CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Quigley

Interview

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BURNETT: All right, Pamela, thank you very much. OK. So Pamela breaking this at this hour. Let's go now to the Democratic Congressman from Illinois Mike Quigley who sits on the House Intelligence Committee. Obviously, you all been investigating this on your own. So what's your reaction, White House lawyers they want to review Mueller's findings and they want to do so before you see them or we see them, so they can claim executive privilege on anything they think they should do that on.

MIKE QUIGLEY, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Shocking gambling at Rick's. I can't believe it. For those who didn't think that we are at a constitutional crisis point, we're there now. The way this is supposed to work is the report is supposed to go to the Justice Department and then to Congress. The House last week voted unanimously to have that report be available in its entirety.

The danger here is the Justice Department also has a policy that a seated President cannot be indicted. So if the report reveals crimes and misdemeanors, the only body that will have recourse to react to that is the Congress. And if the President of the United States can mute that, can eliminate key information, he is officially above the law and we have a challenge to the rule of law and that constitutional crisis.

BURNETT: So that's how you see this, so when they say they want its documents, its interviews with White House officials, I can see people trying to say, "Oh, it's innocuous. We're just trying to protect someone's name if they're not going to be indicted." What do you say to that?

QUIGLEY: Yes. They haven't shown to be trusted in this investigation. I believe they have obstructed this investigation. They've shown absolutely no good faith toward that end. So I get that there may be - if there was classified information in this, then Congress can handle that.

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But they let the person and the entity challenge, sort out what they want revealed, given their track record right now makes absolutely no sense. It is the fox guarding the hen house.

BURNETT: All right, so let me ask you about this vote that you mentioned, because when it comes to the Mueller report and obviously we're talk about the findings tonight as distinction between the two. I just want to be clear. We're reporting they want executive privilege on whatever findings there are before you get them.

The House voted 422 to zero to release the report. And look, here's the thing about that, the quote from the President who tweeted about that vote today was, "On the recent non-binding vote in Congress about releasing the Mueller Report, I told leadership to let all Republicans vote for transparency. Makes us all look good and doesn't matter. Play along with the game."

OK. Is that what your Republican colleagues did? Do you think, I mean, they're all just lying and did it for optics like he is saying they did, but they actually support him on this or is he wrong?

QUIGLEY: Well, sure, it's a great question. I can't imagine that the Republicans would admit that they said I'm going to take an official vote in the House of Congress just to play along, not because it's the right thing to do but just to play along and again protect the President of the United States.

I think it's important to remember now that there is absolutely no way our founding fathers envisioned that. There's no way our founding fathers envisioned the notion of privilege would be to allow the chief executive to protect themselves from an investigation. They had just thrown off the yolks of a king, an oppressive King. It's hard to imagine that they would want to give the President of the United States powers above the law.

BURNETT: So do you think some of them will be willing to take him on, on this or will they cave?

QUIGLEY: I certainly hope so, they've been disappointing almost to a person so far. The very few exceptions that have stood up the President of the United States, many of them have already left. Senator McCain has passed away. It's time for profiles and courage on a bipartisan basis.

BURNETT: So let me just make sure I understand, is there anything that you would think that the President should have executive privilege on in this report? Separate from classified redaction which is something you're acknowledging that should be able to happen, but you think Congress should be involved. Do you think that he should be able to claim executive privilege on anything? QUIGLEY: I don't think the President of the United States who's the

subject of the investigation should be able to decide what Congress gets. I think there ought to be an understanding between the Congress and the President of the United States that classified information should not be revealed. But the President doesn't get that opportunity. The privilege is a much more narrow one than the President is envisioning right now.

BURNETT: When do you think that this is going to be ready? Obviously, there have been reports that we could be getting it any day, any week, this has been happening for weeks. Do you think that this really is imminent and do you expect, Congressman, given your own investigation into this in House Intelligence? Do you expect further indictments from Bob Mueller?

QUIGLEY: Mr. Mueller has been extraordinary in keeping what he's got in mind to himself. I expect it will be released fairly soon. I do think the American public needs to be aware of the fact that there are a number, using the Special Counsel's term of criminal investigations that are ongoing. In addition, the House has only resumed an investigation that was halted by our Republican colleagues some time ago.

The fact is those investigations had very different purposes. The Special Counsel's investigation was solely to determine who to bring to justice. That doesn't mean that a lot of wrongdoing won't be called upon in his report. He's deciding who to indict. There's a lot of information out there that we will be uncovering that details collusion efforts by the White House which the Special Counsel may have decided didn't meet the burden beyond a reasonable doubt. All information the American public deserves to know.

BURNETT: Right. And, of course, conspiracy, he would look for collusion obviously. The lesser word, but one which you and the American public would have to decide where the bar is on that. Thank you very much. I appreciate it, Congressman.

QUIGLEY: Any time, thank you.

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