Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

6 Former Mississippi "Goon Squad" Officers Sentenced; Former Trump Organization CFO Sentenced; For Lying About Trump's NYC Penthouse, Weisselberg Given Five Months Jail Time; In Hush Money Trial, Judge Refuses to Grant Gag Order; White House Arrival Ceremony, Biden Greets Japanese Prime Minister and Spouse; Inflation Jumps in March; Dimon: 8% Interest Rates May Result from Inflationary Pressure. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 10, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Yes, and I should note our Ryan Young, who is in the courtroom right now, has just done some amazing reporting on all of this. Chronicling this, just, horrendous case.

And john to Joey's point, what does this say about police brutality in this country? I mean, it is a bit hard to put your head around that this is still going on in this country. I mean, I guess it is gratifying, to some extent, to see -- I mean, these are police officers in these, you know, these out these jail outfits that they've got them in right there that you're seeing on screen right now. So, I suppose there is accountability, but it does raise the question as to, I mean, how much of this is still going on in America right now.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, police brutality can be a complicated subject because you have uses of force that are engaged in many different circumstances where something has already kicked off. There's some disorder or violence going on where police intervene.

This is not that. This for people who are, kind of, just familiarizing themselves with this story starts with a phone call from a neighbor saying there's an old lady who lives on a piece of property, a ranch house down the street. There's a bunch of black guys who have moved into the house. We think something's going on.

These sheriff's deputies from the sheriff's office joined by one police officer from the local department drive a long distance away to get to this house, to this piece of property. And they plan to avoid the security cameras at the house, to kick in the door, to basically do a warrantless home invasion and beat and torture and terrorized these two men. One of whom was the caregiver for the woman in the house who was in the hospital at the time, and tried to get them to admit to doing things that they weren't doing, to possession of drugs, to other things.

And this went on for hours, including after shooting one of them in the mouth and leaving him there to bleed while they went out back and concocted a story that would work. It was investigated by the state attorney general because of the shooting. But this was only uncovered when these two men bravely came forward with a story that was so insane, that it would be hard for anyone to believe and told this story. And then federal and state authorities did their investigation and proved it. But it is, at any level, still shocking.

ACOSTA: Yes, and just for our viewers at home, so they're grasping what we're seeing. I mean, these are police officers -- I guess, former police officers soon to be convicts, one by one being led into the courtroom to listen to their sentencing.

And Joey Jackson, I mean, what does this say about the state of law enforcement in this country? You and I have had this conversation so many times over the course of the last several years about episodes of police brutality in this country. And it -- to me, it's staggering to listen to the details of this case. The police officers were the ones who are acting like the criminals here.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST AND CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, without question. It shows and demonstrates, Jim, that there's work to be done. Now to be clear and to be fair, there's a lot of law enforcement out there risking their lives for the safety of all of us and our families. And for that, they deserve our respect and gratitude.

ACOSTA: Oh, yes.

JACKSON: But for those who have lost their way, like these individuals, it's just really incomprehensible. And then in terms of the cover story, you're planting a gun on them. You're concocting information, that's just really beyond the pale (ph). And so, who knows how it got this far for so long. Certainly, it needs to be looked into.

I know that the NAACP has called for what's called, Jim, a pattern-or- practice investigations. The Department of Justice is assessing that. What does that mean? It means a full evaluation as it relates to what they're doing in this community. How deeply rooted it is whether or not this is further ingrained in the culture. And we'll see what develops because of that. But certainly, you know, we expect police to be on the beat and to do the great job that so many do.

But when you look to people like this who are not doing it, it puts a blemish on others who do. And I think raises concerns amongst law enforcement for those who are actually doing a good job that their reputation would be tarnished by the despicable nature of the misconduct of these six individuals who are getting their day of reckoning today and got their day of reckoning in federal court.

Last point, Jim. And that is that we heard the victim impact statements from the two African American men here that were abused. And boy, were they riveting. And in fact, one walked out the courtroom related to some of the testimony that was given by the officer when they were accepting accountability. So, it's a tough day.

[10:35:00] ACOSTA: Incredible. And we do value the work that our police officers do all over the country. But I think, to some extent, cases like this will strengthen law enforcement because there is accountability. And John and Joey, you and I -- we all know that up until the last several years, you just didn't see as much of this. Police officers being held accountable for their actions. We're seeing it more and more. It should make policing better. John and Joey, thanks to the great discussion. As always, just a horrendous case in Mississippi. Appreciate the way you both handled it. Thank you so much.

And coming up another Trump associate heading to jail. The sentence for former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, that's coming up in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: From Donald Trump's inner circle to a jail cell at Rikers Island. Just minutes ago, a New York judge sentenced Alan Weisselberg to five months behind bars for perjury. The former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization admitted to lying under oath in the civil fraud case against the former president. Weisselberg also helped exaggerate the value of Trump's New York penthouse in order to get better rates on loans and insurance policies.

CNN's Kara Scannell is live outside the courthouse for us. Kara, what's happening?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Jim, Allen Weisberg sentenced to five months in jail. This was part of a plea deal that he had made with the Manhattan District attorney's office. The hearing took less than five minutes. Weisselberg walked in with a windbreaker, ready to report to prison.

During the hearing, the judge asked him if he had anything he wanted to say. He said, No, Your Honor. She then said she would sentence him to this agreed deal of five months in jail. He had pleaded guilty last month to two counts -- felony counts of perjury for lying during the investigation by the New York attorney general's office into the Trump organization's finances. Specifically, he admitted to lying about his knowledge that the size of Trump's triplex apartment was false and that about his role in his knowledge of making this -- the value of that triplex apartment false in the financial statements.

Now, soon after the judge sentenced Weisselberg to the five months, the security officers came up to him, handcuffed him behind his back, and he was led out of the courtroom where he will begin serving the sentence at Rikers Island.

This is the second guilty plea by Allen Weisselberg, who previously pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud. He is a long-time confidant of former President Donald Trump. And as part of this deal, he will not be testifying against Donald Trump at the trial set to begin next week. He is a central figure in that trial. This is about the falsification of the documents to cover up the hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels. Weisselberg, the chief financial officer at the time, was involved in how those payments were made. And the reimbursement of payments to Michael Cohen. But he will not be testifying in that case. Instead, he will be serving his five months at Rikers Island. Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Kara Scannell, thank you very much.

Let's discuss now with CNN Legal Analyst Karen Friedman Agnifilo. She previously served as chief assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorney's office. Karen, your reaction to Allen Weisselberg, I mean, yet again, somebody in Trump's orbit, somebody close to the former president going to jail.

KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST AND FORMER MANHATTAN CHIEF ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Yes, he absolutely is decided that he is not going to turn on Trump, so much so that he lied under oath during the civil fraud trial in front of Judge Arthur Engoron recently. He was not, however, he was -- although he was charged with lying under oath during that trial, the Manhattan D.A.'s Office allowed him to plead guilty instead to lying in a deposition prior to that because otherwise it would have triggered a violation of his parole from the last time that he plead guilty to protect Trump, which was, on those tax fraud charges.

So, it was just very interesting to me that he's willing to do another five months like he already did rather than turn on Trump.

ACOSTA: It really is remarkable. And I do want to ask you about the hush money trial because for Donald Trump -- I mean, this is happening in a few days from now. I mean, it's coming up on Monday. Yesterday, an appeals court rejected his efforts to delay the start. And I -- I'm just curious, what do you think is going to happen next? I mean, what rabbits can he still pull out of the hat? What cards does he still have up his sleeve? I mean, one of the questions I had in my mind, Karen, could he just not show up on Monday? I suppose he can't do that. But it kind of makes you wonder, what's he going to try next?

AGNIFILO: Yes. So many of us have been wondering, is he going to try to go to the Supreme Court and get a stay? Because 10 days from the start of the trial, they're hearing the presidential immunity arguments, and that's already on an expedited basis.

And he has also argued that there was presidential immunity in this case too, right? In this first election interference case. So, that is something he could still do. Although the clock is ticking. So that -- if he doesn't do that today or tomorrow, I think that gets foreclosed. And he has to show up.

In criminal cases, it not like civil cases where you can just come and go or choose what you go to or not at all. Criminal cases, there are a lot of rights that attach during a criminal trial that a defendant has to be present for or explicitly waive. And so, they're -- he will be required to attend. And so, we'll see if -- I don't think he's going to abscond, as they say, and not show. IF he can -- He's Fairly easy to find.

[10:45:00]

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean -- and Karen, I mean, just to ask you a follow up on that, you were just saying that perhaps he could go to the Supreme Court. Could the Supreme Court, somehow -- the United States Supreme Court, somehow delay a New York hush money case? Is that, is that feasible? Is that possible?

AGNIFILO: They could.

ACOSTA: They could?

AGNIFILO: They absolutely could. I mean, the -- yes, the -- it's the Supreme Court of the United States, obviously, and, and they are the Supreme Court of the land. And there's something called federalism, which means that they can definitely put it -- press pause if they wanted to.

I don't think they will because this is very different than the presidential immunity case that they are hearing, that this particular case involves his personal life, right? Although he was president when he wrote some of the -- when he wrote the checks. At the time that he was doing this, he was candidate Trump and he was trying to prevent this from going to the electorate. So that's personal. It's not presidential in nature.

But you never know. So, it's just one of the things that he could have possibly done. He's been making motions all week trying to delay --

ACOSTA: Oh, yes.

AGNIFILO: -- and he keeps getting -- that has not happened. But we'll see if he does this.

ACOSTA: Yes, I mean, it's everything. The kitchen sink, the ketchup against the wall, everything. You name it. All right. Karen, thank you so much for your time this morning. We really appreciate it.

All right, let's go back to Arlette Saenz over at the White House where the president is hosting the Japanese prime minister. Arlette, a very important day. I understand they're calling it an official visit, not a state visit. What more can you tell us?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, just a short while ago, President Biden welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Kishida here to the White House, kicking off this official state visit with that formal arrival ceremony. You saw the two leaders walking, reviewing the troops, going through the full pomp and circumstance that the White House rolls out for some of its top allies.

And President Biden, in remarks, talked about how this is really a monumental alliance between the U.S. and Japan. They've come -- overcome differences in the past to try to put both countries on stronger footing together. This visit comes as the U.S. has really sought to bolster these alliances and relationships in the Indo- Pacific with an eye on trying to blunt China's military and economic influence in the region.

Japan, as the president noted, has really been at the cornerstone, the center of the Biden administration's policy in the Indo-Pacific region. At a time when Japanese Prime Minister Kishida has shifted and increased the country's defense policy, as well as offering a longstanding support to Ukraine amid its Russia's invasion of the country.

The Biden administration really has seen a willing partner in Kishida across a range of areas with the president really saying that this isn't just about the Indo-Pacific but a global partnership. But these two leaders are expected in the coming hours to roll out a host of announcements relating to defense, security, people to people ties. All as they are trying to showcase the strength of this relationship, especially as they're trying to counter some of China's influence in the region.

ACOSTA: All right. Very important meeting. And of course, that press conference coming up -- joint press conference with the two leaders coming up in just a short while from now. Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

Coming up, inflation numbers coming in a little hot for the month of March. How this complicates things for the Fed? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

ACOSTA: The latest key inflation report is out this morning and there are reasons to worry. The consumer price index rose more than expected, jumping three and a half percent in March from a year earlier. The closely watched measure of inflation highlights the still bumpy path to reigning in high prices weeks before the Federal Reserve is set to meet.

CNN Economics and Political Commentator Catherine Rampell joins us now, Catherine, you know, inflation is just like the drum that just won't stop. I mean, it just -- it won't stop. And is it -- is this just something we're going to have to live with? Is there a way to cool it down? I mean, it's just -- it just seems like it's, I don't know. We're going to live with it. Here we go.

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND WASHING POST OPINION COLUMNIST: This has definitely been a setback. This is not good news. It doesn't necessarily mean that the Fed or anyone else should give up the fight against inflation. I think what it does mean is that it is less likely that the Federal Reserve will start cutting rates as quickly as either it had hoped or it had predicted, or the general public and markets had hoped.

And that's what you see in the markets today. If you look at where investors are expecting rates to be later this year, they have severely reduced the chances of a rate cut by June, and they're expecting only a couple more rate cuts later this year. And that's because the Fed doesn't want to take -- well, the intuition is that the Fed will not be willing to take its foot off the brakes because that risk of inflation is still there.

ACOSTA: Yes, gas prices have been inching up. And I can -- I just hear people who want to buy a house right now or buy a car listening to what you have to say, Catherine, is just tearing their hair out. People are just so fed up with those high interest rates in those sectors.

But Jamie Dimon recently warned U.S. interest rates could surge to eight percent due to these, inflationary pressures. Is that a possibility? I mean, this is starting to become like a real worry for a lot of folks out there, a lot of smart people out there.

RAMPELL: So, to be clear, if you look at what Jamie Dimon had actually said, he didn't specifically say that he thought eight percent interest rates were the most likely scenario.

ACOSTA: OK.

[10:55:00]

RAMPELL: He said that there's a lot of uncertainty right now and that they are trying to prepare for scenarios of two percent interest rates up all the way up to eight percent or higher because we don't know what's going to happen to long term rates. We don't know what's going to happen to the fiscal situation. We don't know what's going to happen with oil and energy prices, which also affect or can push through to other forms of inflation.

So, you know, I think it is a concerning potential scenario, particularly since we haven't seen eight percent rates in a few decades since the '90s. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it's the most likely outcome. It's just something that is within the realm of possibility at this point.

ACOSTA: Yes, we don't want to go back there. All right, Catherine Rampell, thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

A lot of breaking news this morning. Of course, we want to keep our eyes on that official visit of the Japanese prime minister over at the White House. My colleague Wolf Blitzer in the "CNN Newsroom", he'll pick up on all of that in just a few moments. Stay with us for that. Thank you very much for joining us this morning. Have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]