WEBVTT 00:01.466 --> 00:03.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: A new twist in the impeachment inquiry. 00:03.433 --> 00:07.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Two associates of Rudy Giuliani who were to appear before Congress today and tomorrow 00:09.400 --> 00:12.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% have been arrested on charges of violating campaign finance law. 00:12.433 --> 00:17.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The two, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, were apprehended at Dulles International Airport 00:18.866 --> 00:21.766 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in Washington with one-way tickets out of the country. 00:21.766 --> 00:26.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% This afternoon, a U.S. attorney in New York and assistant director of the FBI laid out 00:28.666 --> 00:31.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the severity of the charges and how they strike at the heart of our democratic system. 00:31.766 --> 00:35.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% GEOFFREY BERMAN, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York: They sought political influence 00:35.066 --> 00:39.966 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% not only to advance their own financial interests, but to advance the political interests of 00:39.966 --> 00:44.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% at least one foreign official, a Ukrainian government official, who sought the dismissal 00:46.200 --> 00:48.266 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. 00:48.266 --> 00:52.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% WILLIAM SWEENEY, Assistant FBI Director: These allegations are not about some technicality, 00:52.000 --> 00:56.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% a civil violation or an error on form. 00:56.366 --> 01:00.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% This investigation is about corrupt behavior, deliberate lawbreaking. 01:00.266 --> 01:05.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: To examine these latest developments and how the American public views them, our 01:06.333 --> 01:08.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% own Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor. 01:08.533 --> 01:09.900 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Hello to both of you. 01:09.900 --> 01:11.100 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% So much going on. 01:11.100 --> 01:13.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Yamiche, I'm going to come to you first. 01:13.200 --> 01:15.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Tell us who these men are. 01:15.366 --> 01:17.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And what is their connection to Rudy Giuliani? 01:17.433 --> 01:22.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Well, the allegations laid out against them are very serious in this 01:22.033 --> 01:24.066 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% 21-page indictment. 01:24.066 --> 01:28.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Parnas and Fruman are accused of trying to channel and funnel foreign money into U.S. 01:29.466 --> 01:32.000 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% elections to try to interfere with U.S. elections. 01:32.000 --> 01:35.366 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% They're accused of setting up a company to mask hundreds of thousands of dollars of donations 01:35.366 --> 01:40.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to foreign -- to U.S. politicians and candidates in a pro-Trump super PAC. 01:42.366 --> 01:45.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They are accused of also working with President Trump and Rudy Giuliani to pressure Ukraine 01:46.566 --> 01:48.700 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% to investigate Joe Biden. 01:48.700 --> 01:51.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% That's really important, because, even as Rudy Giuliani is saying he's not really connected 01:51.933 --> 01:55.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% with these two men in terms of the work that they were doing, these two men are accused 01:55.766 --> 01:58.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of essentially trying to meddle in these elections by using this money. 01:58.933 --> 02:02.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, it's also important to note that these are two men that House Democrats want to know 02:02.500 --> 02:04.533 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% a lot about. 02:04.533 --> 02:08.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% There are photos of President Trump and these two men circling around on the Internet, both 02:09.666 --> 02:11.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% with Rudy Giuliani and with the president. 02:11.366 --> 02:13.833 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% The president just took questions about this on the White House lawn. 02:13.833 --> 02:15.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% He says: I don't know these two men. 02:15.933 --> 02:18.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% I take photos with a lot of different people. 02:18.500 --> 02:22.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The president said that he hopes Rudy Giuliani doesn't get indicted, but he wouldn't say 02:22.533 --> 02:25.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% whether or not he was concerned about that. 02:25.000 --> 02:28.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% It's also important to note that these two men were arrested, as you said, with one-way 02:28.833 --> 02:30.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% tickets on an international flight. 02:30.866 --> 02:33.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Federal prosecutors are essentially saying they were trying to get out of town. 02:33.300 --> 02:36.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Rudy Giuliani says that they were just going on a business trip. 02:36.200 --> 02:38.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, so again, so much to follow. 02:38.833 --> 02:43.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, Lisa, tell us more about how all this relates to Ukraine, as Yamiche mentioned, 02:44.966 --> 02:47.066 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and to the House impeachment inquiry. 02:47.066 --> 02:49.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: There are so many complicated threads, but here are the connections we know 02:49.033 --> 02:51.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% about right now distinctly. 02:51.133 --> 02:56.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% First of all, we know that these two men worked not only for Rudy Giuliani, but, specifically, 02:57.933 --> 03:01.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that they assisted the president's work -- Giuliani's work for President Trump. 03:01.033 --> 03:05.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% We also know from reports from many different outlets that these two were pushing Ukraine 03:05.333 --> 03:09.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% to investigate Vice President Biden and his son Hunter Biden. 03:09.033 --> 03:13.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Also, these two men are cited in the whistle-blower complaint. 03:13.400 --> 03:16.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% So it does draw together some of these threads. 03:16.433 --> 03:21.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Judy, also today, we had a new subpoena, not only for these two men, but for Energy Secretary 03:22.033 --> 03:23.400 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% Rick Perry. 03:23.400 --> 03:25.466 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% How does that connect? 03:25.466 --> 03:29.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Part of that subpoena is asking for information about why Perry was pushing for a change in 03:31.033 --> 03:32.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% management at a Ukrainian energy company. 03:32.966 --> 03:36.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Who else might have an interest in that Ukrainian energy company? 03:36.700 --> 03:41.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Democrats say these two men also had interest in that Ukrainian energy company. 03:41.333 --> 03:45.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% So a lot of sort of early edges to this puzzle. 03:45.033 --> 03:47.100 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Many questions still remain. 03:47.100 --> 03:50.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Now, separately from all this, Yamiche, we have the results now of a new 03:50.933 --> 03:55.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% poll, "PBS NewsHour"/NPR/Marist, looking at how voters are reacting to the impeachment 03:58.266 --> 03:59.266 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% inquiry. 03:59.266 --> 04:01.266 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% What do we see from that? 04:01.266 --> 04:04.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This new poll that is out this afternoon shows that a slim majority 04:04.233 --> 04:08.766 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of Americans now support going forward with an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. 04:08.766 --> 04:11.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I want to walk you through some of the numbers. 04:11.600 --> 04:15.566 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% The poll shows that national support for an impeachment inquiry has actually been up after 04:15.566 --> 04:17.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% - - from two weeks ago. 04:17.633 --> 04:20.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Two weeks ago, 49 percent of U.S. adults supported an impeachment inquiry. 04:20.666 --> 04:22.766 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% Now it's 52 percent. 04:22.766 --> 04:26.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That -- those numbers dovetail with The Washington Post and FOX News and a number of other polls 04:26.833 --> 04:29.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% who show that the majority of Americans want to see an impeachment inquiry. 04:29.466 --> 04:32.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I also want to walk through that independents are a big part of this. 04:32.866 --> 04:37.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Two weeks ago, when we took this poll, 44 percent of independents supported an impeachment 04:37.133 --> 04:38.866 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% inquiry. 04:38.866 --> 04:42.600 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Now the poll that's out today shows an uptick of 10 points to 54 percent. 04:42.600 --> 04:44.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% That's -- that's bad news for President Trump. 04:44.666 --> 04:48.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He wouldn't answer questions about this poll specifically at the White House lawn today. 04:48.466 --> 04:52.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% But what it tells you is that the president is essentially facing more pressure with impeachment 04:52.733 --> 04:56.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% inquiry, as he says that he did nothing wrong, as he says that he doesn't want to comply 04:56.466 --> 04:57.466 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% with House Democrats. 04:57.466 --> 04:59.433 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Fascinating. 04:59.433 --> 05:01.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And, Lisa, I know they're watching all this closely on Capitol Hill. 05:01.933 --> 05:02.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% What are you learning from there? 05:02.933 --> 05:04.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: They are. 05:04.466 --> 05:07.400 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Democrats were not sort of like jumping in the aisles over this. 05:07.400 --> 05:12.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But they do feel that this adds to the cloud over the Trump presidency, and it raises more 05:14.433 --> 05:17.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% questions about corruption in his administration and among those around him. 05:17.333 --> 05:20.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So they obviously are trying to get details themselves, but they think that this adds 05:20.533 --> 05:25.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to what they see as their narrative, which is, this is an administration that tries to 05:25.500 --> 05:28.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% cross legal boundaries on a regular basis. 05:28.400 --> 05:32.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Now, Democrats are also paying attention to some other kind of effects of this. 05:32.433 --> 05:36.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% As part of the indictment today, it named - - it said these two men had been reaching 05:36.266 --> 05:38.633 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% out to a specific congressman. 05:38.633 --> 05:43.633 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% We know, from transactions, dates, times and other reporting, that that congressman is 05:43.633 --> 05:45.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% former Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas. 05:45.566 --> 05:47.000 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% There he is right there. 05:47.000 --> 05:48.600 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% He's not just any Republican. 05:48.600 --> 05:52.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% He was chairman of the Rules Committee, a very powerful position. 05:52.066 --> 05:56.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The allegation here in the indictment is that these two men were trying to get him -- to 05:56.633 --> 06:01.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% leverage donations with him to get him to pressure for the ouster of that Ukrainian 06:01.366 --> 06:03.366 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% ambassador. 06:03.366 --> 06:05.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% He has released a statement saying there was no such transaction, no request. 06:05.733 --> 06:07.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% I never did anything like that. 06:07.533 --> 06:10.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% But, Judy, he's trying to get back into Congress. 06:10.266 --> 06:13.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And so this is again where Democrats see a gain for them. 06:13.566 --> 06:17.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Two other quick notes about what's happening with Democrats tonight. 06:17.233 --> 06:22.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Nancy Pelosi is planning a call tomorrow afternoon with all of the Democratic members in Congress. 06:23.400 --> 06:25.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% They're going -- or in the House, rather. 06:25.366 --> 06:27.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% They're going to talk about impeachment and talk about things like, do they hold a full 06:27.833 --> 06:28.866 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% House vote? 06:28.866 --> 06:30.233 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% What do they do next? 06:30.233 --> 06:32.233 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% How fast do they move? 06:32.233 --> 06:36.100 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% As these layers pile up, Democrats again will have to choose which ones they pursue and 06:36.100 --> 06:38.400 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% for how long. 06:38.400 --> 06:42.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Finally, tomorrow, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who we keep bringing up, the one that Giuliani 06:43.600 --> 06:46.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% wanted out, is supposed to testify behind closed doors. 06:46.666 --> 06:49.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And my Democratic sources say, even though she's still at the State Department, they 06:49.833 --> 06:50.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% think she's going to come. 06:50.833 --> 06:51.833 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% We will see. 06:51.833 --> 06:52.833 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% It's tomorrow morning. 06:52.833 --> 06:54.366 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% We will know within 24 hours. 06:54.366 --> 06:56.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Her testimony was delayed from last week. 06:56.366 --> 06:58.500 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% LISA DESJARDINS: That's right. 06:58.500 --> 07:01.133 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: And you remind us, there has not been a formal vote yet to pursue an impeachment 07:01.133 --> 07:02.366 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% inquiry. 07:02.366 --> 07:03.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% LISA DESJARDINS: Not by the full House. 07:03.133 --> 07:04.400 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% That's right. 07:04.400 --> 07:04.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% JUDY WOODRUFF: Lisa and Yamiche, thank you both.