Were going to start with the Breaking News. House intelligence chair adam schiff acc obstruction. Its the latest in the ongoing impeachment saga after a key witness today acting on orders from the white house refused to be deposed. Also President Trump is about to speak in chicago this hour after teasing the potential release of footage of the takedown of the most wanted terrorist ps. But hes under fire this morning for are revealing classified details about the raid that killed isis leader baghdabu bak baghdadi and the other major story were watching is california in flames right now. Mandatory Evacuation Orders are in place. 200,000 people have been told to get out so far including hospital patients, jail inmate, College Students as well. Well go to california in a bit. We start with that Breaking News on capitol hill right now. A key witness has refused to show up to a scheduled deposition this morning and democrats are now preparing to hold it in contempt of congress. We move forward and we will obviously consider, as we inform the council his failure to appear as evidence that may warrant a Contempt Proceeding against him. Charles cupperman, filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to decide if he has to comply with democrats subpoena or follow the white houses order not to comely. It all come comes as Weaver Learning Sondland is back on the hill right now reviewing his testimony. Also on the hill, msnbcs garrett haake. Like a lot of figures in the probe, Charles Cupperman caught between the battle between congress and the white house. Remind folks who he is and what lawmakers were hoping to learn from him today. Cupperman was a top deputy to former National Security adviser john bolton. Hes still a white house employee. But he was most important to
this conversation because he was on that phone call between President Trump and the president of ukraine that kicked off this entire Impeachment Inquiry. So he could speak to the phone call. He could also to speak to bolton, who they want to get in here, reacted to it. But hes now the first person to take this issue of the bat the between congress and the white house to the courts this is not his battle to decide essentially. He wants the Judicial Branch to weigh in on whether or not its appropriate for him to follow a congressionally mandated subpoena or the guidance of the white house, which is not to come testify. You heard adam schiff saying thats not good enough. They are going to put his lack of forthcomingness to speak to the committee in a bucket that says hes obstructing and he must thehave something damning say. They are hoping to essentially move on with the inquiry. There has been, as you know, a fair amount of consequential
testimony already. This is how the New York Times frames what could be a head. What has been a rapidly moving investigation securing damning testimony from witnesses who defied white house orders may soon become a more arduous effort. Investigators are trying to secure cooperation from higher ranking advisers who can offer more direct accounts of trumps actions, but are also more easily shielded from congress. Do we anticipate that this is the first of a number of road blocks ahead for House Democrats . I asked adam schiff is and he hopes other witnesses will not follow this tack. We know that another staffer on the National Securityexpected t. His attorney has made it clear, but democrats knew this might eventually be the case much like in a criminal investigation, they worked from the outside in. Start iing with State Departmen employees, folks who were work on the ukraine side of things. Working in other agencies of the
federal government. As they are working closer to the white house, they are running up against more claims and more folks who are more loyal to the president and r more willing to follow the instructions of white House Attorneys telling them not to comply. But democrats have said since the very beginning of this inquiry they dont intend to get bogged down in long protracted court battles. They are looking at witnesses who dont come as having something to hide. And put that as evidence of obstruction of congress, perhaps evidence towards another article of impeachment that dont intend to fight this out in the long ongoing legal battles. Garrett haake for us there on the hill. Thank you. Meanwhile, this is a little bit more of what congressman adam schiff said just a short time ago this morning. Along with one of the president s allies in the house. Hes waiting on the court to rule. If the court rules against him, not really rules against him. If he has to come, hes more than willing to come. Theres powerful evidence of obstruction of congress and lawful function by the president. Joining me now, congressman eric swolwell. Just a short time ago, we heard from the congressman. Lets start with the refusal to be deposed this morning. What do you make of that . And the assertion we heard from jim jordan if the Court Compels him to come, he will be there. If he had something to help the president or exonerate the president , the white house would allow him to come. The white house ordering him not to come, well just assume its a consciousness of guilt by the white house, put that into further evidence that the white house is object strukting our investigation and that the inference can be that he would
corroborate all of the the other evidence that there was a shakedown scheme going on. People like rudy giuliani. You mentioned sondland. We know hes back on the hill today. Reviewing his previous testimony. What more can you tell us about that . Well, witnesses despite what the republicans say about access to transcripts and access to hearings, republicans are allowed to participate in the hearings. The witnesses are allowed to review the transcripts as the ambassador is doing right now. What is more important, though, is that people like ambassador taylor and others have point ed that there were two lines. A sharp line from President Trump to rudy giuliani, a line from President Trump to ambassador sondland that said that the ukrainians must investigate the political opponents or they would not get a white house meeting and they would not get security
assistance that they were counting on. Until now at least things have moved fairly quickly. You have significant testimony from mull president ial administration officials. But according to the New York Times, this could be the first of many road blocks. What were seeing here. How are the committees going to secure cooperation from more high ranking officials as we move forward. We are going to count on people to follow lawful subpoenas. For the publics sake and most people in the public get this, if youre innocent, you show up and cooperate. It youre the white house and youre innocent, you allow people to come forward and help their country understand Whats Going On. If you dont have anything to help the president , youre going to be obstructive. What i dont understand, i understand why the white house would order these witnesses not to show up. I cant understand why my colleagues who want to make sure that congress as an independent branch of government has an
ability to investigate an exec fifth branch would just play party to what the white house is doing and green light their obstructive acts. I can only conclude they dont have an interest in having a fair process here. They see themselves as public defenders for the president and not independent, impartial actors in this investigation. Before i let you go, this morning as you probably know, President Trump doubled down on that decision to leave House Democrats including yourself out of the loop on the al baghdadi raid. This is part of what President Trump said. I guess the only thing is they were talking about why didnt i give the information to adam schiff and his committee. And the answer is because i think adam schiff is the buggest leaker in washington. You know that, we all know that i have watched him leak. Hes a corrupt politician. Hes a leaker like nobody has seen before. Your reaction, congressman . Congratulations to the men and wum in our Intelligence Committee who took down al
baghdadi, but the president gave the information to Vladimir Putin first. The president , if he wants to talk about leakers, he leaked in the oval office National Security information to the russians. The president has private meetings with Vladimir Putin and kicks everyone out and takes the interpreters notes hes the leaker. He put russia above the speaker of the house and informing democrats. I think thats a bad precedent to set and it says a lot about where his loyalty lies. Well leave it there. Congressman, thank you for your time, sir. My pleasure, thank you. Lets bring in the former federal prosecutor. S a an msnbc legal analyst. Amy is an Assistant Editor and columnist for real clear politics. Thank you, both. We just heard from congressman there. Schiff says that cuppermans lawsuit has no basis in law. This is part of what he said. The lawsuit that was filed in District Court has no basis in
law. A private citizen Cannot Sue The Congress to try to avoid coming in when they are served with a lawful subpoena. Clear it up for us, if you can. So heres the way i see this. I see it one way with respect to trump and the administration. I see it another way with respect to the administration. It sure does look like this is more obstruction of a congressional Impeachment Inquiry. Plain and simple. I was reading through the 17page filing this morning. And what caught my attention for those scoring at home, its on page 6, paragraph 18. His lawyer quotes the white house as saying you have constitutional immunity. Do not show up ask do not testify. By anybodys interpretation of that threat, that seems like the white house trying to obstruct was ruled a legitimateImpeachment Inquiry. Thats how i see it with respect to the white house. Now with respect to mr. Kupperman, the white house said you may not testify. And Congress Said you will testify. What he did was file for whats called a declaratory judgment. Hes asking the federal court in the District Of Columbia to tell him yes or no. Who has the better of the argument . And if this can be done in an expeditious manner, i actually think that it would be a nice precedent to have for a federal court judge in d. C. To say, you know what, this constitutional immunity, this absolute immunity that the white house keeps throwing into the mix is nonsense. I will say judge john bates of the federal District Court in washington, d. C. In 2008 said this absolute immunity claim is nonsense. I predict thats what a judge
will rule with rapt to this kupperman suit. That helps clear it up. Thank you. Amy, let me turn to you. You have a new piece. Tstz reported that democrats want to vote on articles of impeachment by christmas. Too soon . Do you think their case isnt Strong Enough yet . Well, when Congressman Schiff talks about obstruction, everyone in both parties in congress and the Executive Branch understand that Obstructing Congress is an impeachable offense. Its just not as powerful a message across the country with voters. I think that they have a very good chance of piling far more evidence. They have had nine depositions. It looks like they will have more if like glen points out this becomes a test case that opens the door to the testimony of john bolton and others who can back up the testimony of
th theona hill and others. I do think that it is a mistake to rush this when they have so much potential evidence ahead that would speak more to the public and to the voters than obstruction, which sounds like the Trump Administration is going to say the congress was mean to me and the president wasnt fair. Its not as potent and did you want breakthrough as much. I think that they are not on a fishing expedition. They are on to something very compelling here. They should stay the course and wait for the legal decisions to make a more powerful case to the Senate Republicans who have to weigh in on trial and then ultimately to the public. Theres no problem pushing this into the early winter in trumps america if we had an impeachment trial, no one would remember it on election day. Certainly february is not too late. Thank you, both. As President Trump defends his decision to keep House Democrats in the dark about the raids, nancy pelosi is now demanding a briefing. Also 3400 firefighters are trying to gain the upper hand against these wildfires that you see right now. Exploding across northern california. Hurricane force winds are expected to ease slightly. Were going to head to the region, coming up. Tly. Were going to head to the region, coming up. Hmm. Exactly. Liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. Nice. But, uh. Whats up with your. Partner . Not again. Limu thats your reflection. Only pay for what you need. Liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty about being a scientist at 3m. I wanted them to know that innovation is not just about that one aha moment. Science is a process. It takes time, dedication. Its a journey. Were constantly asking ourselves, how can we do things better and better .
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flavors. San francisco voters stopped the sale of flavored ecigarettes. But then juul, backed by big tobacco, wrote prop c to weaken ecigarette protections. The San Francisco chronicle reports prop c is an audacious overreach, threatening to overturn the ban on flavored products approved by voters. Prop c means more kids vaping. Thats a dangerous idea. Vote no on juul. No on big tobacco. No on prop c. New details on the impact and political fallout from the u. S. Raid that led to the death of isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi. No u. S. Forces were killed or seriously hurt during the operation. It was carried out saturday in Western Syria about 100 american troops were brought in and out by helicopter. Were going it break it down now with Peter Alexander at the white house. Erin mclaughlin is in turkey. And Courtney Cuby is in iraq. Lets start with the white house. The president asked this morning about the raid, asked specifically why Democratic Congressional leaders were kept out of the loop. What did he say about that . The president took that opportunity asked specifically about why he didnt communicate to nancy pelosi to attack adam schiff, who is leading the Impeachment Inquiry into the president right now. The president saying that he didnt share that information with schiff because he described him as the biggest leaker in
washington. But this is significant because it really shows the way that the Impeachment Issue right now, this inquiry has colored traditional relationships as they formerly existed in washington. The president not sharing that information with those congressional leaders as would be the protocall before and advance of or at least through the process leading up to a significant military operation. Nancy pelosi for decades served a on the Intelligence Committee. She was its Ranking Member before the first term as house speaker. Theres no evidence or indication at any point she leaked information that would ha