MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Maxine Waters

Interview

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HAYES:  That`s a useful caution, Jesse Eisinger and David Cay Johnston.  Thank you both for being with me.
 
Now, to one of the Democrats in Congress who wants to see the president`s tax returns.  Representative Maxine Waters of California.  First question, Congresswoman, why is it so important?  Why, why do you support the actions by your fellow Democrats to get the president`s tax returns?
 
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA), CHAIR, FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE:  Well, first of all, it has been stated over and over again that so many other presidents released their tax returns.  That everybody expects that the president of the United States would follow suit and he would release his returns.
 
He`s lied, he said that they`re under audit.  He never intended to release them.  He is not going to release them until we make him until we force him to do it.  He thinks now that if he goes to court if he ties it up in court, if he makes it go on long enough that he`ll get to the Supreme Court, he think he owns enough votes in the Supreme Court in order to be protected.
 
This president is an expert criminal who knows how to do everything possible to protect himself.  And all of those people who get in the way, who happened to be hired by government will be fired.  He attacks any government official who denies him what he wants to have.
 
And so, we know enough about him now in order to want to get those tax returns to find out a lot more about him.  First of all, he lies about his net worth.  Secondly, there is information floating around that shows that, in fact, he has earned money that he has funneled into the foundation that should have been money declared in his tax returns.
 
It goes on, and on, and on.  We have every reason in the world to want to see them, we`ve got to fight for them.  The law gives the Ways and Means Committee, the right to go after them, and we cannot let up.
 
HAYES:  I should -- what you`re referring to there, I think is some of the investigations by the New York Attorney General into the Tax Foundation.  An improperly moving money between the foundation and the Trump Org which is for a profit.
 
You -- you`ve interacted quite a bit with Secretary Mnuchin in your role in your -- in your committee.  Do you trust him to do the right thing here?
 
WATERS:  Oh no, absolutely not.  He is part of the gang, he`s one of the boys.  He is not going to do anything that he thinks the president of the United States would get angry about, and fire him, and get rid of him.  No, I don`t trust him at all.  He`s a part of the clique.
 
HAYES:  Are there broader implications here for the -- knowing about the president`s possible corruption or possible improper avenues of influence over him?
 
WATERS:  Well, let me just say this.  The president of the United States thinks he owns his cabinet.  He tries to run his cabinet.  Look what he`s doing to Powell over at -- you know, the Federal Reserve.  He`s basically trying to run the Federal Reserve and everybody knows that it should not be interfered with.
 
HAYES:  Yes.
 
WATERS:  It doesn`t matter.  He thought the Attorney General, even Sessions should do whatever he`s told to do.
 
HAYES:  Yes.
 
WATERS:  Sessions had a less -- enough sense to recuse himself, but he got rid of him.  So that`s how he operates.
 
HAYES:  Final question, you`ve been investigating Deutsche Bank from your perspective, the finance -- Financial Services Committee in the House where you -- in which you chair.  Any updates on document production in that investigation.
 
WATERS:  No.  I don`t have any more information except to say that my staff is involved in working with staff from the Deutsche Bank requesting documents.  And I must say Deutsche Bank is being cooperative.
 
And so, we are going to continue to do our work to get the information that we need in order to make some determination about -- first of all, why did Deutsche Bank lend him so much money when no other bank in the country would lend him money.  He even sued Deutsche Bank.  But they did an unusual thing.  And so, we want to find out about that.  There`s a lot that we need to find out about those his financial operations.
 
HAYES:  All right, Representative Maxine Waters.  Thank you for being with me tonight.
 
WATERS:  You`re so welcome and thank you.

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