Sen. Coons on Nunes memo: “It suggests that what they are more interested in is scoring a partisan objective of undermining the FBI and DOJ and Robert Mueller's investigation rather than revealing some mistake by the FBI.”
Sen. Coons on report that Trump asked Rosenstein if he was on ‘his team’: “This is exactly the sort of thing that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be looking for in an investigation into potential obstruction of justice.”
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, last night joined CNN’s Erin Burnett to discuss the Russia investigation.
Full video and audio available here.
Excerpts from the interview:
Sen. Coons on if he has a problem with President Trump asking Rod Rosenstein if he's on his team: Absolutely, this is just another example of President Trump failing to understand and failing to respect long standing norms. The Department of Justice is not on any President's team. The Department of Justice is charged with defending the Constitution and enforcing the law. So, their role in our society is ensuring that no one is above the law and that means staying away from very complicated and politically fraught conversations like this; where the President inappropriately, immorally and in fact, perhaps illegally, pressed Rod Rosenstein whether he is on his team or not. This is exactly the sort of thing that Special Counsel Robert Mueller would be looking for in an investigation into potential obstruction of justice.
Sen. Coons on comparisons between Rod Rosenstein and Eric Holder: You raise a good point Erin, that those are expressions by the former Attorney General that suggests a closeness, a partnership but we're in a very different context here now. Rod Rosenstein is supervising Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is leading a searching investigation into the 2016 election and whether or not there was collusion with the Russians and there's been obstruction of justice since. In that context, given the previous conversation with fired FBI Director Jim Comey; where the President famously asked him for his loyalty, a conversation today, just last month with Rod Rosenstein in the White House, by the President; asking if he's on his team, has perhaps a very different context and meaning than a voluntary public conversation by Attorney General Holder saying "I'm enjoying working with the President, I'm his wing man."
Sen. Coons on whether or not Rosenstein was asked to pledge loyalty or lied to the Committee: I believe the former, that Rod Rosenstein chose to say well that wasn't a loyalty pledge and it may be that he understood the question from Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to be prior to being hired, since, remember, one of the things that's been a problem here is suggestions that the President asks for example Andrew McCabe when he was interviewing him to be FBI Director for whom he had voted in 2016. So, I would give Rod Rosenstein the benefit of the doubt in this case.
Sen. Coons on whether or not the FBI doesn't want the FISA memo released because of mistakes made: I mean that's certainly possible. Part of vigorous oversight by Congress through our intelligence committees is to assume that it's possible that law enforcement and the intelligence community can make mistakes, do make mistakes. That's partly why we have a structure where the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have access to a very wide range of sensitive classified materials. But I'll remind you what is so unprecedented here. There is another norm being violated here. In 40 years the obscure committee rule that allows for a partisan report like this Devin Nunes written report to be released over the objection of the FBI and the Department of Justice, this was done on a party line vote, this hasn't happened in decades and it suggests that what they are more interested in is scoring a partisan objective of undermining the FBI and DOJ and Robert Mueller's investigation rather than revealing some mistake by the FBI.
Sen. Coons on how to tell the truth about the FISA warrant to the American People: We have a very well established and well-functioning process over decades where the House and Senate Intelligence Committees review and often criticize the actions of law enforcement and the intelligence committee. They don't do it in a matter of a few days, taking that material and making it public to the whole country and by refusing to release balancing material that was crafted by the other side of the Committee. This is unprecedented and I'll remind you; these two are connected because I think this is part of an orchestrated effort not just by Devin Nunes but by a number of other House Republicans to create a narrative that undermines the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
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