CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Interview

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SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: It's a concession to the president, a potentially dangerous concession.

COOPER: How so -- dangerous, how so?

BLUMENTHAL: Well, number one, the president is obviously trying to interfere with an investigation. It happens to be an investigation of him. So, it's a threat and potential intimidation.

Number two, there is no factual support. You said there wasn't a lot of facts to back it up. That's a charitable way of looking at I it. There is simply no evidence to support an investigation.

The FBI was conducting a counterintelligence investigation against Russian attempts to interfere with our election. In fact, they warned the Trump campaign about that effort to interfere with the Trump campaign and the Clinton campaign well before any of this stuff happened. And so, the precedent is very dangerous that an investigation will be launched simply because a president wants to stop an investigation.

COOPER: There are some -- I mean, do you see this as Rod Rosenstein capitulating for the president or buying time for the Mueller investigation? I mean, if there's no there, there, what's wrong with having, you know, the inspector general look into it and, you know, settle it once and for all?

BLUMENTHAL: That's a really important point, Anderson. There is no there, there. And so, all of this is likely to be seen eventually as a sideshow. The Mueller investigation is proceeding, grinding along, bringing indictments and seeking and obtaining convictions.

But the point here is that the principal of the objectivity and independence of the Department of Justice has been compromised. It's a face-saving bone to the president but it has larger implications.

COOPER: The second thing that came out of this meeting is that Chief of Staff Kelly is going to meet with the FBI, the Justice Department and DNI with congressional leaders to review intelligence, highly classified and other information.

Does that concern you? I mean, is that appropriate?

BLUMENTHAL: I'm very concerned that information relating to a covert agent and informant may be made public, and some of it unfortunately already has.

[20:10:08] There are criminal penalties against that kind of disclosure -- 10 years in prison is the punishment.

But our credibility around the world depending on our ability to keep secrets is very much at risk here. There was a similar meeting last week, just as the inspector general investigation already is ongoing. So, the change here is not all that dramatic, but the disclosure of any of this classified information could be extremely damaging.

COOPER: I mean, you know, "The New York Times" is reporting that this was not a spy within the Trump campaign spying on the Trump campaign, that this was a person, an asset to meet with George Papadopoulos and Carter Page and Sam Clovis, according to "The Washington Post", was the third person.

Does that -- I mean, I can understand from Trump supporters why they're suspicious of, you know, the deep state and why should they take the word of what "The New York Times" has reported and what others have said?

BLUMENTHAL: There's no reason for them to take anybody's word. There is simply no evidence that that informant or agent acting covertly, seeking information about Russian interference in the campaign, was anything more than that kind of informant. Not a spy, not conducting infiltration or surveillance.

But ultimately, there will be no there, there, and I think that the inspector general investigation will vindicate that part of the investigation.

COOPER: The president's attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has been claiming that the Mueller team hopes to wrap things up, their investigation, by September 1st. Again, that only comes from Rudy Giuliani. You can -- you know, viewers can take that for whether they think that's credible or not.

Does it make sense to you that Mueller would be able to wrap up by then?

BLUMENTHAL: You know, Anderson, when I was a federal prosecutor, I would often ask my agents or assistant attorneys general to complete an investigation by a date certain. And their response to me quite rightly was, we'll do our best, but we need to follow the facts and the law.

2And that's what the special counsel is doing. If he sets an arbitrary deadline and I have a lot of skepticism that he would have used Rudy Giuliani as his spokesman, even if he were going to do it.

COOPER: You think this might be a Giuliani trying to put pressure, public pressure on Mueller?

BLUMENTHAL: More likely than not, that's exactly what it is.

COOPER: When the president tweeted out that I hereby demand the DOJ look into the FBI, did that language, I mean, concern you as a former attorney general? I mean, he does have the constitutional authority to -- you know, he has wide constitutional authority.

BLUMENTHAL: He has constitutional authority to ask the Department of Justice to investigate. It's the circumstances here that are so concerning. Number one, no factual predicate.

You know, when an FBI agent begins an investigation, they sit down and they do a forum that says here's the factual predicate and the potential illegality involved or they tell their superior or special agent in charge what is the violation of law here, what's the factual predicate.

Again, no evidence whatsoever except what's going through the president's mind. That's one dangerous point. But also, we've been through some dark eras where officials asked or directed investigations without any factual basis, simply on suspicion or for political motives. And I'm afraid that's what's happening.

COOPER: Do you believe the credibility of the Department of Justice and the FBI is being permanently harmed?

BLUMENTHAL: I think it has been harmed. I say that with great sadness. And I've spoken on the floor of the Senate to say that there are dedicated hard-working people working in the FBI day in, day out, they make cases, they put their lives in danger, and the president's continual, consistent, relentless attack on this agency has had some effect.

But I think we can rebuild that credibility. When I say we, it's on us as public officials to speak out, and my Republican colleagues as well. The Republican Party used to be the law and order party. This is about our public safety.

When an FBI agent goes to talk to a potential witness and he or she has heard the president of the United States attacking the FBI, it undermines that agent's ability to do his or her job.

COOPER: Senator Blumenthal, appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.

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