MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi

Interview

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HAYES:  Joining now for more on this, the first round subpoenas Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.  He sits in the House Oversight Committee and was in that hearing earlier. 
 
Today.  I want to -- a follow-up on that, the whistleblower interview, our Republicans were very angry about this.  They said it was sprung on them.  Do they have a fair complaint? 
 
REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D), ILLINOIS: No, basically we were following whistleblower protocol in this situation.  She wanted to make sure that the interview happened on a Saturday because she quite frankly didn`t want to take time off and then be subject to further retaliation. 
 
HAYES:  Right. 
 
KRISHNAMOORTHI:  She`s already alleged that she was suspended without pay for two weeks for bringing up the various concerns that she has brought forward about irregularities in the process by which various people have been vetted for security clearances at the White House. 
 
HAYES:  I want to play a little bit in the interview.  She did with our own Peter Alexander Her name is Tricia Newbold, this is what she had to say, take a listen. 
 
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HAYES:  Am I correct that your committee has now issued subpoenas on exactly this question of security clearances inside the White House?  What are those subpoenas seeking? 
 
KRISHNAMOORTHI:  Basically, this specific subpoena with regard to security clearances, seeks the testimony of an individual named Carl Klein.  He was the supervisor for Miss Newbold. 
 
Now as you know, Miss Newbold alleged that 25 individuals had cases in which the career civil servants denied security clearances, and then were overturned by the White House.  And they basically granted access to potentially top secret materials.  And so, one of the irregularities that really stands out is that she says, for instance, that credit checks have been stopped with regard to applicants.  Why somebody should get access to top secret materials when they can`t pass a credit check is beyond me. 
 
HAYES:  There is a security headline that I wanted to get your thoughts on, given the area investigation going into.  Which is that, a Chinese woman who entered Mar-a-Lago with malware, talked her way past Secret Service.  Apparently she had some USBs and some stuff.  We don`t know what she was doing there but she was federally charged.  What do you make of that? 
 
KRISHNAMOORTHI:  Well, I think this is all the more reason why we have to make sure that we vet people very carefully for access to top secret materials.  We don`t know what this person`s intentions were going into Mar-a-Lago.  But what we do know is that we have to have a vetting process that`s much more secure than what they use at Mar-a-Lago to allow people into their club.  And that is a process that is ironclad that makes sure that people with financial vulnerabilities are underreported for in context, don`t get access to our crown jewels of national security, which is potentially what has occurred. And that`s why the investigation has to continue. 
 
HAYES:  All right, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.  Thank you so much. 
 
KRISHNAMOORTHI:  Thank you. 

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