CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Madeleine Dean

Interview

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TAPPER: Of course, they will. I'm sure that they will appeal. Cristina Alesci, thank you so much.

Joining me right now, Democratic Congresswoman Madeleine Dean from the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She serves on the Judiciary Committee. She's called for the impeachment of President Trump. She's also on the Financial Services Committee, which is one of the committees asking for President Trump's financial records from these banks.

Congresswoman, first, your reaction to the news that this judge is not going to stand in the way of congressional subpoenas of these records, financial records of the Trumps.

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): I'm pleased and I'm not surprised. And I'm learning the reporting through you. So thank you for that. I've been in a judiciary hearing where we're doing the markup on a very important bill, the DACA bill.

But I did talk with Chairwoman Waters this morning and have learned, you know, over the course of my relationship with her how she has been for the last two years attempting to get information from both Deutsche Bank and Capital One about what appears to be very irregular banking transactions with Trump and the Trump Organizations.

So I'm pleased and I'm not surprised. It was the right ruling and I won't be surprised that the president and his administration and his personal minions will appeal because they're doing everything in their power to stonewall.

TAPPER: And what are you looking for in these financial records? I mean, the president, I'm sure, has referred to it as a fishing expedition. Is there something that you know is there? Or are you just looking to see what is?

DEAN: Some of the indications are through the direct testimony of Michael Cohen, who indicated that the president either inflated or deflated assets or holdings or liabilities according to his wish and whim. We also know that many other banks simply wouldn't deal with the Trump Organization any longer. Apparently, Deutsche Bank was willing to take those risks.

But I wait to see. I don't prejudge it. I wait to see what is in the records.

But again, take a look at the numbers of committees of oversight who are looking for constitutional oversight of this administration and take a look at the extraordinary clash and the extraordinary stonewalling of this administration, not understanding that we are a co-equal branch of government and we have a constitutional obligation. It's our duty. This is not some fishing expedition that we think is fun. This is our congressional institution to get at the truth and say that no man, no matter how high he goes, is above the law.

TAPPER: Your reaction today from the threat from President Trump to no longer work with Democrats while these oversight investigations are going on. You're on the Judiciary Committee. What do you make of it all?

DEAN: Of course, again, I was with Speaker Pelosi before she went over to the White House with other leaders on the transportation package. I guess we all held out hope that this would be the one thing that the person who claims to be the greatest dealmaker in the world would want to be a part of for the good of the American people, for the good of our infrastructure investment that is so woefully needed, and I'm totally not surprised at the tantrum that the president pulled.

Imagine that, that this president held out and said, I will no longer talk to you, no longer negotiate for the good of the American people over the fact that we have oversight regulatory requirements. It's a tantrum. It is a cover-up sadly. This is a president trying to cover-up, because notice what he did

right afterwards. He went out to the Rose Garden in an impromptu, unplanned way, in his tantrum, apparently there was a sign there, "no collusion, no obstruction" of course, that is a false claim by this president and he knows it. It's a false claim by Attorney General Barr and he knows it. And it's a false claim by members of the other party on my committees. It's shocking.

The Mueller report says very clearly, A, we're not looking for collusion, because that's not a legally binding thing, and B, there was many pieces of evidence of obstruction of justice, directly by this president.

[16:20:01] If the Mueller report says no collusion, no obstruction, all the more reason that the president would have everybody come before us and wouldn't block Barr or Mueller or McGahn or anybody else and want us to see the full report because it's so exonerating.

The truth is, it's not exonerating. If you've read the report, it's not. The president and his minions are involved in a cover-up.

TAPPER: Congresswoman Madeleine Dean from the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I know you have to go to vote --

DEAN: We're voting.

TAPPER: -- on a few issues.

DEAN: I know that.

TAPPER: But please come back. We have lots more questions for you. Thanks so much for your time.

DEAN: Know that we're doing substantive work for the good of the American people. Thank you.

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