CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Ed Markey
Interview
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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was asked today about the allegations and evidence given by Lev Parnas and whether Democrat should call Mr. Parnas as a witness given the opportunity. Senator Schumer said upon these allegations have helps strengthened the push for witnesses and that if allowed to call him as a witness, "it's something we wouldn't rule out." As you heard a few moments ago, Parnas says he is hoping to get that call.
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LEV PARNAS, FORMER ASSOCIATE OF RUDY GIULIANI: If you really look at it, I should be their best witness. I should be their number one witness, because I'm the one that got all the dirt supposedly. Why aren't they calling me to testify? Why do they need Biden? Call me. Ask me what Biden did wrong.
COOPER: Do you think they're afraid of calling you?
PARNAS: I think they're very afraid of me.
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COOPER: This time (ph), a Republican is there. Joining me now is Democratic Senator Ed Markey, who's one of the jurors in the impeachment trial, he also sits on the Foreign Relations Committee.
I'm wondering what you make of Parnas saying President Trump knew exactly what was going on. He's also -- though he has no direct evidence about the Vice President, he believes Pence would have known as well, as well as Mulvaney and Bolton and others. I'm wondering what you make of what his -- of his allegations? SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA): Well, he's only saying what Ambassador Sonland said that everyone was in the loop, everyone knew, everyone was completely and totally aware of the fact that the President was withholding $391 million worth of American taxpayer money in order to extort an investigation of the Biden family.
So, it's very consistent with everything we've heard up until now. But, we are close now to the source because of the relationship, which Mr. Parnas has with Giuliani, and so we know that he was integral to pulling off this caper. And if he's willing to testify, then that's a powerful corroboration of the central charges against the President of the United States.
COOPER: It's important to point out Ukraine's foreign minister says he doesn't trust any word, that's a quote, that Parnas is saying. Parnas is facing, obviously, multiple federal -- criminal charges, there's obviously questions about his credibility, which I asked him about also.
But to me, one of the remarkable things about essentially what his position was, there is no doubt he was very close to Giuliani. There's no doubt he was in Ukraine doing this stuff. The fact that he would hold up a phone and Giuliani would speak and say, according to Parnas, say to whoever -- whatever Ukraine official he is meeting with, this guy represents me and represents the President.
MARKEY: Right. There's no question that Giuliani hired Parnas to be a representative in the Ukraine in order to talk to the Ukraine government about an investigation of the Bidens in return for this money. I don't think there's any question about that.
Now, Parnas is someone whose evidence, whose testimony should be questioned, challenged, like any other witness, but he should be a witness. He should have his documents presented to the Senate. This is -- ultimately a trial, is a search for the truth.
And this evidence that is being presented is directly relevant to the question of what the President knew and when he knew it, what he told Giuliani or his other officials to try to execute as part of this attempt to extort an investigation of the Bidens out of that government.
So from my perspective, Parnas should have all of that information provided to the Senate. He, himself, should be made available so that he can be questioned as well.
COOPER: It is also remarkable when you hear from Parnas, every time he talks about what the quid pro quo was, what his message to the Ukrainians was, it's always the same, an announcement of an investigation against the Bidens, not an investigation, itself.
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Like that didn't matter, whether there was -- in fact, Parnas said to me, you know, you wouldn't want the Ukrainians doing an investigation. It's the last place you would trust to have an actual fair and thorough investigation given the corruption issues in Ukraine. They just wanted the announcement.
MARKEY: It's clear that at that time that President Trump was paranoid about Joe Biden, that he wanted to discredit, undermine that candidacy. I don't think there's any question about that. The only issue now is whether or not the Senate is going to hear --
COOPER: Yes.
MARKEY: -- from Mick Mulvaney, who was first hand in access to the President, whether or not we're going to hear from John Bolton who called it a drug deal, whether or not the other witnesses at OMB or in the White House who had first hand information are going to be allowed to give that information to the United States Senate and to, ultimately the most important audience, the American people. And Parnas in his information only reinforces the testimony that the House of Representatives heard. This would be on top of all of that testimony.
COOPER: Yes.
MARKEY: That's what a trial is. It's not a grand jury proceeding. That's essentially what happened in the House. This is a real trial and you cannot, as those who are conducting a trial, blind yourself willingly to the information which is now available, an avalanche of information which has now become available since the House voted their impeachment articles so that the American people and the Senate, which is by the way also on trial along with President Trump, to conduct a trial full and fair so that the American people can understand what was being done in their name.
COOPER: Senator Markey, appreciate your time. Thank you.
MARKEY: Thank you.
COOPER: I want to bring in our chief -- CNN's Chief Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin, also CNN Senior Political Analyst and "USA Today" columnist Kirsten Powers. Jeff, what do you think of Parnas as a witness?
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