CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Denny Heck of Washington

Interview

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ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Right. Say or doesn't say. Obviously, the crucial question.

Manu, thank you.

And I wanted to go now to Democratic congressman from Washington, Denny Heck, who is going to be there, sits on the House Intelligence Committee.

And I appreciate your time, sir. So, how important is Hope Hicks testimony tomorrow?

REP. DENNY HECK (D-WA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Well, depending on whether or not she's testifying, Erin, because as you know, I have a policy of not confirming or denying any witness that will come before us. I will say this, Erin, that she absolutely needs to come before the committee. There are a few people that have served with Mr. Trump longer than Hope Hicks.

She has a lot to offer, I'm sure, in the way of information and insight if she's willing. But that remains to be seen. Again, I join in the others and hoping beyond hope, pun intended, that she does not pull a Steve Bannon as you said.

BURNETT: So, obviously, that's the crucial question. And all of this comes in the context when you're talking about Trump's innermost circle, Congressman, of the dueling memos, the Nunes memo and the Democratic memo headlined, of course, by your ranking committee member, Adam Schiff. It was finally released and the Schiff memo addresses a crucial question, which is, Congressman, would the FBI have gotten a warrant to surveil Carter Page without the infamous Steele dossier?

Now, the page where the memo lays out the other reasons, in other words, it's not just the dossier, it's this and this and this and this. Look at it, it's all black. It basically all got redacted. So, we can't see the this and this and this. How important is all that blacked out information?

HECK: Well, it is important to refute what it is the Republicans said in their memo, which, of course, was in effort to distract and deflect and deceive and make us turn away from the subject at hand. I'm really hoping, frankly, Erin, that we move beyond dueling memos. As long as Republicans are going to put out memos like this and the chair has indicated he will, we will have the strength and the endurance to put out the facts and let them speak for themselves. But we have to get to the point of where we're talking about is how at is that we can prevent and deter Russia from continuing as they are today interfering in the American electoral process.

You know, this is not new in terms of a concern about our country. If you go back and read letter number 68 in the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton warned about this very thing. And we need to remember that, or as the famous scholar George Santayana said, we forget the lessons of the past, we'll repeat them.

BURNETT: So, one of the things that is important here when it comes to the accusations in the memo. The Nunes memo says the former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, right, testified in front of your committee, you were there. And in that, he said, quote, no surveillance warrant, again, I'm referring to this crucial warrant of Carter Page, would have been sought from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court without the Steele dossier information, that's a quote that Nunes says was said by the FBI deputy director.

You were there in the room. Can you point blank say, Congressman Heck, that that is false? That is not the accurate meaning of what McCabe testified to your committee?

HECK: I can say that that quote is completely out of context and had the president not redacted so much of the Democratic memo, I think the record would have been made much clearer.

BURNETT: What context though would change no surveillance warrant would have been obtained without the Steele dossier?

HECK: So, in order for me to discuss that at length, it would require me discussing things that aren't in the Republican memo and therefore I am duty-bound not to reveal.

BURNETT: All right. But you are adamant that the context there is wrong at that quote -- that that quote would be completely inaccurate interpretation.

HECK: Very earlier, Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Republicans in Congress are drawing a red line also, Congressman, when it comes to the president's finances which, of course, he's drawn a very a bold red line on. But Republicans are resisting calls to subpoena bank records, tax returns from the president, and letters to witnesses to see if they were financial links to the Russians whether that 2be European banks or others that may have this information. They say this is just a Democratic fishing expedition.

Your response?

HECK: So, the ancient rules of investigations are twofold. One, it's often the cover-up that will get you not the underlying crime. And the second one is follow the money.

We are being forwarded on our efforts and our attempts to actually follow the money because as you alluded to, we have requested that the Deutsche Bank records be subpoenaed and the Republican majority have denied that.

My question really though, Erin, is, what does the president got to hide? This is from day one when he said he would eventually release his tax returns and has not, and has continued to this day in our efforts to get at the truth beyond his ties to the Russian government and how they may have played a role frankly, and the Russian interference in our election.

So, this is not new from him. It's a continuing pattern and the question really is, what does he have to hide?

BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate your time, Congressman Heck. It's a big question. Robert Mueller, of course, also working on the answer to that and his investigators stacked with people with incredible expertise on tax, and tax fraud. Thanks very much.

HECK: You're welcome.

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