CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Interview
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BLITZER: Tonight in the wake of the latest sex trafficking charges against the wealthy business man, Jeffrey Epstein, prominent Democrats are calling for the resignation of the Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who as a federal prosecutor negotiated a very lenient plea deal with Epstein back in 2008. One of those Democrats is senator and presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar, who's joining us right now.
Senator, thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks, Wolf.
BLITZER: So you released a statement earlier today calling on Secretary Acosta to resign in light of Epstein's arrest but the details of Acosta's involvement in this plea deal, they were revealed by the "Miami Herald," basically part of a long journalistic investigation.
It was all published late last year.
Why did you and so many others wait for Epstein's arrest this week before deciding to push for his resignation?
KLOBUCHAR: You know, I didn't vote for Secretary Acosta to begin with. So I think that was part of it. A number of us had opposed him from the very beginning as this being one of the reasons.
As you know Senator Kaine asked him about this at the hearing. But I think there has been many new developments even since that hearing. The first thing was a federal district court came out and said that that agreement that he had made with Epstein's lawyer violated the law.
I know as a former prosecutor that you consult with victims, sometimes you have plea agreements but the law, both state and federal, say that you need to consult with victims. And that didn't happen in this case so that was a violation.
The other thing that has happened was just the gruesome details and the gory details that we all learned yesterday, where they actually still found photos, according to news reports, of young women.
And when we step back and look at this, Wolf, we have to remember, through all of the political discussions about this, these were young girls. These were 14-year olds. These aren't prostitutes; these are actually victims. They're victims of a sex trafficking ring.
He was trying to get them -- Epstein was -- to get others. And that is why the major concern over the Labor Secretary, who has some jurisdiction over human trafficking, would be involved in making a deal like this.
BLITZER: At least for now, it looks like President Trump is sticking with Secretary Acosta. The president saying he's doing a great, great job as Labor Secretary.
If the president refuses to fire him and if Acosta refuses to resign, what should lawmakers do next?
KLOBUCHAR: Well, there are several alternatives. We could have a hearing and force him to come, subpoena him to come. I would hope that the -- I would hope that the Judiciary Committee would do that in the Senate, not just the Democratic committee in the House.
But I would hope that we would have a hearing if he would refuse to leave.
And then you go from there as you get more evidence. There is also an investigation going on of a --
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KLOBUCHAR: -- looking at the ethical background here and if there was a violation with the Justice Department rules.
BLITZER: You mentioned the Judiciary Committee. The chairman, Lindsey Graham, says he wants to wait until the Justice Department issues a full-scale report on Acosta's handling of the case before he makes a decision.
I take it you disagree with Senator Graham?
KLOBUCHAR: I do simply because the evidence here is clear out of a federal district court already as well as what we've seen from the indictment in the last few days. But again, I would hope that Senator Graham would have such a hearing, if it goes that far, if he is still in place and we get the investigation but I think he could do it before we complete the investigation.
BLITZER: Do you trust the Justice Department to investigate this plea deal that Acosta helped negotiate for Jeffrey Epstein a decade or so ago?
KLOBUCHAR: Not completely. I just hope they would have career people looking at this. They have a reason to want to uphold the highest standards for the Justice Department, given that it is a U.S. attorney that works for this Justice Department here out of New York state that actually brought these charges.
These are federal charges. And so the hope is that the Justice Department does the right thing. But given what we've seen with attorney general Barr even this week where he's backpedaling on Director Mueller's need to testify, we just never know what they will do.
BLITZER: Barr, the attorney general, he suggested yesterday, at least he would recuse himself from part of this Jeffrey Epstein case because the law firm that he used to work for was involved. He had no directive involvement but the law firm that he worked at one point before becoming attorney general was involved.
Should he recuse himself from all aspects of this?
KLOBUCHAR: Yes. I think that he should, given his involvement in that he -- their law firm had represented him in the past. But my point was a bigger one, is that you have a Justice Department that has often done things that I think are inconsistent with the law, including how they handled the Mueller report. It is not just Barr.
BLITZER: Eight of your Democratic colleagues in the Senate voted to confirm Alex Acosta as Labor Secretary for the most part. They're standing by their decision, at least for now.
What is your message to your Democratic colleagues who still support Secretary Acosta?
KLOBUCHAR: I think this is a matter of timing. I think that some people would allow this investigation and then others just believe it is very clear what went on here and this secret deal made behind closed doors. For me, as someone who was one of the leaders on the human trafficking
legislation and as a former prosecutor, I just think these kinds of deals have gone on for too long, where victims don't know about it and where you think the victims don't matter because they're 14-year olds that no one will ever meet.
Well, now the whole country is meeting these victims.
BLITZER: And very quickly, if he doesn't resign, if he's not fired, should the House Judiciary Committee, the House of Representatives, begin impeachment procedures against the Labor Secretary?
KLOBUCHAR: That is something that is going to be up to Speaker Pelosi and the House. And you've seen them take actions before when it comes to subpoenas. They pushed to have Director Mueller testify; they got that and so that is something that they could consider. But I hope right now that he does the right thing and steps down.
BLITZER: Senator Klobuchar, thank you so much for joining us.
KLOBUCHAR: Great to be on Wolf, thank you.
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