WEBVTT 00:01.933 --> 00:04.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And for more on the attorney general's testimony, I'm now joined by the 00:04.233 --> 00:07.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. 00:07.333 --> 00:10.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% He is Representative Adam Schiff of California. 00:10.100 --> 00:12.266 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Congressman Schiff, thank you for joining us. 00:12.266 --> 00:17.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I know you paid close attention to what was said today by the attorney general. 00:17.066 --> 00:22.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Did you come away with a better understanding of what has happened over the last year? 00:22.566 --> 00:23.800 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 00:23.800 --> 00:25.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% ADAM SCHIFF (D), California: I did. 00:25.833 --> 00:29.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And what was notable to me was the degree to which the attorney general really corroborated 00:31.600 --> 00:33.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% what is, I think, the most significant of the meetings that James Comey testified. 00:33.700 --> 00:38.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And that is, he did corroborate that there was a meeting of many people in the Oval Office. 00:41.266 --> 00:44.333 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And although he didn't say it was at the president's instruction, it was pretty clear that it was. 00:44.333 --> 00:48.233 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% Everyone left the room, except for James Comey and the president. 00:48.233 --> 00:52.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And the attorney general acknowledged that he did linger, that he was one of the last, 00:52.366 --> 00:56.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% if not the last, to leave the room, and also corroborated the fact that, the following 00:56.533 --> 01:01.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% day, Director Comey told him he was essentially uncomfortable with something that took place 01:02.133 --> 01:04.100 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% in that meeting. 01:04.100 --> 01:08.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% That tells me that James Comey's testimony about that meeting is far more accurate than 01:10.266 --> 01:13.833 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% the president's statements about that meeting, because, if there wasn't something uncomfortable 01:15.800 --> 01:18.300 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% about it, then why did the director go the next day to the attorney general and say, 01:18.300 --> 01:21.066 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% don't leave me alone again with the president? 01:21.066 --> 01:23.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The other point I would make, Judy, is the one that you have been discussing. 01:23.733 --> 01:28.733 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% And that is, we cannot accept this non-invocation of privilege as a reason to prohibit the Congress 01:32.033 --> 01:37.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% from finding out whether the attorney general wrote a memo or wrote a letter along with 01:39.066 --> 01:42.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% the deputy attorney general to provide cover or pretext for a decision they knew was made 01:43.200 --> 01:45.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% on other grounds. 01:45.333 --> 01:48.266 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Now, I don't know if that's the case, because he wouldn't answer, but as it goes to the 01:48.266 --> 01:53.033 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% very heart of whether the president sought to interfere or obstruct the Russia investigation, 01:53.033 --> 01:57.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% we need to use whatever compulsory process is necessary to get those answers. 01:57.433 --> 02:01.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: And we heard at the end of the meeting -- of the hearing, rather, the 02:01.233 --> 02:06.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% chairman, Richard Burr, Senator Burr, asked the attorney general to go back to the White 02:08.200 --> 02:11.900 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% House to see if there's more of his communications with the president and with anyone in the 02:12.866 --> 02:16.733 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% White House that they can share. 02:16.733 --> 02:19.533 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% Is that something that you think is likely to produce some answers? 02:19.533 --> 02:20.533 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 02:20.533 --> 02:21.533 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: Well, I don't know. 02:21.533 --> 02:23.633 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I would certainly hope so. 02:23.633 --> 02:26.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I will say this, in light of the conversation that you just had with Walter Dellinger and 02:26.666 --> 02:28.800 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% Mr. Terwilliger, a couple things. 02:28.800 --> 02:33.733 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% First is, the questions that were asked of the attorney general were all easily anticipated, 02:34.800 --> 02:36.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% so there were no surprise questions here. 02:36.966 --> 02:40.033 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% There was no reason why the White House could not have instructed the attorney general whether 02:40.033 --> 02:42.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% they were going to invoke privilege or not. 02:42.066 --> 02:45.600 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So I don't buy the idea that the attorney general couldn't know in advance whether he 02:45.600 --> 02:47.233 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% needed to invoke the privilege. 02:47.233 --> 02:48.400 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% They didn't want him to. 02:48.400 --> 02:50.166 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% They didn't want the optic of it. 02:50.166 --> 02:53.533 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% And that's not a good reason for refusing to answer the questions. 02:53.533 --> 02:58.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But, more than that, if the attorney general allowed himself to be used as a pretext to 03:01.066 --> 03:06.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% give justification for a firing that was made on other grounds, that not only violates his 03:06.033 --> 03:07.966 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% recusal. 03:07.966 --> 03:12.833 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It also potentially violates the law or is a highly unethical practice, and we need to 03:14.500 --> 03:16.466 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% find out whether that's the case. 03:16.466 --> 03:21.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% We don't know, but we have an obligation in our investigation, Bob Mueller will in his, 03:21.966 --> 03:24.000 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% to get the answer. 03:24.000 --> 03:26.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Well, how do you get beyond his refusal to answer, though? 03:26.966 --> 03:31.966 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% If he's saying these were privileged communications that I had that stand on precedent at the 03:33.966 --> 03:37.966 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Department of Justice, whether they're written down or not, how do you get through that? 03:37.966 --> 03:40.033 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 03:40.033 --> 03:42.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: Well, I think the process, if we're going to live up with our institutional 03:42.166 --> 03:46.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% responsibility in Congress, is to go back to the White House and say, we want answers 03:46.733 --> 03:48.466 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% to these questions. 03:48.466 --> 03:50.500 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Are you invoking the privilege? 03:50.500 --> 03:54.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And, if they're not, we need to bring the attorney general back before either our committee 03:54.133 --> 03:59.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% in the House or before the Senate committee and demand answers to those questions. 04:01.133 --> 04:03.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% If they do invoke privilege, then we may need to litigate the contours of that privilege. 04:03.866 --> 04:08.866 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% The privilege cannot be used as a shield to protect or hide potential impropriety or illegality. 04:11.100 --> 04:16.100 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, we may have to go to court to pierce that privilege, but we do need to get to the bottom 04:17.066 --> 04:19.233 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% of this. 04:19.233 --> 04:22.300 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% We have the powers and institution to do it, and I think we have an ethical obligation 04:22.300 --> 04:24.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% and a responsibility to the country to do it. 04:24.700 --> 04:28.266 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman, were you struck by, were you surprised when the attorney general 04:28.266 --> 04:33.266 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% said that he had not had, had not sought any sort of briefing on attempts by the Russians 04:34.866 --> 04:36.566 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% to interfere in the election last year? 04:36.566 --> 04:37.566 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 04:37.566 --> 04:39.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: I was struck by it. 04:39.700 --> 04:43.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Certainly, during his time in the Senate and as a member of the Armed Services Committee, 04:43.333 --> 04:47.766 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% when we have a hostile power, Russia, interfering in our internal affairs, you would think he 04:47.766 --> 04:49.833 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% would have an interest in that. 04:49.833 --> 04:54.600 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% But, more than that, it was an echo of Director Comey's testimony also that the president 04:56.166 --> 05:00.600 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% showed no curiosity, no interest, no concern over the Russia hack. 05:02.600 --> 05:05.600 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The only element of it that concerned him was how it might impact him personally. 05:07.566 --> 05:10.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% That says, I think, a lot about where the president is coming from, but it was quite 05:10.400 --> 05:14.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% jarring given this was an attack on our democracy by a foreign power. 05:14.800 --> 05:19.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman, another thing I saw late this afternoon after the hearing 05:19.066 --> 05:23.533 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% concluded that the -- that Senator Dick Durbin, who, of course, is in the leadership among 05:23.533 --> 05:28.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Democrats in the Senate, was saying that the attorney general should step down based on 05:29.966 --> 05:33.666 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% his testimony today, his -- and his performance in office. 05:33.666 --> 05:35.033 align:left position:30%,start line:83% size:60% Are you -- would you go that far? 05:35.033 --> 05:37.000 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 05:37.000 --> 05:39.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: Well, I would want to pursue two things before I would be prepared to go 05:39.366 --> 05:41.433 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% that far. 05:41.433 --> 05:44.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And the first is to do whatever investigation we need to do to find out whether his testimony 05:44.866 --> 05:49.866 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% today about what happened or didn't happen at the Mayflower is accurate and can be corroborated, 05:51.866 --> 05:56.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% or wasn't accurate, in which case, we do need to consider the remedies that Dick Durbin 05:56.800 --> 05:59.333 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% talked about. 05:59.333 --> 06:02.866 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% But, also, we need to get answers to the questions about what went into the firing of Director 06:04.333 --> 06:06.400 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Comey. 06:06.400 --> 06:10.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And if he refuses and doesn't have a legal basis to do so, then, again, I think we may 06:10.233 --> 06:12.366 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% end up where Senator Durbin is. 06:12.366 --> 06:17.300 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: At this point, just quickly, Congressman, are you optimistic that Congress, 06:19.166 --> 06:21.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% that your committee, the Senate committee, are eventually going to get to the bottom 06:21.566 --> 06:22.566 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% of this? 06:22.566 --> 06:24.033 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 06:24.033 --> 06:26.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: Well, you know, I certainly hope so. 06:26.100 --> 06:29.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I think we have the look at this in a very nonpartisan way and try to, as best we can, 06:30.866 --> 06:32.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% divorce ourselves of the consequences. 06:32.933 --> 06:36.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But what is at stake here is really our system of checks and balances and whether we're going 06:36.766 --> 06:41.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% to allow an administration not to invoke privilege, but just to say it's inconvenient for us to 06:41.633 --> 06:43.733 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% tell you the answers. 06:43.733 --> 06:48.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% It wouldn't reflect well on us, so we're going to invoke some inchoate privilege that doesn't 06:49.433 --> 06:50.666 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% exist. 06:50.666 --> 06:52.000 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% We can't tolerate that. 06:52.000 --> 06:54.100 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% We can't stand for that. 06:54.100 --> 06:58.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And at the end of the day, I don't think Bob Mueller will, and Congress shouldn't either. 07:00.100 --> 07:02.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: Congressman Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House 07:02.533 --> 07:04.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Intelligence Committee, thank you very much. 07:04.266 --> 07:05.266 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% REP. 07:05.266 --> 07:05.400 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% ADAM SCHIFF: Thank you, Judy.