post things on social media, it could be an empty threat. But, you know, it's a clear violation of Title 18, Section 875, which is making threats through interstate commerce, in this case social media. But you also look at, is it a serious threat? Does the person have the ability to carry it out?

Here you have an individual who has declared his own property in Michigan a sovereign state that doesn't recognize the U.S. government, has numerous weapons and is claiming he's going back home to shoot people. So he certainly has the capability to carry out. But you also have to look at that climate. I mean, on February 3rd, in San Francisco, an individual opens fire with a gun shooting blanks screaming antisemitic statements in a synagogue in San Francisco.

[09:05:06]

On February 17th, you had two Jewish men leaving different synagogues in west L.A. who were shot by an individual who drove all the way from the Palm Springs area to target Jews. And you know you have this atmosphere of these echo chambers online fermenting this.

HILL: Yes, we certainly do. It is disturbing and it is important that we continue to stay on this story.

John, Polo, appreciate it. Thank you both.

A man accused of putting explosives into a checked bag for a flight from Pennsylvania to Florida set to appear in court later this afternoon.

SCIUTTO: Marc Muffley, the suspect pictured there, was arrested after his suitcase triggered an alarm at Lehigh Valley International Airport earlier this week. Court documents say TSA officers then found those explosives hidden in the lining of his luggage.

CNN's Danny Freeman, he's in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Danny, I wonder what more do we know about the suspect? If you're hiding it in the lining, right, I mean, you're deliberately trying to sneak this past. What kind of explosives?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, Erica, these are all the questions that of course FBI investigators are working through now. Why exactly these explosives were in that suitcase. But I'll tell you a little bit about what we do know about Marc Muffley, as you mentioned. 40 years old, he's from Lansford, Pennsylvania. That's about an hour northwest of here, give or take or so from where we are here at the Lehigh Valley International Airport.

And the FBI says of course as you mentioned that he was the one who had those explosives allegedly in his suitcase and he tried to check them into the airport right here to board a flight to Orlando back on Monday. But as you know, that suitcase did not get very far.

I'm going to tell you specifically what the TSA and an FBI bomb technician found inside there. They've found not only powder, consistent with, quote, "commercial grade" fireworks. They found a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with some white residue on it, a wireless drill, and two outlets taped together. And at that point federal agents said that this was a significant risk to the aircraft and to passengers.

Now once the TSA found this bag, they looked at the luggage and the luggage had a luggage tag on it with Mr. Muffley's name. They then paged for him over the airport PA system. At that point Mr. Muffley was seen on security camera turning around and leaving the airport. But later that evening the FBI was able to track him down to his home in Lansford and arrest him without incident is what we're told.

Now he is currently facing two federal charges first for possessing an explosive in an airport and then for attempting to place an explosive on a plane. We've reached out to his public defender who we've not yet heard back but he is due in court this afternoon at 1:30, in Allentown, at that federal district court, and hopefully we'll get some more answers to some of those questions they were asking initially -- Jim, Erica. HILL: All right. Danny, appreciate it, thank you.

More trouble in the skies to tell you about. A scary moment aboard a Spirit Airlines flight. A battery caught fire in an overhead bin. Passengers telling CNN, when they opened that bin, the entire backpack was on fire. You can see here. Smoke in the cabin as they'd actually filled the cabin pretty quickly.

SCIUTTO: So who came to the rescue? A retired New York firefighter jumped into action to extinguish the flames. The flight from Dallas, Fort Worth, was destined for Orlando, diverted, landed safely in Jacksonville, Florida. The FAA is investigating that incident.

And severe turbulence on a Lufthansa flight heading from Texas to Germany overnight. It injured several people, forced the plane to land at Dulles Airport in Virginia. This video shows the aftermath. Goodness. It happened about 90 minutes after takeoff. One passenger told CNN, quote, "It was like unexpectedly free falling for five seconds off the top of the roller coaster, plates and glass were at the ceiling."

CNN's Pete Muntean joins us now.

Pete, at least seven people have been taken to the hospital. I mean, we should note that these incidents are rare on airlines. When we do hear about them, they're understandably scary because if you're in the middle of one it wouldn't be pleasant. But tell us what we're hearing from officials and the airline.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're rate, Jim, but the NTSB says it is the most common type of incident on board commercial airliners. I just spoke to NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy. She says the agency will announce by the end of the day whether or not it is investigating this incident on German flight carrier Lufthansa Flight 469, Austin to Frankfurt, around Memphis, Tennessee, last night, around 8:00 p.m. East Coast Time.

The plane at 37,000 feet went through the severe and unexpected turbulence. The FAA says it's investigating now. But the big question here is that whether or not this was clear air turbulence, which is a big risk to pilots because it is something they cannot see visibly. Just look at the damage on board there. Want to put this in perspective for you. This was an Airbus A-330. That type of airplane weighs about 200 tons when it is fully loaded. So this was incredible force on this plane causing all of that debris to be thrown around the cabin.

[09:10:03]

We know there are some reports that some crew members were hurt, that some passengers were seriously injured. Also that the plates from the glassware -- from food service went up to the ceiling at one point.

When this flight diverted to Dulles, just outside of D.C. in Virginia, first responders met the plane at the gate. And I want you to read now the statement from Lufthansa, the airline involved here, which says this was so-called clear air turbulence which can occur without visible weather phenomena or advance warning. The cockpit crew decided to make an alternate landing at Washington Dulles after flying through the turbulence. Lufthansa regrets the inconvenience this cased to passengers."

This is not all that dissimilar, Jim and Erica, to an incident on a Hawaiian Airlines flight back in January when passengers were hurt on board that flight when it went through severe turbulence. Just underscores all of the reasons why you should wear your seatbelt on board a commercial airliner even if the seatbelt sign is off. It's not only a big risk to you, it's also a big risk to the cabin crew. They are often the ones hurt in incidents like this.

SCIUTTO: Yes, that is one of those things where all of us a little bit annoyed by it at times, right, easy to get comfortable on your seat but when you see incidents like that, you see the reason.

Pete Muntean, thanks so much.

We are about 20 minutes away from the defense's closing arguments in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial. The final piece of the courtroom drama that has now lasted almost six weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: The defendant was the one person who was living a lie. The defendant was the person on which a storm was descending. And the defendant is a person where his own storm would actually mean consequences for Maggie and Paul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Also ahead, former House Speaker Paul Ryan defending his decision to stay on the FOX corporate board despite revelations that the network was knowingly spreading election lies. Hear how he explains it.

And just a bit later, one of the top college football prospects in the country turning himself in overnight on misdemeanor charges related to a car crash that killed one of his fellow Georgia players and a teammate employee. What Jalen Carter is saying now about accusations he was involved in racing that night.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:16:22]

HILL: Moments from now, the defense set to begin its closing argument in Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial. The prosecution wrapped up yesterday telling jurors Murdaugh was the only person with a motive in the case. The jury could begin deliberations as early as this afternoon.

SCIUTTO: CNN national correspondent Dianne Gallagher outside the courthouse. Dianne, these are big moments at the close of a six-week trial. What

do we expect to see today and how do we expect things to proceed from there?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jim, Erica, I do not anticipate the defense will take as long in its closing argument, which are set to begin in about 15 minutes or so, as prosecutor Creighton Waters took yesterday. During his three-hour speech, if you will, his argument to the jurors, he essentially focused on the timeline and technology to say that Alex Murdaugh was the only person who had the mean, the motive and the opportunity to kill Paul and Maggie Murdaugh on June 7th, 2021.

Again we've been here for nearly six weeks. There is a host of evidence, we're talking data, video, testimony, that they have all heard. But there's a lot they don't have as well. Creighton Waters brought the emotion trying to explain that in their view Alex Murdaugh is a liar and a thief, and he cannot be trusted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATERS: Maggie sees what happens and she comes running over there, running to her baby. Probably the last thing on her mind thinking that it was him who had done this. She's running to her baby while he's gotten picked up the blackout and opens fire at close range, again with no defensive wounds.

Everyone who thought they knew who he was, he's fooled them all, and he fooled Maggie and Paul, too. And they paid for it with their lives. Don't let him fool you, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGER: Now Creighton Waters talked about all of the evidence they presented but he also had to talk to the jury about the fact that this is circumstantial evidence, and while they say there is a lot of it, he tried to explain circumstantial evidence can still get them to a guilty verdict. He also spent a substantial amount of time explaining what reasonable doubt means.

And here's the thing, Alex Murdaugh has admitted to a lot on the stand, both lying and stealing. What he has not admitted to is killing his wife and his son. He has maintained his innocence the entire time. And once the defense begins its closing arguments, look, Jim, Erica, I anticipate we are going to hear a lot about reasonable doubt and circumstantial evidence.

SCIUTTO: Dianne Gallagher, thanks so much.

Joining us now to discuss Sarah Ford. She's a former prosecutor and current legal director for the South Carolina Victims Assistance Network. She's also host of "Palmetto Primetime."

Good to have you on, Sarah. I mean, this is a sad case at every level, all the details. You have two different burdens of course for the prosecution and the defense. The defense just has to, as Dianne was referencing there, create a reasonable doubt among the 12 jurors, even just one of those 12 jurors. And I wonder, do you believe they have?

SARAH FORD, FORMER PROSECUTOR: I do believe that the state has met the burden. You know, reasonable doubt is not doubt beyond any doubt. It is not 100 percent. And it's a standard that means that the jury has to find that they are firmly convinced of the defendant's guilt. And I think the state has done that.

[09:20:02]

It's been a difficult trial, it's been a long trial, but I think overall the evidence that the state has, particularly the way that Creighton Waters pulled it all together yesterday, building those pieces, putting that puzzle together for the jury, was really strong and really effective.

HILL: So it sounds to me like in listening to that, putting on your former prosecutor hat, you would have brought this case?

FORD: Absolutely. Absolutely. The evidence is there, you know, it's important for folks to remember, circumstantial evidence, direct evidence, it's evidence. There's no distinguishing in the law between the two of them. And so it's a little bit more difficult to build those pieces with circumstantial evidence but just because there's not a video or an eyewitness that doesn't make it any less appropriate to bring the case. And the circumstantial evidence is here in this case, in my opinion.

SCIUTTO: And that's a point that the prosecutor made in his opening arguments. He said, listen, don't imagine that circumstantial evidence is somehow second tier here. We'll see what the jury believes.

We did have this somewhat dramatic moment with the jury visiting the scene of the crime yesterday at the request of the defense actually. What impact do you see that having on this case?

FORD: I think it's very emotional for people to have heard everything that they've heard over the past six weeks and then to actually visit the location where Paul and Maggie Murdaugh lost their lives. I mean, to be there, standing outside the feed room, to be there at the kennels, to feel, you know, the emotion in that place after visualizing it. Very, very powerful.

And I think it certainly will help the jury in putting things together visually from what they've heard throughout, you know, the past six weeks.

HILL: Sarah Ford, appreciate you joining us this morning. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, coming up next, former House Speaker Paul Ryan is under some pressure now, forced to answer questions as to why he remains on the board of FOX News' parent company after the right-wing network knowingly peddled election lies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:26:30] SCIUTTO: Former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan is facing questions now about his decision to stay on the board of directors of FOX News' parent company after court documents reveal some of the network's hosts endorsing what they knew were lies about the 2020 election being stolen.

HILL: Those revelations of course all part of this billion-dollar lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against FOX. In a recent interview, Ryan defended his role on the board.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SYKES, CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Is there a red line for you at any point where you say I cannot be associated with a company that does this?

PAUL RYAN (R), FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: I want to see the conservative movement get through this moment. And I think FOX is a big part of the constellation of conservative movement. And I want to see if it is --

SYKES: Really the solution or the problem?

RYAN: Oh, no, I think it's going to have to be a part of the solution if we're going to solve the problem of the conservative movement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy joining us now.

So Ryan says he did push back on the conspiracy theories. His comment there I think also interesting about problems and solutions. Is there evidence to support these claims that I did push back on this, I tried?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there is some evidence that suggests that he did push back privately with the Murdochs. According to the recent legal filing, one e-mail he sent the Murdochs he said, the sooner we can put down the echoes of falsehoods from our side the faster we can get on to the principled loyal opposition. I truly hope our contributors along with Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity get that and execute.

A few things I'll just note about that. One, he's referring to FOX News, which is ostensibly an impartial news network, at least during part of a day, as a loyal opposition, so that's one. He's clearly understanding what it is.

HILL: That would be an issue, yes.

DARCY: But the other thing is if you talk to people who are experts in corporate governance they will say that this is not enough. This private pushing back in e-mails to the Murdochs just doesn't cut it. He is supposed to be working for the shareholders, not the Murdochs. And so if he's seeing wrongdoing, wrongdoing that can expose the company to billions in dollars of lawsuits, it's his responsibility to alert shareholders or to do something, something more than just e-mail the Murdochs.

And the final point I'll make, too, is, you know, he can speak out against this stuff but he at the end of the day he's cashing a paycheck based on these lies that he's seeing being spewed on this network.

HILL: Yes.

SCIUTTO: So, Oliver, there seems to be talk now of the network chief, perhaps, facing consequences here. What's the likelihood of that, and are there any consequences for the several prominent hosts of the network who deliberately spread election lies knowing they were false?

DARCY: Well, it's hard to imagine that when all this dust settles here, Jim, that there are no consequences for anyone. I mean, it seems that someone is going to have to be the fall person here. And if you look at this, and you pay attention, all signs are really pointing toward the embattled FOX News CEO, Suzanne Scott. I mean, Murdoch in his own testimony is basically trying to distance himself from the decision-making at FOX saying, no, no, no, it's not me. I appointed Suzanne Scott, I delegate everything to her.

And so if you're looking at this, and you're just kind of reading the tea leaves, it certainly looks like she would be the fall person and it's not unprecedented in Murdoch history for someone senior like this to end up being expelled from his media empire. If you look at the "News of the World" scandal, for instance. There were some high- profile resignations. Even his own son, James Murdoch, when it came to it, had to resign in that scandal.

He was able to fire or he did fire Roger Ailes when he was accused of sexual misconduct. He got rid of Bill O'Reilly when he --

[09:30:00]