CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Adriano Espaillat"
Interview
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CABRERA: OK, Kevin Liptak. You just laid out a lot there for us. Thank you for the update on all things impeachment inquiry right now.
Besides congressman Meadows and Jordan, my next guest also sat through impeachment inquiry depositions all week. Congressman Adriano Espaillat is the member of the foreign affairs committee. Here with us now.
Now, congressman, thank you so much for being here.
REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Thank you.
CABRERA: Let me get your reaction to his reporting about congressman Jordan, Jim Jordan and Meadows as well, Mark Meadows now informally advising the President when it comes to what has been taking place in the depositions behind closed doors.
ESPAILLAT: Well, it hasn't a closed process because the Republicans have been there. Jordan and Meadows have been there.
CABRERA: Right. ESPAILLAT: Their counsel, lead counsel has been there interrogating,
questioning each and every one of the witnesses. So this is an investigation process. And this should be a -- in a confined environment because first and foremost we want to protect the witnesses. We want to make sure that any future witnesses not intimidated. We want to make sure that witnesses don't coordinate with each other.
This is almost like asking from the White House side -- it is almost like asking a prosecutor or a D.A. a suspect asking the D.A. to control the investigation and to have influence over the investigation. Now, we are in an investigation process. The constitution gives us sole power of impeachment, over 300 legal --
[16:05:00]
CABRERA: I hear when you are say. But let me just really just get back to the initial question, though. Do you have any problem with them having been part of those hearings and though the White House counsel isn't allowed in these hearings. The President isn't allowed in these hearings. But they are going to the President and they are sharing information with them.
ESPAILLAT: Well, the fact of the matter is that much of the testimony will be open and public very soon. And so, if they want to advise the President that's their choice, you know. We are concerned about leaking information. We were concerned about the whistleblower and whether or not he was exposed or she was exposed to the general public.
But this is closing soon. And that the open process will begin very soon. And the American people will then have access to all the testimony, the depositions, what the questions were asked of the witnesses, the evidence that we need to have before we push this forward to the Judiciary Committee.
CABRERA: Right. And that's what the vote was all about this week. It was voting on a resolution.
ESPAILLAT: That's correct.
CABRERA: The procedures of the next phase of the investigation and the public hearings and transcripts to be made public, as well. On the day of this vote, the President's campaign says it was their biggest fundraising day in October. Pair that with what we are seeing in the polls and that is Americans are very split right now. In fact, you can see there, 49 percent support, 47 percent are against impeachment and removal from office. How confident are you that the public is going to get behind this?
ESPAILLAT: This is not a political process. This is not a Republican versus Democratic process. This is a constitutional process. This is about balance of powers. This is about whether or not a president of the United States could intimidate a foreign government to investigate one of his political opponents there by influencing the results of the next election. This is about your vote, Ana. And my vote. This is not about Democrat versus Republican.
The majority of the people still feel that there should be an impeachment process and he removed by the way according to that poll. But I think as more evidence comes out, as we hear from the lieutenant colonel, as we hear from Taylor, and those that refused to come forward, further creating a condition where they could be subject to additional articles of impeachment on obstruction of government.
Because if the White House is instructing people not to come forward, if they want to hide information, financial information that we need access to, and they want to continue the cover. So very often the cover-up is worse than the crime itself. And so they are engaged in this kind of behavior right now, very slippery slope. And I think that the American people will hear the lieutenant colonel, will hear Taylor and others and they will be convinced.
CABRERA: When you say it is not about politics, though. You look at the vote and it was completely divided. There was no bipartisanship when it came to those who voted for. In fact, two Democrats defected. They voted with Republicans against it. And here's Mark Meadows who is, of course, on that other side responding -- I'm sorry. This is Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, after the vote.
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REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Today the country just witnessed the only bipartisan vote on that floor was against. The question to the speaker are the same questions I provided in the letter about the unfair process that we had. What has changed since March? In all the hearings, there's nothing compelling, nothing overwhelming. So the speaker should follow her own words on what bipartisan vote on that floor and in the sham that has been putting this country through this nightmare.
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CABRERA: Congressman, does the lack of bipartisanship in that vote concern you?
ESPAILLAT: Well, the Republicans were in the room so this was an open process if you want to consider partisanship. It wasn't just a Democratic impeachment process. It was both parties, both legal counsels. I'm sure that McCarthy had access to the information that I found to be compelling and credible. And that I'm sure the American people would also find to be compelling and credible.
Even in the Nixon impeachment process, the support for the impeachment process at this stage was much lower than the current impeachment process. I think that once Republicans of goodwill listen to the evidence, listen to the testimony they will be compelled. Their constituencies will force them to be compel to be on the right side of the history.
CABRERA: Why do you think though those Republicans who have been in the room, who have been listening to the same testimony that you have been hearing and those who have expressed concerns of what they are hearing still chose to vote against the process moving forward?
ESPAILLAT: Well, I tell you something, Ana. The strange thing is not many of them have been in the room although they could be in the room. Not all the members of the intelligence, oversight and foreign affairs committee have been in the room for the Republican party. They could be there if they want to.
The ones who storm in were not members of those committees. They wanted to disrupt and obstruct. But I'm very confident that the truth somehow finds its way to surface. And once it surfaces it is very hard for the American people of any member of Congress of either party to be able to ignore it.
And I think that there cover-up of evidence, of restricting members of the administration going forward to testify, dodging subpoenas, all of these actions which are very troubling to begin with will look very silly and stupid when the evidence is before the American people and we will soon hear the testimony.
[16:10:31] CABRERA: OK. Congressman Espaillat, thank you so much for being here.
ESPAILLAT: Thank you so much, Ana.
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