CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Is Interviewed About The Justice Department And Trump's Action On Impeachment Witnesses

Interview

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We actually just heard from John Cornyn of Texas who says, "We got other things we need to do." He says he hopes the president doesn't carry this into the future. We'll see what he says tonight in Ne Hampshire, but all indications are that the president is going to use this to fuel his base even further going into November, Wolf. BLITZER: Boris Sanchez at the White House. Thank you. Let's discuss

the latest developments with Senator Richard Blumenthal. He is a key Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Senator, thanks so much for coming in.

So, the attorney general confirmed what Lindsey Graham said, that the Justice Department is now accepting various tidbits information, whatever, from Rudy Giuliani. Does that raise concerns in your mind?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): It raises very, very deep concerns. It's deeply dangerous when our law enforcement agencies are in effect weaponized as political tools for the president. And as Margaret Brennan said when she was interviewing Senator Graham, it sounds a lot like taxpayer funded opposition research on a political rival, Joe Biden, and that really should alarm the American people.

BLITZER: But the Attorney General William Barr said, you know, you got to take everything that comes out of Ukraine with a huge grain of salt because so much disinformation is there. So he says they have a process over there at the Justice Department to review any of these things before they move on.

BLUMENTHAL: What we are seeing here though, Wolf, is as he called, an intake process in the field. That's what he called it. That's not the regular kind of acceptance of tips or information. It is a pipeline and a back channel for Rudy Giuliani.

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BLITZER: So what should Barr do if Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, a former U.S. attorney of the Southern District of New York says I've got information I'd like to share with you, what should Barr do?

BLUMENTHAL: He should do what Lindsey Graham suggested and direct Rudy Giuliani to intelligence officials. Lindsey Graham said that he should go to the intelligence committee, but not use it in effect to establish a special pipeline for Rudy Giuliani to create this kind of opposition research for the benefit of the president.

BLITZER: The deputy director of the FBI wouldn't say whether there is some sort of open investigation into the Bidens. That's protocol, but do you accept that when he refused to say whether or not there is any open investigation?

BLUMENTHA: His job and I had that responsibility when I was a federal law enforcement prosecutor as a United States attorney in Connecticut, is to neither confirm nor deny. But in this instance, I think that it's pretty clear that the reports about lawbreaking by the Bidens have been completely debunked and discredit and he should say so.

BLITZER: Do you expect more firings to come from the president? Now, 0we saw what happened Friday night with Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman and Gordon Sondland, the U.S ambassador to the E.U. Do you expect more individuals to be fired?

BLUMENTHAL: This president is pretty unpredictable in his personal vengeance which is what happened to Lieutenant Colonel Vindman and his brother. Lieutenant Colonel Vindman came forward in response to a congressional subpoena to tell the truth.

He is a decorated combat veteran, and he assured his father, if you remember in that very moving moment when he testified, "We're not in the Soviet Union dad, right matters here, truth matters here." But he was escorted in a highly humiliating way and really disgusting.

BLITZER: Yes. One of his friends said on CNN today, he wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to his friends, his colleagues that he has been working over at the National Security Council.

With Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, the minority leader is calling all federal inspectors general to investigate retaliation against witnesses who come before Congress who have been subpoenaed and then testified truthfully. You think that is a good idea?

BLUMENTHAL: I think the inspector generals should investigate any and every report of retaliation or revenge, which clearly was what happened when the president fired in effect Lieutenant Colonel Vindman or transferred him in that way.

But equally important, we need to strengthen the laws that protect whistleblowers and the kind of dedicated patriots who come forward with truth and speak it to power in a way that Lieutenant Colonel Vindman did.

BLITZER: You heard what Senator Lindsey Graham, your Republican colleague suggested. He's the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, accusing Vindman and other various officials at the CIA, the FBI, the Justice Department, of having this vendetta going after the president of the United States. What do you think?

BLUMENTHAL: There is no vendetta here. The attempt to link him to the deep state or to some kind of conspiracy theory is absolutely absurd. And I think that these kinds of theories linking patriots like Colonel Vindman are a disservice to the patriots who come forward.

But also to the brave public servants who work every day in those intelligence agency, put their lives on the line all across the globe so that we can be safer. And I believe, by the way, that there needs to be reform of the FISA court.

I advocated it under President Obama because there need to be checks and balances so it's not as if the system is totally flawless or perfect, but we need to approach it with a kind of respect for truth that Colonel Vindman demonstrated.

BLITZER: And let's not forget Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, a decorated Iraq war veteran who was wounded in Iraq, still has some shrapnel in his body for that. Thanks very much senator for coming in.

BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.

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