CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Lloyd Doggett

Interview

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[14:16:19] WHITFIELD: U.S. Justice Department is defending the Treasury Department's refusal to turn over President Trump's tax returns to U.S. Congress. In a new legal opinion, the DOJ argues the request is, I'm quoting now, unprecedented, and raises a, quote, serious risk of abuse, end quote. House Democrats are seeking six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns.

With me now is Congressman Lloyd Doggett. He is a Democratic Representative from Texas and a member of the House Ways and Means, the committee that has subpoenaed the president's tax returns. Congressman, good to see you, thanks so much for being with me. So let me start by getting your reaction to this DOJ legal memo alleging that your committee is motivated by politics, not oversight.

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D), TEXAS: Well, what's unprecedented is a president who as a candidate, unlike Republican and Democratic nominees in the past, refuses to provide the public access to his tax returns, and a president who so intermingles his personal businesses with his public responsibilities now. I think that the committee's request was well justified. And initially Internal Revenue Service counsel felt the same way. And so when Secretary Mnuchin could not determine that the word "shall" means shall, he turned to get a second opinion. That's the one we had yesterday -- 33 pages of legalese to convince us that "shall" does not mean shall.

I think more and more this whole Trump operation looks a little like a criminal organization. Don't talk, don't deliver any documents. If someone is about to talk, they're a rat, in the president's words. You threaten them or you promise some things in return for being part of the crime family. Just yesterday, of course, we found Kellyanne Conway in violation of the law. The president just believes, like Richard Nixon did, that if the president does it, if his organization does it, it's not a violation of the law, that he's above the law. And that's why our Congress is so important to provide some balance, to provide that checks and balances that our founders realized were critical for preserving our democracy.

WHITFIELD: So the president stands behind his adviser Kellyanne Conway and doesn't see that there was any kind of violation of the Hatch Act. So meantime, on this issue of the Treasury Department withholding or standing in the way of the DOJ supporting it, of the release of these taxes from the president, you sent out a statement shortly after that opinion came out from DOJ, and you did have some very strong words particularly for the U.S. Attorney General William Barr, saying, I'm quoting now, "What else but excuses could be expected from an Attorney General who has been acting as the taxpayer financed personal attorney of President Trump." So very strong language there, but what is your hope will happen next?

DOGGETT: Sadly, it's justified by Attorney General Barr's conduct. Where he initially held back the Mueller report, gave the impression that Mr. Mueller had cleared the president. They propagandized. And it is very relevant to these tax returns because it's the same office within the office of the Attorney General that back during the Nixon era said a president couldn't be indicted. That's what handcuffed Mr. Mueller and was really the basis for his report in not finding the president guilty of obstruction. He is a walking bit of obstruction, every day preventing access to information.

[14:20:00] And I think what's more outrageous are the Republicans that sit on their hands, they're silent or they provide excuses. And now some of the responsibility of course falls on us as Democrats to act, to act boldly, and to ensure that we push back against this president. Trump will not yield to timidity. He'll just keep grabbing more and more power.

WHITFIELD: So with this refusal of handing over these documents, tax returns with the Department of Justice supporting that act, it is clear that this is a legal road that is being built. It could take years, could it not?

DOGGETT: Yes.

WHITFIELD: For any lower court and then potentially a U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on this. So given that scope, is it worth it in your view to pursue?

DOGGETT: Well, you are so right about that, because this request was delayed until April, and no legal access has yet been filed to get the returns. It is certain we won't get them this year, and perhaps some challenge to even get them with favorable expedited rulings by the time this Congress ends. And that the total obstruction by Trump has convinced me that we need to institute an impeachment inquiry.

I think the president's conduct is -- certainly involves high crimes and misdemeanors, but I'm not prejudging that for the committee. I just think we need a thorough investigation and a strong pushback immediately to a president who believes he's above the law and who refuses to provide any of the information Congress needs for its overnight function.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Lloyd Doggett, we'll leave it there for now. Thanks so much.

DOGGETT: Thank you so much.

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