>> THINK ABOUT IT. YOU'RE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF YOUR
NEW JOB, THE BIGGEST JOB OF YOUR LIFE.
AND YOU GET THIS INFORMATION. AND IT IS STUNNING INFORMATION.
AND IT IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY BAD NEWS FOR THE BOSS.
IMAGINE YOURSELF IN THAT SITUATION.
SHE WAS ACTUALLY IN HER SEVENTH DAY AS ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
OF THE UNITED STATES. THAT'S WHEN SALLY YATES WAS TOLD
A STORY THAT NO ATTORNEY GENERAL IN HISTORY HAD EVER HEARD.
THERE WAS NO PLAYBOOK TO CONSULT.
THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE
PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER HAD BEEN LYING ABOUT HIS
CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT AND COULD BE
BLACKMAILED BY THE RUSSIANS. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
MICHAEL FLYNN WAS IN HIS SEVENTH DAY ON THE JOB.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WAS IN HIS SEVENTH DAY ON
THE JOB. SALLY YATES CALLED THE WHITE
HOUSE COUNSEL, WHO WAS IN HIS SEVENTH DAY ON THE JOB.
SHE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH THE WHITE HOUSE CONNELL, DON McGANN,
AND LATER THAT SAME DAY, THE MEETING HAPPENED.
>> THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER ESSENTIALLY COULD BE BLACKMAILED
BY THE RUSSIANS. FINALLY, WE TOLD THEM THAT WE
WERE GIVING THEM ALL OF THIS INFORMATION SO THAT THEY COULD
TAKE ACTION. THE ACTION THAT THEY DEEMED
APPROPRIATE. I REMEMBER THAT MR. McGANN ASKED
ME WHETHER OR NOT GENERAL FLYNN SHOULD BE FIRED.
AND I TOLD HIM THAT REALLY WASN'T OUR CALL THAT WAS UP TO
THEM. BUT THAT WE WERE GIVING THEM
THIS INFORMATION SO THEY COULD TAKE ACTION.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST MEETING. >> AND THE ONLY ACTION THAT THE
WHITE HOUSE TOOK WAS THAT THE NEXT DAY DON McGANN ASKED SALLY
YATES TO COME BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE TO DISCUSS THE SAME
SUBJECT AGAIN. >> THE FIRST TOPIC IN THE SECOND
MEETING WAS ESSENTIALLY WHY DOES IT MATTER TO DOJ IF ONE WHITE
HOUSE OFFICIAL LIES TO ANOTHER. THE SECOND TOPIC RELATED TO THE
APPLICABILITY OF CRIMINAL STATUTES AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WOULD PURSUE A CRIMINAL CASE.
THE THIRD TOPIC WAS HIS CONCERN THAT THEIR TAKING ACTION MIGHT
INTERFERE WITH AN INVESTIGATION OF MR. FLYNN.
AND THE FOURTH TOPIC WAS HIS REQUEST TO SEE THE UNDERLYING I
EVIDENCE. >> SALLY YATES THEN RECOUNTED
EACH ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE SECOND MEETING IN DETAIL.
THE ONE THAT STUNNED MOST OF THE SENATORS WAS THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY IT WAS A PROBLEM THAT THE NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER WAS LYING ABOUT HIS CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIANS.
WE'LL SHOW YOU SOME OF WHAT SENATORS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT
IN A MOMENT. THE NEXT DAY, SALLY YATES CALLED
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL, YES, SHE DECIDED THAT THE WHITE HOUSE
COUNSEL COULD COME TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE THE
UNDERLYING EVIDENCE IN THE FLYNN CASE.
SHE DOESN'T KNOW IF THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL EVER DID THAT,
BECAUSE THAT SAME NIGHT SHE WAS FIRED BY THE PRESIDENT FOR
REFUSING TO TRY TO DEFEND THE PRESIDENT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL
TRAVEL BAN IN FEDERAL COURT. THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER
ON BANNING ENTRANCE TO THE UNITED STATES BUZZ BLOCKED BY
FEDERAL JUDGES FROM BOSTON TO SEATTLE AND WAS CLEARLY SO
DESPERATELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL THAT THE PRESIDENT EVENTUALLY
COMPLETELY WITH DREW IT. WHILE THE PRESIDENT WAS TRYING
AND FAILING TO GET HIS TRAVEL BAN ENFORCED, HE TOOK NO ACTION
TO BAN MICHAEL FLYNN FROM ACCESS TO HIGHLY CLASSIFIED MATERIAL,
EVEN THOUGH THE WHITE HOUSE HAD BEEN WARNED THAT MICHAEL FLYNN
COULD, QUOTE, BE BLACKMAILED BY THE RUSSIANS.
>> GENERAL FLYNN CONTINUED TO HIRE KEY SENIOR STAFF ON THE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, ANNOUNCE NEW SANCTIONS ON IRAN'S
BALLISTIC MISSILE PROGRAM, MET WITH JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER
SHINZO ABE ALONG WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AT MAR-A-LAGO AND
PARTICIPATED IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A NORTH KOREA MISSILE
LAUNCH AND SPOKE REPEATEDLY TO THE PRESS ABOUT HIS DISCUSSIONS
WITH RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR SERGEY KISLYAK.
>> HERE IS MICHAEL FLYNN ON THE JOB SIX DAYS AFTER THE WHITE
HOUSE COUNCIL WAS TOLD THAT HE COULD BE BLACKMAILED BY THE
RUSSIANS. >> AS OF TODAY, WE ARE
OFFICIALLY PUTTING IRAN ON NOTICE.
>> WE DON'T KNOW IF THE PRESIDENT WAS ON NOTICE THAT
MICHAEL FLYNN COULD BE BLACKMAILED BY THE RUSSIANS.
WE DON'T YET KNOW KNOW WHO THE HOUSE COUNSEL TOLD ABOUT THIS.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THE WHITE HOUSE TOOK NO ACTION, NO
ACTION AT ALL, UNTIL "THE WASHINGTON POST" RAN A STORY
BASED ON A LEAK FROM AN UNKNOWN SOURCE SAYING THAT SALLY YATES
HAD WARNED THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT MICHAEL FLYNN.
IT TOOK 18 DAYS FOR MICHAEL FLYNN TO BE FIRED AFTER THE
WHITE HOUSE WAS WARNED THAT HE COULD BE BLACKMAILED BY THE
RUSSIANS. THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT MICHAEL FLYNN WAS EVER GOING TO BE FIRED.
IF "THE WASHINGTON POST" HAD NOT EXPOSED HIM.
THERE WERE SOME REPUBLICANCAN SENATORS AT TODAY'S HEARING WHO
CARE MORE ABOUT THE LEAK TO "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAN THEY
APPEARED TO CARE ABOUT MICHAEL FLYNN BEING COMPROMISED BY THE
RUSSIANS. >> NEXT QUESTION.
HAVE EITHER OF YOU EVER BEEN AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE IN A NEWS
REPORT ABOUT MATTERS RELATING TO MR. TRUMP, HIS ASSOCIATES, OR
RUSSIA'S ATTEMPT TO MEDDLE IN THE ELECTION?
>>> NO. >> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
>> WE NOW KNOW ACCORDING TO AN NBC NEWS REPORT TODAY THAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA WARNED DONALD TRUMTRUMP NOT TO HIRE MICHAEL F
WHEN THEY HAD A 90-MINUTE MEETING IN THE OVAL OFFICE TWO
DAVIS ELECTION, AND STILL WITH A PRESIDENTIAL WARNING NOT TO HIRE
SOMEONE, GIVEN BY THE PRESIDENT WHO FIRED THAT PERSON, DONALD
TRUMP HIRED MICHAEL FLYNN. AND WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO
BELIEVE THAT MICHAEL FLYNN WOULD STILL BE THE PRESIDENT'S
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER IF SOMEONE INSIDE THE GOVERNMENT
HAD NOT DONE THE RIGHT THING AND LEAKED THE TRUTH ABOUT MICHAEL
FLYNN TO "THE WASHINGTON POST" THIS STORY FOLLOWS THE WELL-WORN
PATH OF THE PREVIOUS MOST IMPORTANT PRESIDENTIAL SCANDAL
IN HISTORY, THE WATERGATE SCANDAL IN THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION. THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION
EVENTUALLY COLLAPSED. THE PRESIDENT RESIGNED ON THE
VERGE OF BEING IMPEACHED IN PART BECAUSE SOMEONE INSIDE THE
GOVERNMENT KEPT LEAKING INFORMATION TO "THE WASHINGTON
POST," TO BOB WOODWARD AND CARL BERNSTEIN.
48 MEMBERS OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION WERE CONVICTED OF
CRIMES. NIXON'S ATTORNEY GENERAL WENT TO
PRISON. HIS WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL WENT TO
PRISON. AND LEAKS TO "THE WASHINGTON
POST" ARE PART OF WHAT KEPT THE MOMENTUM GOING IN THE WATERGATE
INVESTIGATION. AND THE LEAK TO "THE WASHINGTON
POST" THAT WAS CONDEMNED BY REPUBLICAN SENATORS TODAY IS
OBVIOUSLY WHAT GOT MICHAEL FLYNN FIRED.
SALLY YATES TESTIFIED UNDER OATH TODAY THAT SHE WAS NOT THE
SOURCE OF THAT LEAK. SO THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK TO
"THE WASHINGTON POST" MIGHT ON THE ONE HAND BE GUILTY OF A
CRIME FOR LEAKING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, IS THE ANONYMOUS HERO WHO HAS TAKEN A
CHANCE SO THAT AMERICA CAN KNOW THE TRUTH.
>> WITHOUT THE FREE PRESS TELLING US A LOT OF WHAT WENT
ON, MICHAEL FLYNN MIGHT STILL BE SITTING IN THE WHITE HOUSE AS
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. >> JOINING US NOW, TIM MAK,
DAVID CORN, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF FOR MOTHER JONES AND AN
MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST. TIM AND DAVID WERE BOTH AT THAT
HEARING TODAY. MIEKE EOYANG, FORMER HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE STAFFER AND DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
SECURITY PROGRAM AT THE THIRD WAY.
AND NED PRICE. NED IS A FORMER SENIOR DIRECTOR
AND SPOKESPERSON FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND A
MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR. MIEKE, I KNOW YOU HAVE SAT IN
HEARING LIKE THIS, BUT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A HEARING LIKE THIS.
YOU HAVE CERTAINLY SAT IN HEARINGS BEHIND MEMBERS URGING
THEM TO ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS, THINKING OF CERTAIN QUESTIONS.
AND YOU MUST HAVE HAD SOME OF THAT EXPERIENCE TODAY WATCHING
THIS HEARING. WAS THERE A QUESTION THAT YOU
WISH WERE ASKED OR IF THEY WERE ASKED, WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS THE
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION? >> SO I THINK THERE WERE A
NUMBER OF REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TODAY ASKED.
AND SALLY YATES DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF ANSWERING THEM.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN
ASKED IS THAT WE HAD HEARD FROM DIRECTOR CLAP THEY'RE THE WHITE
HOUSE WAS TRYING TO INVOKE EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE TO NOT GET
HIM TO TESTIFY ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS.
AND WE ASSUME THAT THEY MADE SIMILAR REQUESTS TO SALLY YATES.
SO THE QUESTION THEN THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT IS
THE WHITE HOUSE NOT WANTING THEM TO TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE
TESTIFYING BEFORE CONGRESS. BECAUSE THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF
INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN'T SHARE WITH PEOPLE.
AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MIGHT WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE WHITE
HOUSE IS INTERESTED IN HIDING THINGS.
>> NED PRICE, WHAT WAS THE HIGH POINT FOR YOU OR THE POINT YOU
THINK PEOPLE SHOULD FOCUS ON? AND WAS THERE SOMETHING UNSAID
THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE EXPLORED AT TD AT THIS HEA?
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, LAWRENCE. FOR ME THERE WERE THREE KEY
TAKEAWAYS. THE SECOND IS THAT SALLY YATES
IN VERY SHORT ORDER OBLITERATED THIS NOTION, THIS FICTION THAT
ALL SHE OFFERED TO THE WHITE HOUSE WAS A MERE HEADS UP THAT
THERE WERE SOME INCONSISTENCIES IN PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT
GENERAL FLYNN'S ACTIONS. THE SECOND WAS THIS POINT ABOUT
UNDERLYING CONDUCT. UNDERLYING CONDUCT, SHE SAID,
THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC IN AND OF ITSELF.
NOW TO ME, THAT SMELLED LIKE IT COULD BE A REFERENCE TO THE
LOGAN ACT, THE 1799 STATUTE THAT MAKES IT A CRIME TO ATTEMPT TO
SUBVERT UNITED STATES FOREIGN POLICY BY A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL.
BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING EVEN MORE SINISTER.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW. AND WHEN SALLY YATES WAS
PRESSED, SHE WOULDN'T GO THERE. BUT PERHAPS MOST INTERESTING,
AND THIRD FOR ME WAS THE DIVERGENCE OF THE ANSWERS THAT
WE SAW BETWEEN DIRECTOR CLAPPER AND SALLY YATES WHEN THEY WERE
BOTH ASKED IF THEY HAD SEEN ANY INDICATIONS OF COLLUSION BETWEEN
MEMBERS OF THE TRUMP TEAM AND THE RUSSIANS.
DIRECTOR CLAPPER WAS VERY SUCCINCT.
HE SAID NO. SALLY YATES, HOWEVER, THEN SAID
THAT IN ORDER TO ANSWER THAT, SHE WOULD HAVE TO BETRAY
CLASSIFIED EQUITIES. AND I FOUND THAT TO BE A VERY
INTERESTING ANSWER. BECAUSE TYPICALLY THE LACK OF
INFORMATION IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT CLASSIFIED.
TO ME THAT SUGGESTED THAT SHE IS PRIVY TO SOMETHING THAT DIRECTOR
CLAPPER WAS NOT THAT LED HER NOT TO ANSWER THAT SINGLE QUESTION.
>> I WANT TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING THAT SEAN SPICER SAID ON
FEBRUARY 14th. THIS IS WHEN HE MADE THAT
REFERENCE TO THAT ALL SALLY YATES DID WAS GIVE US A HEADS
UP. BUT HE ALSO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT
THE UNDERLYING CONDUCT. LET'S LISTEN TO THIS.
>> THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL INFORMED THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL
THAT THEY WANTED TO GIVE, QUOTE, A HEADS UP TO US ON SOME
COMMENTS THAT MAY HAVE SEEMED IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT HE HAD SENT
THE VICE PRESIDENT OUT IN PARTICULAR.
THE WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL INFORMED THE PRESIDENT IMMEDIATELY.
THE PRESIDENT ASKED HIM TO CONDUCT A REVIEW OF WHETHER
THERE WAS A LEGAL SITUATION THERE.
THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY DETERMINED THAT THERE WASN'T.
THAT WAS WHAT THE PRESIDENT BELIEVED AT THE TIME FROM WHAT
HE HAD BEEN TOLD. AND HE WAS PROVED TO BE CORRECT.
THE ISSUE PURE AND SIMPLE CAME DOWN TO A MATTER OF TRUST.
>> DAVID CORN, IT'S SO STRIKING. FIRST OF ALL, WE KNOW THAT IT'S
COMPLETELY FALSE WHEN SEAN SPICER SAYS IT WAS A HEADS UP
THAT THERE MAY HAVE -- THAT THERE MAY HAVE SEEMED IN
CONFLICT. STATEMENT MIGHT HAVE SEEMED IN
CONFLICT. THAT IS NOT WHAT SALLY YATES
SAID. SHE SAID LYING.
SO WE KNOW THAT SEAN SPICER IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH IN THE
FIRST PART OF THAT ANSWER. BUT HE GETS INTO THE
PARTICULARS. HE SAYS THAT DON McGANN, THE
PRESIDENT TOLD DON McGANN TO FIND FOUGHT THERE WAS ANYTHING
CRIMINAL OR ANYTHING IN THE UNDERLYING CONDUCT THAT WAS
WORTHY OF REVIEW. AND SEAN SPICER SAYS THAT WAS
IMMEDIATELY DETERMINED THAT THERE WASN'T.
>> WHILE THE FBI WAS INVESTIGATING FLYNN AT THE TIME
AND MIGHT STILL WELL BE. BUT THE KEY THING HERE WHEN HE
SAYS THAT, HE IS NOT REALLY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT NOT JUST
THAT SALLY YATES SAID THAT FLYNN HAD BEEN LYING, BUT THAT SALLY
YATES HAD SAID HE WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUSSIAN
BLACKMAIL. I MEAN, THAT MAY NOT BE A CRIME,
BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT'S A SERIOUS MATTER.
AND SO THIS IS NOT A HEADS-UP IF THE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL
COMES TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND SAYS YOUR TOP NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER IS VULNERABLE TO RUSSIAN BLACKMAIL.
I THINK YOU OUGHT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
SO HE, YOU KNOW, SPICER -- THIS IS A COVER-UP.
HE WAS COVERING UP THE ESSENTIAL MESSAGE THAT SALLY YATES WAS
BRINGING TO THE WHITE HOUSE. AND YOU STILL HAD, YOU KNOW,
EVEN AFTER "THE WASHINGTON POST" STORY COMING OUT, DONALD TRUMP
AND OTHERS SAYING THAT HE IS A GOOD MAN.
THERE WAS THIS ONE ISSUE OF A SMALL LIE HE TOLD TO MIKE PENCE.
THAT WASN'T THE ISSUE. SO THEY BEEN STONEWALLING,
COVERING UP. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
GOING TO SAY TOMORROW. BUT WILL THEY ADMIT THAT THEY
WERE TOLD THAT FLYNN WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO BLACKMAIL AND
TELL US WHAT THEY DID ABOUT IT? IF THIS HAD BEEN A DEMOCRATIC
ADMINISTRATION IN A FIX LIKE THIS, THERE WOULD BE 27
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS BY TONIGHT WITH SUBPOENAS FLYING IN
EVERY WHICH DIRECTION. >> I WANT TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING
THAT SENATOR BLUMENTHAL SAID IDENTIFYING A POSSIBLE CRIME
THAT MICHAEL FLYNN COMMITTED IN POSSIBLY LYING TO THE FBI.
LET'S LISTEN TO THIS. >> ISN'T IT A FACT THAT MICHAEL
FLYNN LIED TO THE FBI? >> AND I CAN'T REVEAL THE
INTERNAL FBI INVESTIGATION. SENATOR, EVEN THOUGH THAT PART
WOULD NOT TECHNICALLY BE CLASSIFIED, IT'S AN ONGOING
INVESTIGATION, AND I CAN'T REVEAL THAT.
>> DID YOU TELL DONALD McGANN THAT THEN NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER FLYNN TOLD THE TRUTH TO THE FBI?
>> NO. HE ASKED ME HOW HE HAD DONE IN
THE INTERVIEW, AND I SPECIFICALLY DECLINED TO ANSWER
THAT. >> BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF AN
INVESTIGATION? >> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> TIM MAK, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PARTICULARLY DRAMATIC MOMENT
THERE IS DON McGANN TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW DID THAT FBI
INTERVIEW GO. BECAUSE HE KNOWS LYING TO THE
FBI IS A CRIME. HE SAYS HOW DID HE DO IN THE
INTERVIEW? SALLY YATES VERY DELIBERATELY
REFUSING TO ANSWER. >> RIGHT.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT COULD MICHAEL FLYNN HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT? A COUPLE ISSUES JUST OFF THE TOP
OF YOUR HEAD. IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT
THAT COULD HAVE BEEN. COULD IT HAVE BEEN WHETHER HE
PROPERLY DISCLOSED THE NATURE OF HIS CONTACTS WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR? COULD IT HAVE BEEN WHETHER HE
PROPERLY AND TRUTHFULLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS CONTACTS
WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PRIOR TO SPEAKING TO THE
AMBASSADOR. DID HE DISCUSS SANCTIONS
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