Return to Transcripts main page

Erin Burnett Outfront

Officials: U.S. Plans To Send Abrams Tanks To Ukraine; FBI Investigating How Classified Docs Ended Up At Pence's House; New Video Of Rep. Santos With More Questionable Claims; NY Doctor Convicted Of Federal Sex Abuse Charges; "Catastrophic" Damage After Tornado Tears Through Houston Area. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired January 24, 2023 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:29]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, new video of Ukraine taking out Russian enemy fighters as Kyiv is now in a verge of getting America's top of the line tanks. President Zelenskyy's adviser is OUTFRONT tonight.

Plus, a Justice Department investigating more classified documents tonight. This time from Mike Pence's house. This as the Georgia D.A. investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election says a decision on charges is imminent.

Tonight, we'll speak to a former Georgia official who testified in the case and says there is enough evidence to charge Trump.

And new video into OUTFRONT of disgrace Congressman George Santos making new questionable claims, including being the victim of a violent mugging. And that he's giving his salary to charity.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT tonight, America upping the ante, sending tanks to the Ukraine. Specifically, we have learned the United States is finalizing plans to send a significant number of the most sophisticated tanks America has, the M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv. The Abrams is the main tank that the United States uses on the battlefield.

And this expected announcement could be a game-changer in the war. Kyiv has been pounding the table for these tanks. I want to emphasize this is extremely significant, not just for military importance, because it is a dramatic 180 turnaround for the Biden administration. Just last week, the Pentagon said it had no intention of handing these tanks over to Ukraine.

In fact, the secretary of defense did not mince words, saying that the United States would not send the Abrams tanks, because, quote, we should not be providing the Ukrainian systems that they can repair, sustain, and that over the long term, they can't afford. It is a pretty damning indictment. None of those things in a week. What did exchange in less than a week, well, in part, Germany had made it clear it would not send it's crucial Leopard 2 to tanks to Kyiv unless Washington led the way. And now, suddenly, the Biden administration gives the greenlight. Within moments, news breaks from Germany. According to "Der Spiegel", Germany is giving the greenlight to Leopard tanks.

Well, as all of this develops and we wait for these formal announcements, it is a huge moment for Ukraine.

The tank breakthrough coming at a crucial moment on and off of the battlefield in Ukraine. Inside Kyiv today, there was a purge. Seven high-profile Ukrainian officials were fired or resigned because of allegations of corruption. The adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, tells me that the shakeup had nothing to do with Western aid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MYKHAILO PODOLYAK, ADVISER TO UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY (through translator): This has nothing to do with the western aid. We want to make sure that our partners, which obviously includes the United States of America, the day at least try for this transparency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: You are going to hear more from the president's adviser in just a moment. It all comes as we're getting new video tonight from Ukraine's military of the deadly ongoing battle for Bakhmut, a town that has seen some of the heaviest and worst fighting of the war. You can see Russian troops located, drones are a crucial part in this, locating them, and taking them out in a fiery blast.

The grueling tug of war for the city has been incredibly costly in human life. In fact, CNN has learned that senior U.S. military and intelligence officials met with Zelenskyy, days ago, urging him to focus instead of Bakhmut, on building an offensive in the south, and said stop fighting in the strategically less relevant, totally destroyed eastern town of Bakhmut.

And that horrific death toll there has been taking a toll on Ukraine and Ukrainian forces. In Russia today, the leader of the council of mothers and wives of Russian soldiers was detained, she was actually trying to get to Moscow to hand over complaints from around 700 women. Women who might be not against the war, but are angry because they have no idea if their sons or husbands are still alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Your police officers shoved me. He took my phone. He just yanked it away and shoved me. It was the boss, some bald guy who didn't even introduce himself. The lawyers were first out, now you guys are being violent with me again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Fred Pleitgen is OUTFRONT live in Kyiv. And, Fred, you know, where you are right now, as you think about the

battlefield, look, they've been pounding the table. They wanted a lot of things, but tanks has been near the top of that list. How important will these tanks be?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they certainly have been right near the top of that list, and I think that the Ukrainians believe that they're going to be extremely important. One of the main numbers thrown out here with some officials here is that 300 battle tanks of western production, modern battle tanks could lead up to 2,000 Russian-made battle tanks which comes from Soviet-era technology.

So, certainly, the Ukrainians believed as part of their defense of their country is concerned, those tanks are important. But also, if they want to go on a counter offensive, that will be important as well.

And today, I was able to speak to a senior defense intelligence official here in Kyiv. You know, he told me that they're analyzing some of the weaknesses that the Russians have, and any way that they can exploit them. Here's what we learned.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Even as fighting rages in Eastern Ukraine, Russian forces are making little headway. Vladimir Putin recently appointed his military chief, Valery Gerasimov, to lead the war in Ukraine, yet another reshuffle in the hierarchy.

The deputy head of Ukraine's defense intelligence tells me he believes Putin realizes his entire command structure is in disarray.

VADYM SKIBITSKIY, UKRAINIAN DEPUTY HEAD OF DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE (through translator): He really does have problems with the command both of the top level, and that issue is generating very problematic.

PLEITGEN: Another problem, those marginal gains Russia is making from mercenaries of the Wagner private military company around Bakhmut, where Wagner has been gaining ground while suffering severe losses themselves.

Wagner's boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been highly critical of Russia's military leadership, calling all but incompetence. Ukrainians say he is made plenty of enemies among the elites.

SKIBITSKIY: The leadership of the Russian armed forces are going to try to belittle Prigozhin's role and place however they can, so he cannot strengthen his positions and the Kremlin hierarchy.

PLEITGEN: While the Ukrainians try to hold in Bakhmut, they say they urgently need Western main battle tanks to take back more territory.

ANDRIY MELNYK, UKRAINIAN DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: There are about 2,000 tanks available and even if each country sends 10 percent, it will be a huge army which allow us to start this counteroffensive in spring.

PLEITGEN: But the Ukrainians say just as critical are longer range rockets from the U.S. to hit Russia supply lines, something the U.S. is weary of giving them for fear of escalating the conflict.

SKIBITSKIY: Right now, they have moved their logistics and control, mainly logistic systems further away from the front line. And that's 80 to 100, 120 kilometers away. And to strike them, you need longer range strike systems.

PLEITGEN: That would include targets on Russian territory to choke off any future offensive by Moscow's forces.

SKIBITSKIY: There are strong logistics hubs in the Rostov region. It is these very hubs, and they need to be struck in order to disrupt the supply systems of all kinds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And, Erin, I did ask that intelligence official also what Ukraine's goals are, what they want to achieve in the next couple of months and the long run. He said the first thing is stabilize front line, especially in that place. They want to halt any sort of larger Russian offensive. But they also say that they want to go on a counter offensive themselves at some point.

Obviously, those tanks will be very important for that. He said the end goal, of course, for Ukraine is to win back their territory. He made clear that also includes Crimea.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Fred.

OUTFRONT now, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak.

Mykhailo, appreciate your time very much. We are learning tonight that the Biden administration is finalizing plans to send the Abrams tanks to Ukraine after last week publicly saying that now was not the right time to do it. What can you tell me about this?

PODOLYAK (through translator): (INAUDIBLE) that the United States have an accurate understanding of the historical significance of the process, the certain (ph) significance of the events, an object (ph) to their analysis of the course of the war. They can see what is needed. And this is very important.

BURNETT: "Der Spiegel" first reported that Germany is now set to deliver those Leopard tanks to Ukraine as well. Have they conveyed that to you? Have they told you about that?

PODOLYAK: No. We haven't received that information as of now. However, what I would like to emphasize is that obviously United States of America are playing a historical and significant part in this because they see the reality at this stage of the war very objectively. And that is why all of their actions are quite symbolic showing that they're still holding the leadership in these activities and they are leading other partners such as the United Kingdom and European tank coalition.

[19:10:03]

And they're absolutely aware of the situation happening on the front line with the Russia mobilizing their forces and aware that by providing tanks, they need to be strengthening Ukraine.

BURNETT: Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner group are claiming credit for Russia's performance in Bakhmut such that it is. From your analysis, Mykhailo, right now, what is the most notable thing you see in Prigozhin's forces and their performance?

PODOLYAK: Probably in this regard, I would like to say that obviously, Russia wins by number. And specifically when we talk about Wagner group, they also take prevalence by the fact that they've got ex-convicts, about 45,000 ex-prisoners who were convicted for some serious felonies.

Russia just has no mercy. And they ignore their losses. We already know that when he look at Bakhmut that they lost or they've suffered ten thousands of their people in casualties and deaths. And, yes, this is true that in that specific operation, Wagner had dominance. And especially they have dominance in media, and they do know how to position themselves in the media, compared to the Russian ministry of defense.

BURNETT: The Ukrainian government, Mykhailo, is still very much relying on Elon Musk Starlink for communication. Musk, of course, has spoken out many times about the Russian invasion. He proposed a so- called peace plan that mirrored the Kremlin's and at the time, you talked about him putting forth, as you said, magical simple solutions.

But just days ago in response to reports that United States is considering actively helping Ukraine target Crimea, musk warned again, he said, and I quote him, relentless escalation is very risky for Ukraine and the world. And then he called himself super pro Ukraine after he said that.

What do you think of Elon Musk right now?

PODOLYAK: First of all, allow me to say that although his mention about possible escalation, I would like to say there is already escalation and the escalation which has been created by Russia. We all witnessing and we all experiencing and living now the great war which is happening in Europe.

Elon Musk truly helped Ukraine, especially when we look at the very beginning of the war, and this extremely important that we are all aware of this. Because he was able to ensure this reliable connection and we're truly grateful.

And another aspect is that Mr. Fedorov, who is the vice prime minister of the digitization, is in continuous contact with Elon Musk. And third, is that to discuss and to suggest proposed any way to resolve the war, to come out of the war, one needs to understand the very nature of the war. And that he can see that there is really no simple solution here, that we have the points of no return.

And we cannot be talking about giving up territory and then we can all achieve peace. No. All we see now is either we die in freedom or we become slaves in slavery. That's all we can say for Elon is just to come and talk.

BURNETT: All right. Mykhailo, thank you so very much. I appreciate your time.

PODOLYAK: Thank you.

BURNETT: All right. Next, the FBI and Justice Department investigating classified documents, guess what? These are in yet another person's house, Mike Pence's, as the D.A. in Georgia says her decision is, quote, imminent on possible charges against Trump and allies for trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Plus, I'm going to speak to a woman looking face-to-face with the mass shooter in San Francisco who is accused of killing seven people. She has dramatic video of the alleged gunman being taken into custody.

We'll see and hear a major update to a story we've been following out front, the disgraced OB/GYN who preyed on women in New York has been convicted. Evelyn Yang, the wife of Andrew Yang, who bravely spoke out and accused the doctor of sexual assault and inspired hundreds of other women to come forward is OUTFRONT with her reaction to the verdict.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:18:41]

BURNETT: New tonight, the FBI and Justice Department are investigating dozen new classified documents found in former Vice President Mike Pence's Indiana home. A new person entering the story, now, federal law enforcement wants to know what's in those documents and, of course, how they got to Pence's house.

Evan Perez is OUTFRONT.

Evan, it's -- I can't believe we're here. I guess I kind of can. Now -- now, the former vice president has a classified documents controversy. What more do you know about it?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know, Erin, that at this point, we know about a dozen documents that were found by a lawyer for former Vice President Pence. They were doing a search of four boxes that were at this new home that he now lives in outside of Indianapolis. And in those documents, mixed in with personal documents and other materials, they found these dozen or so document that's had classified markings.

They immediately called the National Archives. And, of course, the Justice Department and the FBI which came over last Thursday night, late Thursday night to pick up those documents. Now as you pointed out this is now something that the Justice Department and the FBI is doing a review of. They want to know what exactly the material is in this -- these classified documents, and exactly how they ended up there.

[19:20:01]

Obviously, we know the former vice president was asked repeatedly about this in recent weeks and months, you know, in reaction to what has happened with Joe Biden, President Joe Biden and with former President Trump. And he said repeatedly that they looked and found no such documents in his home.

BURNETT: Apropos of nothing, each of these people seems to have an absolutely, unbelievably huge and gorgeous house.

How are President Biden and former Trump's teams responding to this news tonight?

PEREZ: Well, I think both sides, both Biden team and the Trump team see this as good news for them. Obviously, there are some big differences with the case of former President Trump who, you know, his team did not want to return to his documents. They basically claimed that these documents were his. So that's a big difference.

But they view the news that both, you know, Joe Biden and former Vice President Pence had classified documents means that this very difficult for the Justice Department to bring a case against him. And in the case of President Biden, his team believes that it shows how easily can you make mistakes like this, that these documents could end up where they should not be, Erin.

BURNETT: Yeah. All right. So, certainly, the politicians feel that way. I know career people and the intelligence services do not feel that way.

All right. Evan, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

PEREZ: Thanks.

BURNETT: Evan with all that reporting there.

OUTFRONT now Georgia's former Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan is a frequent guest on the show. We're thrilled to announce he is making debut as our newest political commentator for CNN.

So welcome.

GEOFF DUNCAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you. Glad to be here.

BURNETT: So let me get to there is good legal news that you know a lot about because it pertains to your state, Georgia. But first, this development on the classified documents. You look up, more documents found somewhere in Biden's house, no, it's someone else's house, it's Pence's house. You kind of can't make this up.

DUNCAN: Yeah, Erin, let's start in the obvious place. The system is broken for checking out classified documents, right? I mean, I had one of my kids come home the other day and say, it's harder to check out a book at a school library than apparently a president checking out a classified document. I mean, the system is broke. Let's fix it.

Now it's being politicized like everything else is out there, and folks are having to eat words. It is hard to listen to folks play back the film. There is two issues. One is the legalities of, did they take these documents intentionally? My guess is no. These are presidents. But they --

BURNETT: In the case of Trump, it appears some of those he did, we understand.

DUNCAN: And then I think the legalities are, how did they react to that? Did they try to cover it up? Did they work with investigators? You know what? I think the average American is waking up. More worried about their job tomorrow than the president's documents. As a staunch Republican trying to win the White House in '24 and other races, I worry this becomes a huge distraction.

BURNETT: It does blur I think for a lot of people, that that's fair, despite any difference that's are there. But to the point here what I try to understand is everybody goes out, the politicians and there is no problem calling the person who just was found with the documents a complete moron and irresponsible and all kinds of things. And then guess what, it shows up in their house. I'm going to let you cringe.

DUNCAN: That's hypocrisy, right? I mean, that's really what's broken with the system right now, is we shouldn't be looking for ten second sound bites and 200 extra likes on twitter to pontificate against our opponents, right? We ought to show good leaderships.

BURNETT: This is fair. I must play it. Let me play Mike Pence. This is I guess last week?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

INTERVIEWER: We sit here in your home office in Indiana. Did you take any classified documents with you from the White House?

MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: I did not.

When the current president of the United States is found to have classified documents in his possession after leaving office, it's just -- I have no words. It's just in credibly frustrating to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: All right. I had to play it. The bottom line is what does this mean in terms of do you think for prosecutors? Just to make it hard to charge anybody. It seems like everybody has them.

DUNCAN: Yeah, look, I'm sure there's everybody who's ever thinking about running for president right now is looking for files and folders and desks. They don't want to be the next story.

But I'm sure there are more stories out there. If the last three document that's have documents that are confidential or classified, I'm sure there's probably others out there that do, too. BURNETT: So, let me talk about Georgia. The Fulton County district

attorney, you know her, Fani Willis, says a special grand jury is going to be recommending criminal indictments, signaling, I'm sorry, signaling this, we're not sure. We're waiting for the report, in her investigation to Trump's efforts to overturn election results in your state of Georgia, says decisions are imminent.

You were a witness in the grand jury investigation. What do you think happens here?

DUNCAN: Well, I'm certainly one of the 75. It's a very intense process. I mean, that grand jury was seated for nearly nine months.

I listened to Fani Willis' statement today. She was serious when she spoke about to Judge McBurney wanting to keep that report concealed. I think we're talking about days, not weeks before those indictments start flowing out bound.

They have done a lot of work. They interviewed 75 witnesses. And, you know, I think there's also some moving targets.

[19:25:01]

Yes, there's the Trump piece. I do think there is enough evidence to issue an indictment? Yes. That's my personal opinion just because he was kind of the grandmaster of all of the conspiracy theories.

But then there is also all the noise that was created in the misinformation that was created. And then there is this whole slate of fake electors, right?

BURNETT: Right.

DUNCAN: It's going to be interesting to see how the grand jury deals with that process.

BURNETT: Right, and whether there are charges.

All right. Thank you very much. Obviously, it's going to be important as this developed in the coming days. And we look forward to talking you to about it. Thank you very much, Lieutenant Governor.

DUNCAN: Absolutely.

BURNETT: And next, new video into OUTFRONT of disgraced Republican Congressman George Santos. He claims he was mugged and also promised to donate his congressional salary to charity.

Plus, dramatic video of police taking down the alleged gunman in the fatal shooting of seven people in San Francisco. The woman there and filmed the arrest is OUTFRONT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, new video into out front in embattled Congressman George Santos making more questionable claims. This time in a Brazilian podcast just released but actually was recorded two weeks before his laundry list of lies about his education, work history, family life, religion were first exposed, right?

So, this was back when he didn't know anybody knew that all that was false. So these new claims were finding out include that he was mugged in Manhattan which an NYPD source says there is no record of. That he survived an assassination attempt and that he'd donate his entire congressional charity to salary which he refused to say he would still do.

Eva McKend is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REPORTER: Can you tell us if you lied on your financial disclosure report to Congress?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Embattled Congressman George Santos back at work on Capitol Hill today, dodging tough questions from reporters, as new revelations about public claims he's made continue to pile up.

[19:30:14]

The latest coming from a recently released interview with a Brazilian podcast that was taped in December, shortly after Santos won election in New York's third district. Santos claimed in the interview, done in Portuguese, that he was mugged on Fifth Avenue in New York City in the summer of 2021, and as he was walking out of a commercial building in broad daylight.

REP. GEORGE SANTOS (R-NY) (through translator): They robbed me, took my back, my shoes, and watch.

MCKEND: But a source with the New York police department tells CNN there is no record that Santos reported the alleged crime. The lack of report doesn't mean the alleged incident didn't take place. But it draws further scrutiny of the claim made by Santos who has already admitted to lying about key parts of his biography.

Another claim Santos made in the interview that's raising eyebrows that he survived an assassination attempt.

SANTOS (through translator): We have suffered life attack, assassination attempt, threatening letter, having to have security guards and police escorts standing in front of our house.

MCKEND: But Santos did not go in any further details or provide any other corroborating evidence.

In the same podcast, Santos suggested he was living comfortably, enough to make a pledge to donate his congressional salary to charity. He declined to answer questions about that vow on Tuesday.

REPORTER: On a Brazilian podcast, you said you would donate your salary, do you still plan to do that? MCKEND: The 34-year-ld did say he would cooperate with a potential

upcoming House ethics investigation.

REPORTER: Will you cooperate with an ethics investigation?

SANTOS: Absolutely.

MCKEND: Santos wasn't among his colleagues at the new member reception this evening at the White House, though he was invited.

SANTOS: I just didn't have the time. It wasn't on my schedule. Sorry.

REPORTER: What are you doing instead?

SANTOS: Constituent services.

MCKEND: Santos already facing questions about his future plans including whether he'll run for re-election.

REPORTER: Are you running for reelection?

SANTOS: Wow, it's so early for that question. I just got here guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKEND (on camera): And, Erin, I spent the day asking Santos' congressional staff about the many claims he made in that podcast interview. Despite my best efforts I did not get a response. Meanwhile, the concerned citizens of New York 3, a bipartisan group organized by Democrat, they're continuing to turn up the heat now calling on Republican conference chair, Elise Stefanik, their fellow New Yorker to use her leadership position in the GOP to push Santos out -- Erin.

BURNETT: Eva, thank you very much.

I want to go now to Flora Thomson-DeVeaux. She's the director of research for Radio Novelo and produced that podcast interview you just heard with George Santos.

So, Flora, I really appreciate your time. I guess I want to start off with, you know, we laid out the timing. Did you this interview with Santos after he won but before the world knew that all these things were lies. But you heard him telling all these stories. What were you thinking as he told you this?

FLORA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, RADIO NOVELO RESEARCH DIRECTOR: Yeah. That we did. The story was pitched to us at Novelo by a reporter by a magazine and he and we were really interested in Santos as a character, you know? As this person who came from the background that he came from, at the values he arrived at, who's made this impressive -- had this impressive career or had at that point in time.

So we sat down for an interview with him. And when we came out of it, I thought we didn't have a story. It was sort of a blend of cliches, platitudes, these really unsatisfying talking points. He was particularly interested in George Santos' comfortable life and he sort of reacted to any questions that we had by calling them indiscreet about his finances.

But in general, it just seemed like it was a blend of sort of like some -- there is fake news, fabulism and I made the judgment call we didn't need to give this guy more oxygen. And, well, by now that quickly became a mute point.

BURNETT: Right. But interestingly you say you felt there was fabulism. Some of the things he said and every time you asked about finances, he said discreet and tried to punt away. That is a significant detail. When he talked to you about his congressional salary, he obviously promised to donate to charity. I wasn't a throw away thing.

He laid out to you specifically how he was going to do it. Let me contemplate that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANTOS (through translator): It's $174,000 a year, which I even decided I'm not going to receive. I'm going to receive but I'm going to donate.

[19:35:01]

So I have already chosen four NGOs so each quarter, I'll be delivering a check for the net profit of my salary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Okay. Incredibly specific. He picked four NGOs. Ive quarter, every quarter, they' getting a check.

And so, then, today, he was asked about that very promise that he made in your podcast, and here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: On a Brazilian podcast, you said you'd donate your salary. Do you still plan to do that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Do you think any charity will ever see that salary?

THOMSON-DEVEAUX: Unclear. We also spoke to the man who was on the receiving end of the bad checks that Santos wrote in 2008. And he upon hearing that Santos was planning to donate his salary said that he would like to be put on a list of potential recipients. So there's that.

BURNETT: I want to play a little bit more of what he said to you about that alleged mugging in midtown Manhattan. He said it happened in broad daylight walking out of a commercial building. He was robbed and near Trump Tower. Here's what he said. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANTOS (through translator): It was in summer of 2021 on Fifth Avenue and 55th. I was robbed by two men. Before you ask, they weren't Black. They were white for that matter. They robbed me, took my bag, my shoes, and watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: So, robbed him, his bag, shoes, and watch. Obviously, that's a searing experience and it's very specific. And then NYPD source tells CNN there is no record of him reporting a mugging. What do you make of that, Flora?

THOMSON-DEVEAUX: I mean, it's one of my favorite exchanges in the interview. Just the way that he just asked, so they took your shoes in the middle of Fifth Avenue? It didn't pass the smell test immediately. And I don't know. It struck us as almost a fable or perhaps a horror story meant to make a point about how bad crime is in New York.

Afterwards, I was looking around. He didn't tell the story -- I found him telling it to one other show. But I kind of reasoned that reason he might be -- I thought if this happened to him, why hasn't he spoken about it more? You know, crime, you know, rising crime is a big part of the platform. That doesn't really make sense.

Then I thought maybe he's choosing to tell it to us now because he thinks that maybe it will pass the smell test for a Brazilian audience who is less familiar with New York. That's as far as I can get.

BURNETT: That's interesting. Interesting you had that, you know, all of that would require, you know, careful thought and planning and what you say and to whom and for what purpose.

All right. Flora, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. And thank you so much for sharing all of that tape with us. So valuable.

THOMSON-DEVEAUX: Sure.

BURNETT: And next, I'm going to talk to a woman just feet away from the alleged gunman accused of killing seven people near San Francisco. We'll hear and see what she saw as police took that shooter down.

Plus, Evelyn Yang, the wife of Andrew Yang with a legal victory tonight. Incredible moment. The doctor who sexually assaulted her when she was seven months pregnant has been found guilty of sex abuse charges, spend the rest of his life in prison. Evelyn Yang is OUTFRONT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, history of violence. CNN is learning the gunman accused of killing five men and two women in a community in the San Francisco Bay Area was also accused of trying to suffocate and threatening to murder a former co-worker at another job in 2013. This is according to court documents. The suspect 66-year-old Chunli Zhao was an employee on the Mountain

Mushroom Farm in Half Moon where he first started shooting. Now this is the second mass shooting in California in the past 48 hours. It comes after 11 people were killed in Monterey Park.

OUTFRONT now, Kati McHugh, captured this dramatic video of police taking the man they say killed his coworkers into custody.

And, Kati, this just unbelievable to see this. I know you're a community help advocate in Half Moon. You arrived at the sheriff's station where police where about to have a press conference to ask questions about the shooting that had just taken place at the farm. Very quickly you realized the suspect was there.

So right now, we're looking at the video that shared with us that you filmed. There are three law enforcement officials. Their guns are drawn, approaching the suspect's car. Tell me what you saw and what you were thinking at this moment.

KATI MCHUGH, CAPTURED VIDEO OF POLICE ARRESTING ALLEGED HALF MOON BAY SHOOTER: We were surprised. I was very thankful for how calmly the deputy was handling the situation because I was in and out of my car with our driver side doors aligned with each other for probably 10 or 15 minutes before that. He had been sitting there in the station parking lot, which is not uncommon in that lot.

So, when I realized or I told the videographer, I said that's the car they're looking for. We need to get that. That is the vehicle. So I got back behind a tree. He did his videographer thing and got down on one knee. It was pretty shocking that we were sitting there together for 15 minutes.

BURNETT: I mean, it is shocking. And as you see, we're watching the film here of the officers very quickly tackling the suspect to the ground, handcuffing him. But you mention sort of how they acted. What was their demeanor while the arrest was taking place? What was the demeanor for the suspect?

MCHUGH: The deputy got him from across the parking lot as he was pulling into the lot. One of my videos showed them bringing the suspect into the closed lot for the police department, the secure lot. And I was surprised. This deputy had gone to the middle of the parking lot.

I went up to get something out of the passenger side and the deputy asked me to step away from the car and get back further and further. But with doing so it calmly that I never felt like I was in any danger. So -- and then he called a couple of plain clothed that responded out of the substation, we kind of crossed paths as I backed up to the substation too.

BURNETT: And looks like we --

MCHUGH: And honestly --

[19:45:08] BURNETT: All right. Well, Kati, thank you very much. And I think we heard almost all of that. I'm sorry there's a little bit of technical difficulty there at the very end. But thanks so much to you.

And next, the wife of Andrew Yang, Evelyn Yang, she bravely spoke out accusing her doctor of sexual assault when pregnant. And she has won a long legal battle. Her former gynecologist found guilty of federal sex abuse charges. Yang got hundreds of women to come forward with their stories of abuse, and she's next.

Plus, breaking news out of Texas. Crews searching for survivors after a string of devastating tornadoes tore through the state.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, major development in a story we've been following here on OUTFRONT.

Evelyn Yang, the wife of 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang winning a long legal battle tonight against her former doctor, OB/GYN Robert Hadden of Columbia University and New York Presbyterian.

Yang says she was sexually assaulted by Hadden in 2012 in his exam room at the time she was seven months pregnant.

Here she is sharing her story with our Dana Bash. I want to warn you it is graphic and disturbing. We feel it is important for everyone to understand what happened here.

[19:50:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVELYN YANG, WIFE OF ANDREW YANG: I was in the exam room and I was dressed and ready to go. And then at the last minute, he made up an excuse. He said, something about, I think you're -- you might need a C section. And he proceeded to grab me over to him, and then undressed me and examined me internally ungloved. And at first, I was a little bit like, what was going on here?

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And there was no one else in the room?

YANG: In fact, when I think back to most of our exams, I don't think there was anybody in room. Yeah.

BASH: You thought to yourself this isn't just inappropriate banter. This is much different.

YANG: Oh, at that moment, I knew it was wrong. I knew. I said -- I knew I was being assaulted.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Since that incredible and courageous interview that Dana Bash did with Evelyn first aired OUTFRONT, hundreds of women came forward, and they all said they too had been assaulted by Hadden. Seemed to be a serial predator situation.

And tonight, Hadden has been found guilty, convicted of federal abuse charges, and he faces a maximum of 80 years in prison. He is expected to be sentenced in April.

And Evelyn Yang joins me now.

Evelyn, when this happened today, I know you were there. You were in court for the verdict. What was that moment like for you?

YANG: Just incredible relief. Unbelievable relief. We knew that the verdict was probably going to come in today. And so as you can imagine, I didn't get much sleep last night, barely at all. And so even right now, I feel like I should be overjoyed with the verdict, but I am feeling a little discombobulated. I'm still digesting what's happened.

But I feel such relief and gratitude, you know. The fact that we almost had a second chance at it, right? So, the first time he was convicted, he basically got a slap on the wrist. And this time I feel like it was the first time in this trial that a fuller extent of his crimes were presented and considered, and the fact that the jury deliberated for maybe an hour.

BURNETT: It was so short. You had to have been worried what could that --

YANG: I didn't know what it meant. We didn't -- none of us knew what it meant. And we just stood together, the survivors, Hadden survivors in the courtroom were all standing together holding hands, gripping each other's hands. And, you know, hoping for the best, but bracing ourselves for the worst.

And when we heard the word "guilty," you could hear people just crying out loud, just this collective sigh of relief. But it just felt surreal after all that time. I had come forward about him anonymously back in 2013, and then publicly in 2020. So it's been a long time.

BURNETT: It has been a long time. You've had to live with this. But it was courageous to come out and talk about those things and to put that out there. That is why this ended up happening. And I know that being in the courtroom was important to you. But it was putting you in the same room where he was.

YANG: Right.

BURNETT: Which you hadn't been since you were assaulted.

YANG: Right. And to be honest, I wasn't sure if I could do that. I wasn't sure if I could put myself again in the same room as him. But it was important to me to overcome that fear and be there and be there for the other women as well who are called on to testify. Not all of us were called on to testify. But there were many Hadden survivors who were there every day of the trial. And today was very special to be together for this verdict. BURNETT: And I know that there are many women, obviously hundreds

here involved in this case. But there are others as well. And the last time you came on this show, literally hundreds of women came forward. They saw you and they started copping forward. They heard you and they saw you and came forward with their story.

What action can people do now if they want to speak out about something that happened in the past?

YANG: Right. Well, as of November 2022, the Adult Survivors Act went into effect, and something that I'm very proud of, because it was very much a survivor-led initiative, and something that I started being an advocate for because of my experience with Dr. Robert Hadden.

[19:55:16]

You know, when I came forward, like you said, hundreds of women also came forward knowing that they weren't alone now. But for the vast majority of them, they were told basically, I'm sorry, but it's too late. This happened to you ten years ago, 20 years ago, and the statutes have expired.

And so the Adult Survivors Act opens up a window so that no matter when the abuse happened, you have a year to file a claim in court if you were sexually assaulted in the state of New York. So this will help I hope so many survivors, not just Hadden survivors.

BURNETT: Evelyn, thank you so much. I know so many thank you for the difference you've made in this. So thank you so much.

YANG: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, the breaking news. Catastrophic images. A Texas tornado just tearing through the Houston area. We're going tell you what we know, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Breaking news. We are getting new images in tonight of the catastrophic damage left behind after a tornado tore through Pasadena, Texas, which just outside Houston. Officials are now digging through the debris, looking for anyone who may be trapped. Homes and offices have been ripped apart, cars overturned. So far we understand officials are reporting just one injury, which is incredible given that devastation.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Anderson starts now.