MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Interview

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MELBER: Never heard about any businesses.

I`m joined by Senator Richard Blumenthal, the Democrat from Connecticut who  serves on the Judiciary Committee. Senator, do you see in this reporting  the outlines of a kind of a joint defense agreement between key Trump  associates and Russia and is that wrong?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: It certainly has all  the appearances of what legally would be a joint defense agreement, whether  it is explicit, whether it is simply the result of a kind of common  understanding. Remember, Donald Trump, lied to the American people.  That`s the import of the Cohen guilty plea today. He lied to the American  people with the complicity of the Russians, much as Michael Flynn did.

And, of course, Sally Yates was worried about Michael Flynn being  blackmailed because the Russians were enabling that lie. They did the same  with Trump. They enabled his lie to the American people and Trump was  trying to finish this deal before the election because he wanted the money.

MELBER: And they could have offered a different cover story. They could  have said, "Yes, we deal with a lot of different places and we never built  the tower and that`s it." Or, "We did talk to the Kremlin but it didn`t go  anywhere." Instead, what does it tell you that the Kremlin and the Trump  folks have the same false cover story and why this is even more critical,  as a member of the Judiciary committee, why do you think Mueller is putting  this today in the speaking indictment?

BLUMENTHAL: I think that the special counsel is telling a story which very  often happens in a speaking indictment in order to prompt other witnesses  to know that he has facts, he has evidence. That rattles not only Donald  Trump but it ought to be rattling Donald Trump Jr. who was a witness before  our committee, the Judiciary Committee, Felix Sater who was a witness  before the committee, did they tell the truth? Arguably not. And I said  that literally on the day of Donald Trump Jr.`s testimony.

MELBER: How do the Democrats when they take control in the House and you  work with them follow up on this if people are lying to Congress?

BLUMENTHAL: First of all, we need legislation to protect the special  counsel because as the walls close in on Donald Trump, he is going to begin  lashing out, being even more destructive, and potentially using Matthew  Whitaker or maybe directly to strangle the special counsel investigation.

Number two, there have to be hearings. Follow the money. The old  prosecutor`s mantra has to be Congresses as well because this violation of  the emoluments clause where our president or any member of the executive  branch is taking payments or benefits violates --

MELBER: Right. Which -- I am over on time but I got to push you from the  other direction. Does this progress by Mueller suggests that your concerns  about Matt Whitaker have not born out yet, that he does not appear to be  interfering with this kind of action?

BLUMENTHAL: Not necessarily, no. My concerns about Matt Whitaker are even  deeper today than they were yesterday because as the special counsel comes  closer to Donald Trump, he will try to use Matt Whitaker. Yes, Matt  Whitaker permitted the Cohen guilty plea to go forward but rejecting it and  refusing to allow Mueller to go forward with this guilty plea would have  been so extreme and so nefarious that it would have been condemned by any member of Congress.

Now he`s free to deny resources, to constrict authority, to refuse  subpoenas, and he has a greater motive to do so.

MELBER: Senator Richard Blumenthal on a busy night, thank you very much.  From busting Paul Manafort to Michael Cohen`s revelation, we`re going to  look at Mueller closing in with Chris Hayes breaking it all down while  we`re back in 30 seconds.

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