Page 12 - Core Function News Today

President is allowed to have private conversations with foreign leaders or congress which says we have oversight responsibility here? >> its a really fascinating clash of the separation of powers here and what their duties are because certainly the head of state function for the president is definitely really a core function for the president. so they are on strong ground really saying that hands off its diplomat to diplomat. however, whats different here is president trump disregards all the no...

Colleagues, we have a 500-page document, which lists all the times we attempted to do oversight under republican control, but they would not do it, so we have a lot of work backed up, but this is a core function of the judiciary committee. were doing it while were doing our other work, too. but this is one of our responsibilities and we owe it to the american people to do it. >> one of the things we heard a lot the last two years was kind of a new invention of executive privilege, where the whit...

>> you know, occasionally. right? >> holy cow. >> all right. thanks, chris. well be here all week. and this is "cnn tonight." im erin burnett, in for the one and only don lemon, who is off today. the house judiciary committee launching a broad investigation into president trump. taking a look at his administration, his campaign, his transition, his businesses, pretty much everything there is about the guy. the committee sending out letters to 81 people and entities. so that includes the white ho...

Administration, his campaign, his transition, his businesses, pretty much everything there is about the guy. the committee sending out letters to 81 people and entities. so that includes the white house, justice department, senior campaign officials, trump organization officials, the presidents sons. tonight i asked the chairman of the committee what all this is about, what does he want to learn. >> our goal is to hold the administration accountable for the obstruction of justice, the abuse of p...

Done in two years, i know it may look like a new exercise, but we ought to have been doing this for the last two years. we pleaded with our republican colleagues, we have a 500-page document, which lists all the times we attempted to do oversight under republican control, but they would not do it, so we have a lot of work thats backed up, but this is a core function of the judiciary committee. were doing it while were doing our other work, too. but this is one of our responsibilities and we owe ...

Rule of law, to protect the rule of law in this country. and thats our core function as a judiciary committee of the congress. and we have to find out whats been going on and we have to lay out a case to the american people and reveal it. because we have not seen an administration in a long time, prior to this, in which there were so many attacks on the rule of law, attacks on the justice department, attacks on the press, attacks on the judiciary, attacks on the norms we depend upon to protect d...

Counsel don mcgahn. nadlers scope is very broad. though he was asked about impeachment on sunday, he said it is too soon to go in that direction. listen to this. >> impeachment is a long way down the road. we dont have the facts yet. but were going to initiate proper investigations. its our job to protect the rule of law. thats our core function. and to do that we are going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption of -- into corruption and into obstruction of justice. >> ...

Trump organization. this comes as house democrats are clearly expanding their investigations of the president. joining us now, kirsten powers, cnn political analyst and "usa today" columnist. jeffrey toobin, chief legal analyst and rick santorum, senior political commentator and former republican senator from the commonwealth of pennsylvania. i want to play you what jerry nadler, who is chairman of house judiciary tells us he will do and wont do just yet. lets listen. >> impeachment is a long wa...

We dont have the facts yet, but were going to initiate proper investigations. its our job b to protect the re of law. thats our core function and to do that, we are going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption, and into obstruction of justice. >> manu is on capitol hill. what more do we know about what specifically the committee is seek something. >> theyre asking information from 81 individuals tied to the president and entities over the next two week. they want the an...

Though he was asked about impeachment on sunday, he said it is too soon to go in that direction. listen to this. >> impeachment is a long way down the road. we dont have the facts yet, but were going to initiate proper investigations. its our job to protect the rule of law. thats our core function. and to do that were going to initiate investigations into abuses of power, into corruption, and into and obstruction of justice. >> nadler saying that he wants to make a case to the american people ab...