WEBVTT - Bloomberg Law Brief: James Comey’s Senate Testimony (Audio)

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<v Speaker 1>Well, now it's time for our daily Bloomberg Law Brief,

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<v Speaker 1>exploring legal issues in the news, and today Bloomberg, La Hoost,

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<v Speaker 1>Doing Grosso, and Greg Store discuss former FBI Director James

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<v Speaker 1>Comby's congressional testimony yesterday. Jim Comey was very clear that

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<v Speaker 1>the words he heard from Donald Trump were I hope

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<v Speaker 1>you will let this go. But then he said he

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<v Speaker 1>took that as a direction. Republicans kept trying to make

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<v Speaker 1>the point that he didn't actually order you to do anything,

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<v Speaker 1>did he? And so the question, both from a legal

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<v Speaker 1>standpoint and a political standpoint, is is it effectively the

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<v Speaker 1>same thing when when the President of the United States says,

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<v Speaker 1>I hope you'll do this, should Jim call me have

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<v Speaker 1>reasonably interpreted it to be uh an order. He is

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<v Speaker 1>a former prosecutor, he is a former head of the FBI,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was clear several times saying that he took

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<v Speaker 1>those words to me not only from what Trump said,

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<v Speaker 1>but from his body language, that he took those words

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<v Speaker 1>to mean that it was an order. He said that

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<v Speaker 1>he believed that Flynn was in legal jeopardy at the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and he perceived that what Trump said to be an order.

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<v Speaker 1>He said at one time a direction he said at

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<v Speaker 1>another time, there are only those two people in the

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<v Speaker 1>room unless there are tapes. But you have to take

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<v Speaker 1>everything into account. And he took such notes that if

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<v Speaker 1>you read and I'm sure a lot of people have

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<v Speaker 1>already read his statement which came from his notes, there

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<v Speaker 1>are such detail in that statement, in to the point

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<v Speaker 1>where he said they closed the door. I saw the

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<v Speaker 1>grandfather clock there. I mean. And that is what makes

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<v Speaker 1>a testimony of a witness believable, is the detail that's there.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not just oh he said this, I said that.

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<v Speaker 1>It's all the little details that you remember. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>what makes it convincing. I'm talking about to most people.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's why I found his testimony and his statement

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<v Speaker 1>to be very convincing, because he had the detail, and

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<v Speaker 1>he was clear that it's fun. You want to you

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<v Speaker 1>want to see the notes, that's fine. In fact, it

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<v Speaker 1>might be opening a can of worms to see those

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<v Speaker 1>notes because Robert Mueller has them now. And he kept

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<v Speaker 1>on saying it's an open investigation, and open investigation. There

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<v Speaker 1>may be a lot more in those notes than Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump would like there to be. And one of the senators,

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<v Speaker 1>I think it was Kamala. Harris made the point that

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<v Speaker 1>these are the kind of notes that are admissible in

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<v Speaker 1>court when you're dealing with with a witness who took

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<v Speaker 1>contemporaneous notes. That's the sort of thing that a judge

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<v Speaker 1>will let go to a jury. So it may have

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<v Speaker 1>some some legal relevance, especially FBI notes of an FBI

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<v Speaker 1>agent and mess of Bloomberg Lah host Greg's story and

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<v Speaker 1>June Grasso. You can listen to Bloomberg Law weekdays at

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<v Speaker 1>one pm Wall Street Time right here on Bloomberg Radio Now.

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<v Speaker 1>Among the top legal stories from Bloomberg Law. In Pennsylvania,

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<v Speaker 1>Bill Cosby won't be taking the stand in his sexual

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<v Speaker 1>assault trial, but jurors are expected to hear his previous

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<v Speaker 1>testimony about him obtaining quailuds and giving them to women.

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<v Speaker 1>Prosecutors are expected to have more excerpts from the decade

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<v Speaker 1>old Cosby deposition read to the jury today. The comedian

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<v Speaker 1>and actor has said that his sexual encounter with the

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<v Speaker 1>woman in this case was consensual. In Connecticut, jury deliberations

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<v Speaker 1>resumed next week in the trial of three former Nomura

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<v Speaker 1>traders accused of alyning to their customers about bond prices.

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<v Speaker 1>One juror was replaced yesterday. She asked to be excused

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<v Speaker 1>due to concern she was biased after seeing a TV

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<v Speaker 1>news report unrelated to the case. And that is this

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<v Speaker 1>morning's Bloomberg Law Brief. You can find more legal news

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<v Speaker 1>at Bloomberg Law dot com and Bloomberg b NA dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Attorneys will find exceptional legal research and business development tools

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<v Speaker 1>there as well. Visit Bloomberg Law dot com and Bloomberg

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<v Speaker 1>BNA dot com for more information.