MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show" - Transcript: Interview with Joaquin Castro

Interview

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REID: We are coming to the close of one of the most monumental weeks for  investigations involving this presidency. From questions about Russia to  revelations about Donald Trump`s business dealings, newly reported  investigations into the finances of the inauguration, it is a lot to  consider.

And the incoming Democratic majority in the House will be in a position to  consider it all when they take over in less than three weeks.

Joining us now to talk about all of that and all of tonight`s breaking news  is Congressman Joaquin Castro, Democrat from Texas, a member of the House  Intelligence Committee and the incoming chairman of the Hispanic Caucus.

Congressman, thanks so much for your time tonight.

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D), TEXAS: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

REID: So there is a lot on the table in terms of investigations of the  Trump administration and the Trump campaign and inauguration. Give us a  sense of what -- what the committee, what the intelligence committee is  going to be prioritizing come January.

CASTRO: Well, as you know, this investigation that just happened over the  past two years was pretty much a take them at their word investigation.  The committee brought in witnesses. Some of them spoke for up to eight to  ten hours, but there were a lot of unanswered questions when those  witnesses left the room, and the tragedy is that the committee under Devin  Nunes didn`t issue a single subpoena to get bank records or phone records  or travel records to answer any of those questions that hadn`t been  answered or to verify anything that was told to us by the witnesses.

So, there are about a half dozen to a dozen what we would consider  important questions, unanswered questions, and we`re not going to go bring  in every witness again, but we are going to try to go back and answer those  very important major questions.

REID: And somebody like General Michael Flynn, who now we have a  sentencing memo on, who will now reportedly not get any jail time, is it  possible we could see someone like him called before the committee? Are we  going to expect to see some of these major figures in the Russia  investigation called before the intelligence committee?

CASTRO: There is no doubt that some of the folks that we didn`t have a  chance to interview before and some that we did may be called back. So,  yes, it`s quite possible that some of those folks will be called in.

REID: For you, what are the big unanswered questions? Because we talked  earlier in the show that we know General Flynn lied to the FBI about his  contacts with Russia, but we don`t know why. Do you have a sense we can  through hearings get to that why, not only with him but other members of  the Trump campaign?

CASTRO: Yes. I mean, there is basically three big areas that should cause  the president concern -- issues around collusion, money-laundering and  obstruction of justice. So, we`re going to be focusing on different parts  of those issues. And so, one of the big questions that I know Adam Schiff  has mentioned this also, gets to the issue of whether President Trump, for  example, knew about the Trump tower meeting that was being set up between  Donald Trump Jr. and the Russians.

So, for example, there was sandwiched between two calls to the Russians to  set up that meeting, there is a call from a blocked number. Well, we know  from another witness that one of the phones that Donald Trump used had a  blocked number. So we wanted to subpoena AT&T, the phone company to try to  find out whose number that was, and we weren`t allowed to do that.

REID: Yes.

CASTRO: It`s those kinds of issues that get to the heart about just how  connected the president is to all this malfeasance.

REID: It`s going to be quite a different House Intelligence Committee with  Democrats in charge.
While I have you, Congressman, I want to switch gears really quickly and  ask you about a story that "The Washington Post" broke, but I know you`ve  been really concerned about. Last night, we learned that a 7-year-old  migrant girl from Guatemala died last week just hours after she and her  father were taken into custody at the U.S./Mexico border.

Her name is Jakelin Caal. She and her father -- you see her picture there,  along with 161 other migrants crossed the border into a remote part of  Mexico, turned themselves into the border patrol about 10:00 at night. The  next morning, Jakelin became violently ill, vomiting, running a temperature  above 105 degrees, having seizures.

Despite her father asking border patrol officers for help, his daughter did  not receive medical attention for another hour and a half, was ultimately  unable to breathe, was airlifted to Providence Children`s Hospital in El  Paso, Texas where she ultimately died. We know this is not the first  reported young child dying in DHS custody and Border Patrol is saying  migrants are given access to water.

But given all the outrage that this young girl`s death has caused, what can  we expect from the incoming Congress in terms of investigating and  hearings, doing something about it?

CASTRO: Well, the first thing is that we`re requesting an investigation by  the inspector general for DHS and CBP. But the second thing is certainly  in January, starting on January 3rd, you will see an investigation into  this case.

We need to figure out how this happened and did she ask for food? Did she  ask for water? Did her father seek medical attention? And was that  provided in a timely way or not?

We need to get answers, full answers to those questions.

REID: Now we`ve learned tonight from your office that you are saying that  the commissioner of the CBP, the Customs and Border Patrol, the  commissioner`s name is Kevin McAleenan admitted that he knew, admitted to  you that he knew Jakelin had died in Border Patrol custody when he  testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and didn`t mention that.

CASTRO: Yes.

REID: Can you elaborate on that a little bit?

CASTRO: I was very disturbed by that answer. On December 6th, she died,  and there is a federal law that says that when somebody dies in CBP  custody, they`re supposed to notify the Congress within 24 hours. CBP did  not notify the Congress, and on December 11th, the CBP commissioner came  and testified in front of the Judiciary Committee.

Now, his argument was that he had not gotten a privacy release from the  family, and that also, he didn`t want to politicize the death, but if he  had -- if he had -- if CBP had notified the Congress, there would have  certainly been questions that were asked, and also, even if he didn`t have  a privacy release form, he could have still described that there was a 7- year-old girl who passed away without giving a specific name.

So, this is going to be a very serious problem for him and an issue that  the next Congress will look into.

REID: All right. Well, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Democrat on the House  Intelligence Committee, appreciate your time tonight. Please keep us  updated on this case. Thank you.

CASTRO: Thank you.

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