CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Mike Quigley"

Interview

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BLITZER: Very dramatic video, indeed. Thanks very much, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon.

Joining us now, Congressman Mike Quigley. He's a Democrat, serves on the House Intelligence Committee.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

I want to get back to the breaking news on the impeachment inquiry.

You have now invited the former National Security Adviser to President Trump John Bolton to testify next week. Many different witnesses have testified about Bolton's role in all of this. How important is it, Congressman, for all of us, for you specifically behind closed doors next week, to hear from him directly?

REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Well, we have learned from other testimony how important he would be as a witness.

I'm hoping that he really wants to testify to show the courage that the others have so far, Colonel Vindman and the ambassadors who have testified so far. They have shown real -- and the whistle-blower. They have talked truth to power, that the president of the United States abused their power and muscled an ally who is very vulnerable at this time.

And if indeed what we have learned is true, that he thought this was a drug deal, he thought that Mr. Giuliani was a hand grenade, that he was repulsed by this and canceled a meeting and said, go talk to the lawyers, then tell the American people, because they have a right to know.

And I think he's also very concerned about Ukraine and its importance. All the more reason for him to let the public know what happened, and try to make sure it never happens again.

BLITZER: How confident are you, Congressman, that Bolton will appear?

His longtime aide Charles Kupperman has decided not to testify until a federal court weighs in.

QUIGLEY: Look, there are people close to the White House -- and every time I show up to hear testimony, I think it's probably 50/50 whether or not they will show up.

[18:15:05]

I would like to think that he could show the same courage that was seen with the witnesses so far, those who have put their careers on the line and, unfortunately, with the whistle-blower, those who had to put his life on the line to tell the truth.

BLITZER: The top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, Bill Taylor, is willing to testify publicly. He's already been deposed behind closed doors. How influential will he be in an open hearing?

QUIGLEY: Look, just taking -- working from his opening statement, it's clear he was witness to this scheme.

And he details this scheme of a shadow foreign policy led by someone who has no security clearance, no foreign policy experience, operating under directions by who knows who, Mr. Giuliani.

So, he was an extraordinary witness. I think his presence, again, just working off his opening statement, will be commanding.

BLITZER: We just heard from our correspondent Kylie Atwood that Tim Morrison, the top White House official on the president's National Security Council for Europe, he's leaving his job. We expect that he will be leaving his job very soon.

He's supposed to testify behind closed doors before the impeachment inquiry tomorrow. What do you anticipate from that?

QUIGLEY: I -- here's what I expect from all such witnesses, first, that they will tell the truth, that they will show courage to do so.

None of them have contradicted the transcript, the complaining witness, and the text that we have learned so far. I think the majority of the case have been put before the American public. They know that the president abused his power.

All the witnesses have done so far is to corroborate that, to build upon that case, and to continue to fill in the gaps of knowledge.

BLITZER: You were in the room today, the closed-door room following -- during the depositions of two more witnesses.

What sort of context did they provide on the timeline of this pressure on Ukraine and Rudy Giuliani's specific role?

QUIGLEY: Yes, and I can't talk about specific testimony, but I will say the witnesses continue to be uniform, not contradictory, corroborating what we learned at the very beginning, building the case, filling in gaps.

Often, what one witness does is lead us to questions, other questions, and other people we would like to bring before the committee to ask questions about.

BLITZER: Are you any closer to fully understanding, Congressman, why the nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid that had been appropriated, authorized by Congress, signed into law by the president, was actually frozen by the president at the last minute?

QUIGLEY: I personally have no doubt as to why it was frozen.

The president of the United States was using whatever leverage he had, military assistance and a meeting in the Oval Office, to get the Ukrainians to do research for him, to do his political dirty work against his opponent. I don't have any doubt about that.

But we continue to build the case, because the American people has -- a right to learn about other crimes and misdemeanors and how to fill in the gaps of the existing case.

BLITZER: Have witnesses confirmed what you're telling us?

QUIGLEY: Oh, I -- all they have done is -- even if all you did was

read the opening statements, I think all they do is corroborate the original whistle-blower complaint and the transcript that the White House released.

All you can do is build upon that. The fundamental case is there. There's a lot more to learn, but I do think the body of the case is there. The American public is well aware that the president abused his power.

BLITZER: The Austin Army Lieutenant Colonel Vindman serves on the president's National Security Council, testified yesterday that the White House omitted additional mentions of the Bidens and Burisma -- that's that Ukrainian natural gas company that Hunter Biden was on the board of -- in the rough transcript of that July phone call between President Trump and President Zelensky.

How do you interpret that? As you just heard the White House is formally denying to assertion by the lieutenant colonel.

QUIGLEY: Yes, I guess I would ask the American public. We don't leave our common sense at the door.

If the White House was so forthcoming about this, why did they hide this phone call in a secret server right out of the back? Why did they try to hide this? And why have they tried to obstruct every witness who would come forth in front of the American public, through its elected body of Congress to tell us exactly what took place?

They don't want the American public to know all the details.

BLITZER: Tomorrow, the House will vote on the impeachment inquiry moving into this new official formal phase, a full vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

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You speak to a lot of members, including your Republican colleagues. Do you expect to get any Republican votes?

QUIGLEY: You know, I don't.

It's unfortunate. We know one member has left the Republican Party and has talked about why the president of the United States should be impeached.

But other than that, I don't. First, the Republicans talked about wanting this resolution, this vote, and then, when it's being offered, they're saying, oh, it's not enough.

It's just proof that they want to talk about process because they don't want to talk about what the president did. And the fact is, I have been part of this investigation since day one.

And can I tell you firsthand that the Republicans have worked hand in glove this administration to obstruct all of his crimes and misdemeanors. It continues today.

BLITZER: Congressman Mike Quigley, thanks so much for joining us.

QUIGLEY: Thank you.

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