CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL)

Interview

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Joining us, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat. He serves on both the Intelligence and Oversight committees.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

So, what do you think? John Bolton, the former national security adviser, he's teasing that the White House is worried about what he knows and what he might say. Is it a mistake to move ahead without pushing much harder to get his testimony, because I think you could be close to getting it?

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): Well, first of all, thanks for having me on. And you're right that his subordinates at the National Security Council, including Dr. Hill, including Lieutenant Colonel Vindman and others, did testify that he had significant concerns about what was happening on this irregular policy channel that was headed by Rudy Giuliani to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and President Trump's domestic rivals.

That being said, at this point, I think that we need to quickly conclude this particular inquiry, if for no other reason than to stop the wrongdoing that's happening right now in our foreign policy at the White House, because, as you may have seen on my questioning of some of the witnesses, they can't rule out that the same thing that's happening in Ukraine is happening in other countries, whether it's Saudi Arabia or Russia or other countries.

And so I think that we have to move forward. If we were to go through some long court fight to get others, it would just accomplish what, unfortunately, the White House is engaged in, which is trying to stonewall and prevent this investigation from going forward.

BLITZER: Your committee, the Intelligence Committee, is now writing the report on the impeachment inquiry.

What will that report look like?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well, the able staff of the committee is trying to put together all this evidence that's been gathered over many weeks at this point, and essentially try to just present the facts, and whether they support some of the different theories behind wrongdoing.

I suspect that the minority will also be given a chance to submit their report to the Judiciary Committee, and then the Judiciary Committee will have to decide next steps.

But I think that, at this point, everyone's trying to gather all the evidence, whether it's documentary or deposition evidence, and, of course, the hearing testimony.

I got to just say one thing. Those 12 witnesses who came forward, they were incredible witnesses. They were careful. They were consistent in their recounts of what happened. And they provided compelling, indeed riveting testimony at times.

[18:15:08]

BLITZER: They certainly did.

How soon, Congressman, will you send that report from the Intelligence Committee to the Judiciary Committee?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I don't know the exact timing. I think Chairman Schiff would like to do it as quickly as we can.

But, on the other hand, I got to tell you, people are exhausted from what just happened. We had a marathon two weeks of hearings. And I think, today, people are just trying to get their bearings and then power through the next couple of weeks and get everything concluded in an orderly fashion, hopefully.

BLITZER: As you know, many of the witnesses we heard from -- and they were all impressive -- in these impeachment hearings are...

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

BLITZER: ... either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants, like yourself.

And I want to show this emotional exchange you had with Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman. Listen to this.

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KRISHNAMOORTHI: From one immigrant American to another immigrant American, I want to say to you that you and your family represent the very best of America.

I assume that you are as proud to be an American as I am, correct?

LT. COL. ALEXANDER VINDMAN, DIRECTOR FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: Yes, sir.

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BLITZER: So what's your reaction, Congressman, to the ongoing attacks on these witnesses over their heritage by some of these fringe groups out there and some that may not even be fringe groups?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think it's reprehensible.

In Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's case, I personally believe that the attacks are in part motivated by his immigrant status.

This gentleman came over when he was 3.5 years old as a toddler from the Soviet Union. His father, he and his brothers came here with his grandmother. His mother had died when he was very young.

And you know what they did? They set about basically committing themselves to America. All three brothers are in the military, Wolf.

And the other thing that really bothered me about the attacks on Lieutenant Colonel Vindman had to do, I think, in part with his Jewish heritage as well.

This is something that I talked about with Dr. Fiona Hill. There has been a consistent smear campaign against her, Marie Yovanovitch, and potentially even Lieutenant Colonel Vindman in some of these right- wing circles, in part based on their Jewish heritage, and conspiracy theories with George Soros and just some crackpot theories.

In some cases, I believe that those same people who are fomenting those theories are trafficking in those crazy conspiracy theories with regard to Ukraine interfering in our 2016 elections.

I think it's just a nutty group of people who are kind of behind some of these strange theories that seek to smear Vindman and Hill and Yovanovitch and others.

BLITZER: Yes, I think you make an important point. I'm going to have more on this later this hour.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you. Thank you.

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