CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Zoe Lofgren

Interview

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[09:30:00] REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): She was under oath. So I assume she was telling the truth, that she did not have a broad understanding of all of the elements of the campaign. However, she did provide information about other people whose testimony might prove fruitful to the committee in getting a fuller understanding of some of these issues. So that was very helpful.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: What -- what was the most useful thing she told you?

LOFGREN: Well, you'll see the transcripts, but identifying names of some of the individuals and some of the relationships. I had a question, really, about the Russians, which was the origin of this whole thing.

HARLOW: Yes.

LOFGREN: And the Jill Stein campaign, which she did acknowledge, was a subject of discussion, but she really was not able to provide any meat on those bones.

HARLOW: Understood.

So we're waiting for the transcripts on that.

LOFGREN: Sure.

HARLOW: Let me ask you about the Mueller report. You are one of the members of Congress who actually read the full Mueller report. So thank you for that.

LOFGREN: Yes.

HARLOW: You got the redacted portions and some of the underlying documents from volume two of the report yesterday. You've read them. What's the most important thing you saw?

LOFGREN: Well, there weren't very many redactions on volume two. I did read them and there was no surprise and it didn't really provide additional information.

The evidence has been kept at the Department of Justice, maximally inconvenient for members of Congress to go read. So I'm going there later today because I have to personally go through and to start reading the actual underlying evidence.

Now, it's my understanding from our staff who's been over there that not all of the evidence has yet been provided. They're rolling it out. But it's only on volume two.

I want volume one. I want the unredacted versions and the underlying evidence. We don't have that yet. But we have been assured we will get it.

HARLOW: Let me ask you about the impeachment issue because you have an interesting history here and knowledge base because you were a congressional staffer during the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon. You were a congresswoman during the impeachment of President Clinton. And so far you have -- you have not called for the impeachment of President Trump.

During the Clinton impeachment proceedings you called this, quote, an effort to undo an election --

LOFGREN: That's right.

HARLOW: And, quote, a pretty sad day for the country.

Do you share that same sentiment now?

LOFGREN: The standard for impeachment is high crime and misdemeanor. And I say on my website, I've posted a very interesting report from 1974 on what is a high crime and misdemeanor. It's not just a crime. And basically it's activity that's so serious that it basically upends the structure of the constitutional republic. And so that's the standard.

Mr. Clinton engaged in a tawdry sex affair and then lied about it. That's not the kind of activity, although not admiral, that is shaking the foundation of the nature of government. It was a partisan effort to get rid of him.

HARLOW: But -- but -- but by not moving -- not pushing for impeachment now, it sounds like at this point what you've seen doesn't make you believe that President Trump has done that either.

LOFGREN: Not necessarily. Not necessarily.

HARLOW: OK.

LOFGREN: In both cases, in both Nixon and Clinton, the committee reviewed actual evidence. You know, we have a report now from Mr. Mueller. I'm glad to have the report. But you don't move off on an important constitutional proceeding based on a report any more than a prosecutor would prosecute based on a report. You have to examine the evidence and the fact witnesses. We are now doing that.

HARLOW: OK, and you're hope -- you're going to see some of that underlying evidence today.

Congresswoman, before you go, I'd like to get your on your fellow Democrat, former Vice President Joe Biden, who made remarks this week at a closed-door fundraiser praising the ability to work with well- known racist segregationists in the Senate years ago. That was very offensive to many, including two African-American senators running for president, Senator Cory Booker and Senator Kamala Harris.

Do you think Joe Biden should apologize, and are you comfortable with what he said?

LOFGREN: Honestly, I didn't hear the statement because I was in meetings all day. But I'll tell you what, sometimes different states and different districts send us racists to the House of Representatives or to the Senate. Because they're here, we have to work with them. That continues today. You have to get stuff done. That doesn't mean that you have any respect or adherence to their racist views.

HARLOW: Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, I appreciate your time this morning and please -- please come back and let us know what you read in that underlying evidence.

LOFGREN: Will do, thanks.

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