MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ted Lieu
Interview
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HAYES: A polling out today finds that a lot of people believe Dr. Ford. 45 percent says she is telling the truth, 33 percent believed Judge Kavanaugh who of course staunchly denies the allegation and support for elevating Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is now underwater with just 33 percent saying he should be put on the court and 41 percent saying he should not be. Republicans are rushing to a vote anyway.
Mitch McConnell insisting on a vote on Kavanaugh this week even amid signs at Senate Republicans and the White House are turning the current FBI investigation into whitewash. NBC reporting that more than 40 people with potential information have not been contacted by the FBI and it`s unlikely agents will be allowed to interview many if any additional witnesses before the probe wraps up.
Joining me now Congressman Ted Lieu of California, Member the House Judiciary Committee which of course has oversight of the federal courts. Let me start with this letter which is really a remarkable document. 650 law professors, these are fairly high status individuals, these are folks with different ideologies basically just zeroing in on how Judge Kavanaugh performed on Thursday, the level of sort of partisan vitriol and the incompatibility of that with serving on the highest court of the land. What do you think about that?
REP. TED LIEU (D), CALIFORNIA: I thank you, Chris, for your question. That is a remarkable letter and there`s no way Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed. His performance under oath in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee was disqualifying. Not only was he very partisan, he perjured himself. So for example when asked about the question of what Devil`s Triangle meant, it`s a sexual term. He said as a drinking game, that`s one lie. Then he had to make up that it was three glasses in a triangle, that`s the second lie. Then when pressed, he said you play it like quarters. So he made one extended lie under oath in front of the American people. No Supreme Court justice should ever have done that.
HAYES: You know, perjury obviously is a fairly high legal bar. It`s hard to prosecute for obvious reasons but it seems fairly clear that he was at the very least and most charitably misleading and omitting things.
LIEU: He was, but he was also doing it specifically on terms that related to sex, in terms of related to inebriation. And he`s being accused of drunken sexual assault so he was lying for a specific reasons which was to protect himself. And if there`s one job in the United States we don`t want someone to mislead or lie or evade on the facts, that would be a justice on the Supreme Court.
HAYES: There are -- there`s lots of back and forth about this FBI background check process obviously for nominees that the function of the Senate and its advise and consent role in the Constitution. But from your perch in the House, what do you think based on what you`ve heard about how this process is playing out?
LIEU: I`m a former Prosecutor, I can tell you that any background of law enforcement investigation has one central principle which is you follow the evidence where it takes you. That means you would interviewed relevant witnesses, look at relevant documents, and look at relevant material evidence. You would not put artificial limits on it. And the only reason the White House would do that is because they`re afraid of what the FBI would uncover that`s completely unacceptable and I hope Senator Flake who ordered this investigation sees it for the whitewash that it currently is.
HAYES: All right, Congressman Ted Lieu, thanks for making some time tonight.
LIEU: Thank you, Chris.
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