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cnn. New reporting reveals what it really it rocked our world. I had no idea Paul Manafort lied to the amount of damage that water could do. Investigators about after he we called usaa. Signed that plea agreement. And they greeted me as they always do. Thats where we begin this hour. Sergeant baker, how are you . Good morning. Good morning. They were on it. Yeah. This really shows the very it was unbelievable. Having insurance is something everyone needs, contentious relationship between but having usaa Paul Manafort and the mueller team. The mueller team now saying that now thats a privilege. Since that plea deal was struck were the bakers and were usaa members for life. Two and a half months ago that usaa. Manafort has repeatedly lied. Get your insurance quote today. Manaforts team says he was telling the truth. We have now learned from the Wall Street Journal what this is centered around. This is Paul Manaforts relationship to a businessman who they have had a relationship. Mueller has been very interested in that relationship and says that manafort has not been Truthable Abotrut truthful about it. The fbi believes he does have close ties to russian spell against. Thats where that interest comes from. They have both been charged by the mueller team with trying to influence two witnesses. He has not appeared in court. The senator delivering he has not been arrested. President trumps handling of the murder of jamal khashoggi, a and this isnt necessarily central to the russia probe per major, a large one, voted to se, but it really does speak to advance u. S. Military support of the saudi led war in yemen. That contentious relationship, as i mentioned, between the two Secretary Of State mike mpompeo of them. So manafort really does find said there was no direct himself in hot water right now. Evidence linking the prince to it would appear that his best the killing. Possible chances of any sort of one of the president s biggest supporters on the hill, leniency is a president ial senator Lindsey Graham expressing more than just a pardon, which as we heard little frustration with her not yesterday from President Trump being there. Is not off the table. Why . Because she is the one who heard the special counsel ask that a date for sentencing be set. The tape of the murder of the there is a hearing here in d. C. Journalist jamal khashoggi. Tomorrow to talk about that. Listen to senator graham. Yeah. Im glad we had it. And we should note the president i admire both the secretaries, publically dangling a pardon for but it was inadequate because people tied to an ongoing the cia was not there. Investigation for which he is any key vote, anything that you involved in is remarkable. For a convicted felon. Need me for to get out of town, yeah, exactly. On other issues central to i aint doing it until we hear muellers investigation, the
from the cia. Did you hear back from the president . I just did. President cnn learned about this is cnn Breaking News. Some of the answers to those all right. Questions. The president has sent back we have significant Breaking News to bring you this morning regarding President Trump, written answers. Regarding Michael Cohen. Lets go to our colleague pamela foremost among them was what he knew, if anything, about that brown. Give us the main headline here. 2016 meeting at trump tower we are learning that michael between donald jr. , Paul Manafort, Jared Kushner and a cohen, the president s former attorney for more than a decade russian lawyer with ties to the is expected to make a surprise kremlin. The president has said according appearance in front of a federal to this Exclusive Reporting that judge in new york this morning where he is expected to plead he knew nothing about that. He also says he knew nothing guilty to Misleading Congress in about roger stones relationship the Russia Investigation. So we know that Michael Cohen with wikileaks. Roger stone, a longtime has previously testified to associate. Lets just remind the viewers congress on a number of issues why. Thats because Russian Military related to the russia probe. Hackers who hacked into the dnc he has previously told congress and the Clinton Campaign then that those efforts have ceased handed off that trove of emails to wikileaks and so now the in january of 2016. Special Counsel Robert Mueller he also told congress that the is focussing on that potential president barely knew about it. That was one of the issues we relationship between wikileaks know Michael Cohen has
and roger stone to see if there previously talked to congress was any collusion between the about. Now we are learning the head of his sentencing coming up later Trump Campaign, wikileaks and of course that all tied back to the in december, that he is going to be appearing before a federal russian hacker. Judge and pleading guilty to alex, thanks very much. Misleading congress. One day after the president this is significant for a number refused to speak on the record of reasons because the question about a potential pardon, well, is how will this impact the president. Michael cohen is someone who has the Washington Post now said he would not take it off the table. Previously said he would take a bullet for the president. Joe johns is at the white house. Now it turns out he could be one lets cut right to the chase of the most damaging witnesses here. The president is publically to the president and his dangling a pardon, it appears, presidency. And so we could learn more about to someone who is a convicted felon. Remarkable, but not shocking what the president has learned as it pertains to the russia given whats happened at this investigation. White house, quite frankly. We are waiting to find out what that New York Post interview, happens when we appear before the president indicating he this federal judge. Would not take it off the table, he already pleaded guilty to asking a question why would i eight counts. That involved tax fraud, as well take a pardon off of the table. As Campaign Finance violations. Now, this is a kind of issue so this is certainly that has been floating around significant, because this is for a long time, ever since paul different. This is pleading guilty to manafort was indicted. Misleading congress and the Russia Investigation. He, of course, was the trump the timing here is key
campaign manager. Because he has testified that but this is the closest the the talks regarding trump tower, president has ever come to the Trump Tower Project in telegraphing his thinking. Moscow is now saying, is it once again thr, this is one of e correct, that those talks issues not that shocking where continued into june of 2016. That time because the president we are in an environment where by then was presumptive the president of the United States has fired the fbi republican nominee for director, ousted the attorney president. General and installed a critic and skeptic of the mueller that timing, is he also testifying that the president investigation there to was aware that those essentially oversea the conversations were continued . Investigation. Were going to have to wait not that surprising at all. And see what he says. Jim and poppy, back to you. I can only just tell you what he thank you. Has testified to congress in the with us now cnn chief legal too. Past. He says that those discussions about trump tower and moscow ceased in january 2016 and he also says that the president where do we begin . Barely knew about it. Those are lets begin with the president two key points he has previously saying to the post when i should note he went off the record on told congress. We know the president has come certain issues with the out and said on several Washington Post. Occasions that there is no deal with russia. So then with the New York Post he has no financial dealings he goes on the record and says with russia. He said that during the why would i take a pardon off campaign. He said that again january 2017. The table . So it certainly would be significant in Michael Cohen it is worth remembering that
does appear before a judge and one of the articles of says that he misled congress in impeachment against richard terms of what the president knew nixon included that the about trump tower, moscow and those efforts. Of course, nothing ever came of president abused the pardon it. As we know, the deal fell apart. Process. If you say to someone who is but there was a letter of intent signed by the president in 2015. Potentially cooperating, dont but again the president cooperate because you will get a continually distancing himself pardon. Even if you just message it saying he didnt know anything about it. Michael cohen has come out. In that way through an interview. Well, that becomes a hard in the past when he was trumps question. Attorney, he no longer is, and obviously impeachment is a said he didnt know much about political process in the house it. We will have to wait and see of representatives. What Michael Cohen is going to but the issue of abuse of the Pardon Process as part of say in terms of pleading guilty to Misleading Congress. Obstruction of justice is a real also, up until now at least one and certainly his comment to Michael Cohen has not yes, he the New York Post raises that pled guilty to those eight issue. The politics here, the counts. He has not had a Cooperation Agreement with prosecutors in politics have and have always the Southern District. Been central to this do we know if that changes investigation, right . Today . From a political standpoint, can because we know hes facing a sentencing on December 12th the president politically get where he could get 60 months in away with pardoning folks tied to himself in the midst of an prison. You have to serve 85 of it in a Ongoing Investigation with federal sentence. Himself as a potential target of this investigation. It depends on what getting do we know if prosecutors from away with it means. If politically the president is the fdny or from muellers team going to continue what we have seen in the midterm elections will say anything about the which is playing solely to his effectiveness of what he has base, almost ignoring the rest told them or how truthful they of the world and trying to tell the rest of the people like him, think it is . Were waiting to find out. Stick with me, prospersy is there is no cooperation between around the corner, we will be Michael Cohen and Robert Muellers team, even though fine, then, yes, some of his follows would forgive hymn mueller spent a significant time talking to him. Anything. For everybody else, though, and he has also spoken to prosecutors in the southern politically speaking since district of new york about the thats how you asked it, i mean, other charges that he pleaded no, of course not. Guilty to including, of course, going back to the watergate tax fraud and Campaign Finance template, at some point in violations. So the question is is this an 73 74, the country woke up, effort to perhaps get more mostly while they were watching leniency ahead of his sentencing hearings in the House Committee and started to realize that coming up on December 12th. There is something seriously its unclear at this point who wrong here. Will be present in that and i think Something Like that courtroom when Michael Cohen is more likely than not because, you know, when you are talking about pardoning people, you are does plead guilty to misleading dangling it. Congress. That is something to watch out that is a problem legally for. Robert muellers team, their speaking, but it also suggests, reaction to this, and what led
to this because presumably he well, manafort is not done. If you are talking about told congress what he told pardoning somebody who is in a congress. But we know Robert Muellers position to commit more crimes, more deception, i think the team has already been looking into this issue, what the General Public will look at this president knew about the trump and say this is not what we want tower deal and moscow. And so the question is is our president to be doing. Through that investigation they were able to uncover that what i disagree, which must mean Michael Cohen has told congress didnt line up with the fact im wrong because errol is that they had from other communications from other people always right. But you say get away with it. Involved in this investigation. And as Michael Cohen is pleading the question is will there ever been 67 votes in the senate to guilty to Misleading Congress . Remove donald trump from office . Well have to wait and see what my answer is no. Nothing related to mueller will hatches on this front. Ever get him to 67 votes in the we will know a lot more about senate. And that means he can get away how far he goes, about the with it. I mean, yes, he could get president s knowledge, et cetera, based on what he says in impeached like bill clinton was that courtroom but also how the special counsel views how impeached. But i dont see any scenario helpful his system has been. Where 67 votes remove him. Thats correct, right . He is making these statements you also dont see him as a president that would ever now in a courtroom here in new resign . No, never. So, look, were obviously york. Thats right. He is going to be in front of a playing were playing federal judge pleading guilty to thats where the cards really this. And its significant and unusual
were. Jeffrey, can i ask you about for this to happen, for this turn of events before someone is dan as reporting yesterday on sentenced. Some of the written answers that he has already pleaded guilty to the president gave to mueller eight counts of Campaign Finance and his team. In both of them on roger stone violation and tax fraud. And wikileaks and saying he has and now in a turn of events just no knowledge of the trump tower before his sentencing, hes meeting in 2016, the key phrase going to go before this federal in both of them was, to the best judge in a surprise appearance of my knowledge. And plead guilty to lying to to the best of my congress. So the question is what role did recollection, i believe. Wouldnt it be pretty easy at Robert Muellers team in this this point for muellers team to and how will this impact moving confirm given how much they know forward . And will it shed any light on because they could say that manafort was the liar. The testimony that Michael Cohen has been giving to robert no, not necessarily. Muellers team, how helpful it i think its hard to prove what has been as it pertains to people remember. President. You can imagine the president and in fairness to president and his legal team would be trump he has a lot of phone paying close attention to this because Michael Cohen knew the calls and a lot going on in his president very well. Life over the last two years. He was his attorney for more than a decade. So to prove that someone he was one of his fiercest remembers a phone call is very difficult. Thats why lawyers love that defenders and of course he came phrase, to the best of my out in court and said that he paid off the two women in recollection. Unless there were multiple phone calls over time, right . Part of this is does mueller ask Campaign Finance violation at the direction of the president. Questions that he doesnt know that sort of up ended any legal
the answer to, right . Has he spoken to other witnesses Defense Agreement between the president , his team and michael and corroborated a line, cohens team. But certainly the big question something that happened, he today is how has the testimony posed that question to the president because he ha