Discussion in context with what happened in the 2016 election. Which is why we are here today. It is now undisputed by our intelligence agencies that russia invaded our democracy, not with bombs jets or tanks but with a sophisticated Cyber Mission to undermine the underpinnings of our very democracy. A democracy that hundreds of thousands of men and women have lost their lives on the battlefield defending both our democracy and democracies abroad. A democracy that four little girls innocence at the height of the Civil Rights Movement lost their lives in a church in birmingham, alabama. Because people were trying to hold on to that democracy, and make sure that it was extended to people in this country. So lets remember why were here today. Lets remember the words of dan coats, former director of the National Intelligence agency, who served in the senate, well respected. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle, he said that in fact russia has been emboldened to do this again. And i did appreciate senator grahams words that he made clear it was not ukraine that invaded this election. It was russia. And it was the records of fiona hill, and the impeachment hearings over in the house that i thought were important to remember. She said, anyone that is repeating this lie is basically huddling in russian propaganda. So lets remember that this is not about one election or one party. It is about our democracy. What can we do . Well, we can be honest, and we can stop making political hay out of this, and we can actually take some actions that would protect our election in 2020. And that includes finishing the work that senator langford and i started to pass not only the money, which i appreciate to help states to secure our elections but also to get in place requirements to push those states without backup paper ballots fully 11 of them to get those backup paper ballots and make sure we have better communication between federal and state authorities to do something about the propaganda by actually moving forward on the bill senator mccain had and senator graham and i now have honest ads act requiring those social Media Companies and ive absolutely no idea why we dont do that, to play by the same rules of the road for paid political ads, greatly help us but not completely, but greatly help us with this propaganda problem. Here we go. You wrote this report, inspector horowitz after interviewing more than 100 witnesses and reviewing over 1 million documents. Is that right . Thats correct. And under Department Guidelines an investigation has an authorized purpose if it is open to detect, obtain information about or prevent or protect against federal crimes or threats to the National Security or to collect foreign intelligence. You found that the investigation at issue today was open to determine whether People Associated with the Trump Campaign were coordinating with the russian government. Is that right . That is the reason provided. And, again, to be clear, you did not find that the fbi acted improperly when it opened the counterintelligence investigation that you reviewed in writing in this report . Thats correct. The departments guidelines also require that a decision to open investigation is supported by as you describe in your report allegations, reports, facts or circumstances that indicate the possibility of criminal activity, a National Security threat. You found that the fbis investigation was predicated on a report from a friendly Foreign Government that heard that the Trump Campaign had received some kind of suggestion that russia could help them by releasing information that was damaging to Hillary Clinton . Is that right . Thats correct. As a former prosecutor, i know that it is critical that the fbi is able to take an action like it did here to investigate threats to our National Security. Do you think that interference in our elections by a Foreign Government constitutes a National Security threat . Yes, i do. Okay. Does anything in your report call into question the finding in the special counsels report that the russian government interfered in the 2016 president ial election in a sweeping and systemic fashion . No it doesnt. In fact, we cite the special counsels report here in a footnote laying out all the different reports released on that issue. Does anything in your report call into question chairman burrs statement, republican chairman burrs statement that russia is waging an Information Warfare campaign against the u. S. That didnt start and didnt end with the 2016 election . No it does. Doesnt anything in your report call into question the assessment by fbi director wray that russians interference in our elections is ongoing and that its interference in the 2018 midterm was a dress rehearsal for the 2020 elections . No. It doesnt. Does anything in your report finding in the special counsels report that the russian government perceived it could benefit from a Trump Presidency and work to secure that outcome . We dont take issue with any part of the special counsels report, no. Okay. Did you find any evidence that political bias or other improper consideration affected the fbis decision to open the investigation into george pop dobb liss . Papadopoulos . We dont. Political bias affected the information to open into paul manafort. We dont. Find any evidence political bias affected the decision to open the investigation into Michael Flynn . We did not. Did you find any investigation that political bias or other improper considerations affected the decision to open the investigation into carter page . No. No documentary testimonial evidence or other evidence. So we are clear did your report uncover systematic political bias at the fbi . As to what we looked at, in the openings, we did not find documentary testimonial evidence to support a finding of bias. Can you comment on why it is critical that the American People have confidence in the rule of law and the independence of the Justice Department . Absolutely. I also was a former prosecutor, federal prosecutor previously. Did public Corruption Cases in Southern District in new york. The whole foundation of the Justice Department and Law Enforcement on the federal level and at the state and local level is apolitical, nonpolitical, decisionmaking made by prosecutors and agents working together to protect communities. Very good. I want to followup on your discussion on the issue you briefly discussed whistleblowers. With senator feinstein, because its so important and i know that senator grassley also cares a lot about this issue. Can you speak generally to how often in your career information provided to whistleblowers has proved important and led to uncover wrongdoing . Well, ill speak to certainly my experience in the seven years as ig in the first instance from the getgo, fast and furious critical the agents came forward there. We found numerous instances in our audits and reviews with whistleblowers coming forward and reporting evidence and add going back 30 year s career in new york had an incredibly brave Police Officer saw corruption in his midst and came forward and reported it and allowed us to make a very substantial Police Corruption case that would have continued, but for that courageous officer. Thank you very much. Thats really helpful. Last, after your report was released on monday, attorney general barr stated his opinion that the fbi launched an intrusive investigation of a u. S. President ial campaign. On the thinnest of suspicions. When the fbi decided to open its investigation, a u. S. Intelligence committee was already aware of russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. Is that correct . Im actually not sure what the Intelligence Committee knew at the time. It was in that context that the fbi received information, im just going to just go forward. I understand your answer. That the fbi received information from a Foreign Government, we know from reports came from an australian diplomat reporting that the Trump Campaign official suggested the Trump Campaign had received some kind of suggestion from russia assisting the campaign releasing information damaging to Hillary Clintons campaign. Is that correct . Thats correct. Your report quoted then chief of the National Security division David Lockman who said it would have been a dereliction of duty and responsibility of the highest order flot to commit the appropriate resources as urgently as possible to run these facts to the ground and find out whats going on. Is that correct . Thats correct. In light of all of that was occurring at that time and its always easy in hindsight to look back at things but at that time do you agree with attorney general barr that the investigation was predicated on the thinnest of suspicions . Well, im not going to get into a comparison of his view. Hes free to have his opinion. We have our funding and i stand by our conclusion. Again is . Sufficient predication to open the investigation based on the low threshold required by the fbi and department policy. Thank you very much. Thank you. Just, we talked a lot about, briefly, about papadopoulos. I dont want anybody to believe that anybody named in the initial okay. You have been listening to a couple different senators right there alternating republican democrat in this whole Senate Judiciary hearing on the investigation into the russia investigation and on the right side of your screen you saw the doj, ig, Inspector GeneralMichael Horowitz whos come out with this entire investigation, and, you know, questions from senator klobuchar about political bias he said he found none when launched this whole investigation. Saying the fbi did an aplusplus job . Not knows not the last day or two attorney general just dising bill barr who is the top cop. Right . Who oversees the entire department of justice and he doesnt agree with his own departments findings. Thats where well start. Elie honig, cnn legal analyst and former federal and state prosecutor and former fbi supervisor special agent. Alle. Making how badly the department of justice is damagened and undermined by statements by the president of the United States and attorney general. Not just statements demonstrably false statements. What bill barr has shown us is a primer on everything the opposite that youre taught when a new employee of the doj, whether prosecutor or fbi agent. If i boiled it down to three lessons, never play politics. Never, ever comment on a pending kags or investigation and always let your facts dictate your conclusion. Never start with a conclusion and fill in the facts. Hes violating all three of those. Back to your last point on bill barr in a second. And jogging back prior to senator klobuchar we heard from senator ted cruz . Fact check of that . The ig report, important to remember two main takeaways. There was wrongdoing by the fbi related to handling of survapens warrants. Wrongdoing. True at the same time. It is true the Inspector General found no political bias on, operating by the fbi, the key takeaway, thats what the president has been saying for over two years now. That the fbi was weaponized by president obama to go after donald trump and his campaign. Whats so interesting is, this is somewhat predictable. You talked about this. You have the republicans and the democrats. Republicans seem to be focusing on fisa abuse yet democrats focusing on this narrative there was no political bias. One thing interesting listening to senator cruz, he seemed to book end his argument with political talking points. Started saying we need a Justice Department thats nonpartisan. I think people agree. Launched into the fisa abuse and at the end says the fbi in his words hatchet men for the dnc. Which is simply not the case if you listen to the Inspector General. So i think again theres a lot of political spin. People will look at this through their own political lenses. Key takeaway again a narrative the fbi was politicized in operating politically is simply not true according to the ig. Back to bill barr. Elie, why are these comments so outrageous . First of all, why is this case bill barrs number one priority . Seemingly only priority. If he has a number two priority i cant tell what you it is. Why is he so obsessed with this case . Its political. Trying to throw donald trump a convenient talking point. Look, the fact is he is somehow out of hand rejected the findings of this Inspector General. Senator klobuchar says, this Inspector General talked to over 100 witnesses over 1 million documents. Bill barr says, nah, i dont see it. I dont agree. Why is in a . How did he get there and always coming out the same way and now says im not satisfied. Durham out there, two different investigations, lord knows. Seems his m. Omplgto. , keep investigating until i get to the answer i like and donald trump likes. What are the longterm ramifications of i think also of the president speaking last night at that rally and calling the fbi scum, to how you see how, you know, the ag is speaking about his on department . What are ramifications within the fbi and doj . Read my mind. Real consequences on the men and women who do this job. We heard some probably appears conduct add crime relating to the fisa abuse. In the main, to broad brush this agency as human scum, again, the hatchet men of the dnc really grates on people and going back to the attorney general what is irking people inside the fbi based and reporting is this language that the attorney general is using. Adopting the same witchhunt terminology the president uses to say the fbi was quote unquote spying on the Trump Campaign when again you have an independent ig. What are the consequences of that . That is you have people inside government that are conducting these investigations who wont be trusted by the publics they have to have public trust to do their job. As weveseed seeaid, fbi agent on your door they need help and have to be trusted. This is forming and may have longte longterm effect. An hour democrats debate articles of impeachment against President Trump. Find out what to watch and what Speaker Pelosi told her caucus today. Plus, new reporting how President Trump is reacting to all of this in private. What he referred to at that rally last night at impeachment light. Im brooke baldwin. We will be right back. Youre watching cnn. Ll, not of. Nervous . Yeah. Yeah me too. Dont worry about it, well figure it out. Ill see ya in there just ok is not ok. At t has americas best network, now with our best plans, at our best prices, starting at 35 a line for 4 lines. New from at t. 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