Transcripts For CNNW The 20240703 : vimarsana.com

His Home State Governor is now urging the democrat to resign from the u. S. Senate. This as menendez has already been forced to step down at least for now as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. First lets go to cnns kara scannell. Shes outside the courthouse in new york where the charges were announced. Kara, the new jersey governor isnt the only one calling for menendez to resign. Reporter theres a growing chorus of lawmakers frommage new jersey calling for Senator Menendez to step down. Thats after federal prosecutors announced this allegedly brazen bribery scheme. They detailed how an fbi search of the senators home turned up the proceeds of this alleged crime. Some of the cash was stuffed in the senators jacket pockets. Reporter indicted again. New jersey senator bob menendez facing corruptionrelated charges for the second time in ten years. Prosecutors announcing a threecount federal indictment against the democratic senator and his wife over their dealings with three new jersey associates and businessmen starting in at least 2018. The senator and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes. In exchange for Senator Menendez using his power and influence to protect and to enrich those businessmen. Reporter the alleged bribes include more than 550,000 in cash hidden in the senators home and safe deposit box. A mercedesbenz convertible. And gold bars worth tens of thousands of dollars, among other things. The indictment also alleges the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, quote, provided sensitive u. S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the government of egypt. Behind the scenes Senator Menendez was doing those things for certain people. The people who were bribing him and his wife. Reporter the senator not new to scandal issued a defiant statement in response to the u. S. Attorneys latest allegations. I have been falsely accused before because i refuse to back down to the Powers That Be and the people of new jersey were able to see through the smoke and mirrors and recognize i was innocent. Menendez has long maintained his innocence in this latest probe into his dealings, telling cnn back in april this inquiry will end up, i believe, in absolutely nothing. Reporter the senator faced similar Corruption Charges in 2015 related to political favors. To those who were digging my political grave so that they could jump into my seat, i know who you are and i wont forget you. Reporter that case ended in a mistrial, a partial acquittal, and all charges against the senator being dropped. In this latest Case Menendez remains defiant saying he wont be, quote, distracted by baseless accusations. Now, prosecutors allege that menendez had used his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to aid egypt. Specifically they allege he helped ghostwrite a letter that the egyptians sent to other senators to try to convince them to lift a hold on nearly 300 million in aid to egypt. Now, the other three defendants have not responded to these allegations. One of the businessmen said he would fight these allegations in court. All five defendants are due back here in court on wednesday. And wolf, the u. S. Attorneys office stressed that this investigation is still ongoing. Interesting. Kara scannell in new york for us. Thank you very much. Lets get some more on all of this. Our legal analysts Elliot Williams and joey jackson are with us. Also with us our senior political analyst gloria borger. Gloria, the democratic governor of new jersey says Senator Menendez should resign. And just last hour democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger told me shes also calling for his resignation. Clearly this is a very, very significant development. Oh, yeah. And also, wolf, the leader of the state Democratic Party in new jersey has now called for him to resign. So you can see whats brewing in the state of new jersey. You know, menendez is a powerful senator and this was supposed to be a safe seat. Right . Hes up again in this next cycle. Its supposed to be a safe seat. And now theyve got to make a decision whether they say to him we dont want you to run on the ticket or just let him run as he says he wants to do. In the senate its been much more muted. Chuck schumer is saying everyone is innocent until until found guilty. And that is of course true. And he stepped aside as chairman. So you dont hear the chorus coming from the club of the senate. Not yet, at least. House members have spoken out, as you point out. But whats really important is whats going on in the state of new jersey when you have the governor and the head of the state Democratic Party both saying he should resign. Interesting. Elliot williams is with us. Elliot, what stands out to you about these very serious allegations against Senator Menendez . Reporter a lot of things stand out about the allegations, wolf. I think the challenge for prosecutors is really going to be to establish not just that these things happen but that there was some nexus between gifts and favors presented to Senator Menendez and his official actions. I think what stands out to that effect are some of the colorful details. For instance, the fact that youre dealing with gold bricks and big was of cash. Neither of which are themselves unlawful to purchase. But when considered in the context of other conduct just simply raises flags and certainly will not look good in front of a jury. With respect to this letter that was that he ghostdrafted for other senators, an important detail in the indictment is that he uses his personal email address to transact about it. Now, again, senators are free to use the personal email but they have official email addresses and the mere use of some mode of communication which appears to have been a way of evading further scrutiny is itself the kind of thing that will look bad in front of a jury. So all of those details do paint a pretty broad picture. And really do suggest if not criminal behavior certainly behavior thats not befitting someone being a United States senator. Let me get joey jackson into this conversation. Joey, i want to get your thoughts on something that democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger just told me in the last hour here in the Situation Room about the allegations against Senator Menendez. Listen to this. To you as a former cia officer does it sound like espionage from your perspective . So from an indictment standpoint, from a Legalese Standpoint ill defer to the Justice Department and the fbi on that. But certainly as a former Intel Officer we collected information and we paid people for that information. So in the simplest of terms, yes. Simple answer, this is a former cia officer, joey, accusing the senator of espionage when he provided this assistance to egypt. Do you agree . Yeah, wolf, i dont know that i agree with that. Remember, im speaking from a Defense Perspective. And from a defense, i think you need a connection. Elliot was speaking to that issue earlier. I think there has to be a nexus between the conduct alleged and the actual activities engaged in. What do i mean . It is the sole essence of a senators job to represent constituents, to do what you do on behalf of them, to do it forcefully. And so now theyre making an attempt, that is, the government, believed to suggest that there was a quid pro quo. Now, if you suggest or you say that, then i want to see the connection. Are there emails with respect to i will act in the event, for example, that you pay me money . I will act if you give me gold bars . I will act if you line my pockets . So i would really make the argument that this is not espionage. To the issue of people telling him to resign, you know, its about due process. These are accusations. An indictment is an allegation. That allegation has to be substantiated in a court of law by a jury of your peers which finds you guilty. Thats not the essence of the evidence in an indictment in a grand jury. So i dont think we can jump to conclusions with respect to his guilt or with respect to him being engaging in espionage. He from a Defense Perspective was representing his constituents forcefully, and that i think will be his attorneys argument at the core as they move forward. Elliot, what do you think . I would agree with that wholeheartedly, wolf. I think the challenge prosecutors are going to have in this case as in any other when youre dealing with Public Corruption Is and particularly in washington, there is the conduct that maybe people find distasteful of the influence peddling, the wheeling and wining and dining and wheeling and dealing but when does that rise to be criminal conduct . And prosecutors are going to have to establish a clear link between one act and another. And you know, where i disagree with joey a little bit is this is a question in many respects this is a political question. Do people want this individual to be a senator . Thats very different than the criminal question, can you convict him and can prosecutors be successful on the basis of the conduct. What they laid out was a lot of evidence and a lot of information here. But a jury is going to have to believe a direct link between the gifts and the favors and the official action. And thats not always entirely clear to juries. Its interesting, gloria. Weve known Senator Menendez was under investigation since last year. But he was allowed to continue as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Is that Something Senate democrats will have to answer for . Well, i think look, i think, you know, the senate is a club. And he was under investigation and he is presumed innocent until found guilty. And he was just under investigation. And he very strongly said they will find nothing. I think the question that i have now is when he says they have misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional Office, whether there are many members of congress who think that this is not the normal work of a Congressional Office and that there needs to be some accounting for the amount of money that was found, for the gold for the gold that was found, and for these texts and emails and the passing on of information that was private to a foreign entity through an intermediary which happened to be his wife. So i think, you know i think there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. And i think senators always give their colleagues the benefit of the doubt. But at some point given whats going on in the state that could change. We shall see. Guys, thank you very, very much. Just ahead, Cassidy Hutchinson reveals she essentially went into hiding feeling threatened after her bombshell january 6th testimony. The former Trump White House aide is speaking out now for the first time. Well share that with you when we come back. Wake up, gottata go cmon, cmon. Gracie, cmon. Lets go guys, cmon mom, cmon mia [ Engine Revving ] my favorite color is. Because, its like a family thing [ engine revng ] made it mom leave running behind, behind. The new turbocharged volkswagen atlas. Does life beautifully. Dont let Student Loan Debt hold you back. Refi at sofi. Com. You could save thousands and get to your goals faster. Sofi. Get your money right. When you smell the amazing scent of gain flings. 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You couldnt go back to your apartment. I could not go back to my apartment. I ended up moving down to atlanta for several months. They didnt even think it was safe for you to stay in d. C. No. No. Lets get some reaction from former Trump White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin along with ashley etienne, former Communications Director for Vice President harris. Alyssa, lets talk to you first. You and Cassidy Hutchinson, you worked together in the Trump White House. Whats your reaction to actually hearing her Testimony Put hearing that her testimony she felt put her life in danger . Its heartbreaking. But i can tell you its true. Cassidy and i are also close friends. And at the time i saw the vitriol that she was getting online. I was made aware of both the congressional committees concern for her safety but also her own attorneys and family. Listen, over 10 Million People watched that hearing. I think she moved many hearts and minds. But you also know that there are folks on the far right who were threatened by what she was doing. And i think she was in danger and it was the right call to leave. Yeah. Certainly. Ashley, what do you think . I mean, my heart goes out to her, of course. But what i appreciate is she showed a level of courage that were not seeing even from republican members. Shes you know, like nikki haley most recently stood up to the president and really spoke truth to power and really defended American Democracy. So i just admire her courage and i really wish that the rest of the Republican Party would take a lesson in the playbook from her and really demonstrate that level of courage in the interest of protecting and defending and strengthening our democracy. Alyssa, i want to read a bit more of what Cassidy Hutchinson told cbs news, and this is a quote. I would not back the former president of the United States. He is dangerous for the country. He is willing and has showed time and time again willingness to proliferate lies to vulnerable American People so he could stay in power. To me that is the most unamerican thing you can do. This is coming from someone who actually like you worked in the Trump White House. Will voters listen . Thats the open question. But can i just say, wolf . Look how easy that was. How many elected members of congress who are republicans feel that same way, they know what they saw on january 6th but they cant muster those words that Cassidy Hutchinson, a 29yearold at the time she was 25 when she was in the white house was able to so clearly say. I did read the book under embargo, and i want to respect that. But i will say this. Once it comes out i think theres going to be a lot of Republican Leaders who frankly should be ashamed of themselves if they read her account and they dont secondguess this idea of once again backing donald trump and potentially putting him back in the white house. Because this book is damning. It certainly is. Ashley, hutchinson says she remains a republican even as she is speaking out against donald trump. Do you think other republicans will take note . Well, i mean, i think thats i mean, thats left to be seen. Im not sure that they will. Theyve not demonstrated that level of courage. Theyve continually put donald trump ahead of American Democracy. You know, and i think i agree with cassidy. There is nothing more unamerican than attempting to undermine the election. Multiple attempts to undermine the election. He also says he wants to dismantle the constitution. Hes also a russian sympathizer. For me i dont know anything thats more antithetical to who we are as a nation. You know, heres the thing i think judge liggett said it best. In order for us to move forward as a unified country its going to require a healthy Republican Party and they have to become whole and healthy again and the way to do that is really confront an