MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript: Russian Investigation

Interview

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MADDOW: Joining us now is the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee,  Congressman Adam Schiff.

Congressman Schiff, it`s nice to see you. Thank you for being here.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMTITEE: My  pleasure.

MADDOW: A bunch of breaking news tonight. I first want to get your  reaction to these reports tonight that the president is actively  considering firing the deputy attorney general who oversees the Russia  investigation, and that he took steps to try to fire Robert Mueller in  December.

SCHIFF: Well, it looks certainly like part of a pattern if indeed the  president fired James Comey because of the Russia investigation, and these  notes by Dana Boente certainly corroborate James Comey, and Andrew McCabe`s  also strongly corroborative James Comey. And you follow on with the  following of either Rosenstein or Mueller for the reason of trying to  obstruct an investigation that may lead to him, that looks like a part of a  powerful pattern.

And you see these reports of discussions in the White House that they`re  trying to concoct a justification for getting rid of Rod Rosenstein. Maybe  they could pin it on his memo talking about how James Comey should not have  been discussing the Clinton e-mail investigation. You really have to chase  down a rabbit hole to even understand how that theory is supposed to work.  They`re going to fire Rod Rosenstein because he did what the president  asked and produced a memo, assuming that`s how the memo came about.

So, it does look like a growing body of evidence that the president is  trying to obstruct an investigation that may lead to him.

MADDOW: These new notes that we have reported on tonight from Dana Boente,  Dana Boente has been an unusually large number of different law enforcement  positions that had an important relationship to the Russia investigation.  He was the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. attorney when that office,  prosecutors at that office were pursuing grand jury inquiries into both  Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort.

As acting attorney general, he oversaw the Russia investigation. As acting  deputy attorney general, after Jeff Sessions was recused, he also oversaw  the entire investigation. As head of the National Security Division, he  signed off on charges against Manafort.

And now as general counsel of the FBI, he is in an unusual position with  the FBI facing these attacks from the president and Republicans who are  hostile to this investigation. We`re reporting tonight that Boente has  been summoned to give an interview as a witness to the Mueller  investigation.

Does that strike you as important?

SCHIFF: It does, and for this reason -- as a prosecutor, before you embark  on these interviews of people who corroborate James Comey, you have to ask  one fundamental question. And that is, let`s assume everything James Comey  said was true. Does that constitute evidence of obstruction of justice?  Would that make a case of obstruction of justice?

And I agree that the suggestion or the dictate from the president that  Comey dropped the Flynn case is the single most significant action that the president asked for. But if your answer is no, then you don`t do those 
interviews. But if your answer is, if we can accept or prove what Comey said was true, that would constitute obstruction of justice, then you do go through these interviews.

So, it is significant I think that not only Dana Boente, but Andy McCabe  and others are likely being brought before the special counsel. I also  think it`s significant, Rachel, that each of these witnesses that  corroborate James Comey has been the subject of either firing or  disciplinary action or attack by the president or his allies.

So, you look at Baker, who was the prior general counsel for Comey has been  the subject of attack. Rybicki, the chief of staff has been the subject of  attack. Comey has been fired and the subject of attack. Boente and McCabe  was fired before his pension could vest at the urging of the president.

So, all of those witnesses who corroborate James Comey or are in a position  to do so, have been in the situation of efforts to undermine them. And I  don`t think that`s a coincidence.

MADDOW: Let me ask you specifically when it comes to Dana Boente. It  remains a mystery to me, and it may be absolutely innocent. It may have  nothing to do with this overall Russia scandal.

But it remains a strange story to me that Dana Boente was removed from the  Justice Department. NBC and MSNBC`s reporting is that Boente, although he  resigned was directed that he should resign both as head of the National  Security Division and as head of the Eastern District of Virginia U.S.  attorney`s office. Part of the reason we were able to report that out is  because Dana Boente had told people just a few days before that supposed  resignation that he was looking forward to getting back to the Eastern  District of Virginia and running that U.S. attorney`s office full time.

That happened right around the time that Paul Manafort was indicted for the  first time. We know that Boente signed off on those charges. Do you know  anything as the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee about why Boente  was fired? About who fired him? Or about whether it was related to this  scandal?

SCHIFF: I don`t know the answer to that. And the only thing that occurs  to me is if there were some issue with Dana Boente that could give the  president or any of his people a cause to have an issue with him, you would  think it would be unlikely that he would be brought in as general counsel  for the FBI.

MADDOW: Right.

SCHIFF: So, I don`t know the reason why he was fired from those two  positions or forced to resign from them. But given that he was taken on by  Director Wray, who I`m sure is trying to dot every I and cross every T, it  may be unlikely to happen if he was pushed out over his handling of the  Manafort case.

MADDOW: Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House  Intelligence Committee -- really appreciate your time here tonight, sir, on  very a busy night. Thank you for being here.

SCHIFF: Thank you.

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