CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Gregory Meeks"

Interview

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TRUMP: Well, keeping them honest, the White House's own transcript of that July 25th conversation which is a rough transcript not word for word between the president and Ukrainian president, also already makes a mockery out of those denials.

Today, Ambassador Taylor's account makes it even plainer. Everything Taylor says he was told, everything depended on Zelensky committing to his end of that quid pro quo and doing so publicly. By his account, there was nothing subtle about it.

In a statement, Ambassador Taylor describes the September 1st phone call with National Security Council aide Tim Morrison, quoting now: During this same phone call I had with Mr. Morrison, he went on to describe a conversation that Ambassador Sondland had with Mr. Yermak meeting in Warsaw. Ambassador Sondland told Mr. Yermak that the security assistance money would not come until President Zelensky committed to pursue the Burisma investigation.

Burisma is the Ukrainian company that Hunter Biden once served on the board of. Yermak is a close aid to President Zelensky of Ukraine.

Ambassador Taylor continues. Quote: I was alarmed by what Mr. Morrison told me about the Sondland-Yermak conversation. This was the first time I heard the security assistance, not just the White House meeting, was conditioned on the investigations.

That same day, he texted his concern to Sondland, the two then spoke by phone. Quoting again from Taylor's statement: During that phone call, Ambassador Sondland told me that President Trump had told him that he wants Zelensky to state publicly that Ukraine will investigate Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

Quote: Ambassador Sondland said everything was dependent on such an announcement including security assistance. He said that President Trump wanted President Zelensky in a public box by making a public statement about ordering such investigations.

Again, Ambassador Taylor wrapped up his testimony shortly before air time.

Joining us right now is New York Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, thanks for being with us.

How much more were you able to learn from Ambassador Taylor today beyond what he said in his opening statement which was long and detailed?

REP. GREGORY MEEKS (D-NY): Well, you know, what we learned was that he is a patriot, that he comes with no political agenda. That he has -- his only concern is about the significance and importance of the Ukraine relationship with the United States of America, and the fact that Russia is actively engaged in military conflict with Ukraine, where Ukrainians are dying on a daily basis as a result of that attack.

And his whole focus that he was not -- we would not have taken the job but for him wanting to do the best for his country, standing by his country to show the Ukrainians that they can have an opportunity to be a free and Democratic society and not subject to the dictates of the dictator from Russia.

COOPER: Your Republican colleague, Congressman Mark Meadows, said after hearing the Ambassador Taylor testify tor ten hours and I'm quoting, he said, I can assure you there is no quid pro quo.

How important is it to have some of these hearings public, because isn't it important -- I mean, would it be important for the public to actually hear what is being said behind closed doors?

[20:05:06]

MEEKS: Look, at some point, we're going to get the public hearings. But remember that this is an impeachment inquiry. There is no special prosecutor as it had been previously. And so, we are conducting an inquiry and the same manner that a special prosecutor had in the past.

And in fact, this is more open because in the special prosecutor case, there was no member of Congress or anyone there. In this case, there is Democrats and Republicans and their respective attorneys that are in the room. So --

COOPER: So, when you hear Congressman Meadows say after hearing, you know, Ambassador Taylor today that, you know, he can assure people there's no quid pro quo, what do you make of the comment? Hearing -- apparently you guys both heard the same things.

MEEKS: Well, all I say to the American people, it's out there now, so read the transcript, read the text of his statement. Basically what he said when one side to me, it would almost seem as though it was a "Godfather" movie said you're a businessman and don't get paid anything until you deliver what we want. Then he said, the president didn't say no quid pro quo as if that meant there was no quid pro quo. But then he said don't release the money unless question we get what we want. That's a quid pro quo.

If you expect someone to say when he they know that they're breaking the law and apparently he did, that's why he said no quid pro quo, trying to protect himself, knowing that he was breaking the law and trying to hold up the president of the Ukraine to get some political dirt so that he could benefit and in his political campaign in 2020.

COOPER: Given that there are several consistencies between Ambassador Taylor told you today and what Ambassador Sondland who, by the way, is not a career foreign service officer. He is a business person who a Trump supporter and was made the ambassador to the European Union based on that, there is inconsistencies with what Taylor said and Ambassador Sondland told you last we can, do you think Sondland needs to be called back to explain those differences? MEEKS: I think there is going to be further questions. That's why

we're still in the inquiry. This is a serious process that we are engaged in. It's not something that's a joke or we take lightly. And so, we are looking at and listening to all of the witnesses that testified, because this is a drive for the truth.

The American people deserve to know the truth. And that's what we are trying to do here. So, we're going to take further testimony. There will be more testimony all of next woke.

We'll combine. Transcripts will be open for people to read. At some point, there will be opening hearings.

And so, look, we are doing a meticulous job that is fair and open to the president.

COOPER: Just lastly, the president today tweeted -- you want I want to read something he tweeted. He quoted -- he tweeted and I'm quoting: So, some day if a Democrat becomes president, the Republicans win the House even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the president without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what we are witnessing here, a lynching, but we will win.

You know, he came under a lot of criticism from many quarters today. I know that back in 1998, I think it was, you called the President Clinton's impeachment a political lynching.

I'm wondering what you make of the president's use of that term.

MEEKS: Yes, so, look, I said those words. But you cannot put it in the same context. President Trump with me, an individual in the context whose people and whose family had been subject to lynching. And so, when you also think about who Donald Trump is and what he said, he is the president of the birther movement. He is the one that said those in Charlotte -- Charlottesville are fair people or people that's good people on both sides, those are the same individuals that lynched my ancestors when you think about what he has done, you talk about the Central Park Five, when you talk about all of the whistle -- our conversation that he's had in regards to race relations and the discriminatory practices that he's had in his businesses, no, Donald Trump does not have the liberty to say and use that word.

COOPER: Congressman Meeks, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

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