CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Krishnamoorthi

Interview

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REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): No, I'm still trying to figure that out, Jake.

TAPPER: So, going after metadata from Apple is just one way to spy on people. You were expected to be briefed by Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff earlier today about this.

Given what we know how extensive was this search for whoever was giving media, whoever's giving journalists stories could it extend beyond this court request to Apple?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: It might, I saw reports that at least one other internet service provider may have been contacted. You have to remember that they were going after not only members, but also their families. And not only just the staff of the Intelligence Committee, but also staff in the personal offices of the members. And so, just a number of questions come up. One of them being, was there any complicity on the committee with this investigating secret subpoenas?

And then, two, why are we finding about this from Apple as opposed from -- as opposed to the Justice Department? I'm still grappling with that question. I don't understand why we weren't given a heads up notice from this Justice Department.

[17:05:10]

TAPPER: So far, we haven't heard of any Republicans targeted in this search or any Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee. It seems to be exclusive to people Trump received his political opponents on the House Intelligence Committee and their staffers. Is that your understanding?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes, that's my understanding so far.

TAPPER: Is there any indication that any of these into that there was any grounds for this suspicions? Or were they just fishing? I mean, people do leak. I've never personally heard of any of the people that have been named specifically leaking, but their names get bandied about by Republicans and conservatives in the media as people that they suspect of it. Was there any evidence of it?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: And quite frankly, the fact that they were fishing in the personal offices of some of these members who have nothing to do, that those personal staffers have nothing to do with the national security issues, or to the Russia or anything like that means that they were looking for other information as well. And that's deeply disturbing.

TAPPER: Yes. And just to explain for people watching, let's say, Congressman Schiff, he's the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, his staffers on the committee would know things that the staffers in his California congressional district office would have no idea and they wouldn't be sharing that information.

Do you think the Congress --

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes.

TAPPER: -- needs to call in former Attorney General Bill Barr, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions for questioning? How far do you think you need to go, Congress needs to go to get accountability here?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well, I think that not only do they need to be called in for questioning under oath, but you have to remember there are multiple DOJ attorneys who were under bar conducting this investigation, who remained there today. Top of mind is this gentleman, Mr. Benvenuto, who was a game land prosecutor brought in from New Jersey in 2020 to basically revive this investigation into members of Congress. He's still there in the National Security Division.

I don't know why. But he's still there. And he has a lot of explaining to do as well.

TAPPER: I've heard and seen some comments by civil libertarians saying, look, you guys sign off on these kinds of laws that allow prosecutorial discretion to take and grab the metadata of almost any American and based on their own discretion. Now, it's just applying to you, so you're offended by it. But this is the -- this is the fault of the House Intelligence Committee to begin with, Democrats and Republicans, for allowing prosecutors to have discretion to do this for any American.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think we have to look at that. I think at this point, the Justice Department has way too much discretion, prosecutorial discretion. The grand jury in panel to conduct this investigation basically just rubber stamped whatever the Justice Department attorney said was necessary for their -- for this investigation. And the court basically entrusted these Justice Department attorneys to do the right thing. Well, obviously they were wrong in that assumption.

TAPPER: Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi from the great city of Chicago, thanks so much. Hope you have a good weekend.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thanks, Jake.

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