1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:19,635 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:21,915 --> 00:00:26,275 Speaker 1: The criminal referrals were about Trump, the ethics referrals were 3 00:00:26,275 --> 00:00:30,315 Speaker 1: about Biggs, Jordan McCarthy, and Perry. But make no mistake 4 00:00:30,355 --> 00:00:33,355 Speaker 1: about at the House nine eleven committee report was about 5 00:00:33,915 --> 00:00:40,035 Speaker 1: Hope Hicks, Ken Klukowski and a mystery witness. Because as 6 00:00:40,075 --> 00:00:44,195 Speaker 1: historic as the recommendation about indicting Trump, maybe it is meaningless. 7 00:00:44,235 --> 00:00:48,075 Speaker 1: It is the evidence the committee produced that not only matters, 8 00:00:48,555 --> 00:00:51,955 Speaker 1: but gives us the shape of things to come, a 9 00:00:52,075 --> 00:00:55,755 Speaker 1: sense of what the trial of Donald Trump will look like. 10 00:00:56,755 --> 00:01:00,835 Speaker 1: With one newly revealed text, Hope Hicks turned January six 11 00:01:01,235 --> 00:01:06,155 Speaker 1: into January four, fifth, and sixth. At two nine pm 12 00:01:06,195 --> 00:01:10,675 Speaker 1: Eastern during the insurrection, Aid Hogan Gidley reached out to quote, Hey, 13 00:01:10,755 --> 00:01:13,635 Speaker 1: I know you're seeing this, but he really should tweet 14 00:01:13,755 --> 00:01:19,915 Speaker 1: something about being non violent. Hicks replied, quote, I suggested 15 00:01:19,955 --> 00:01:27,155 Speaker 1: it several times Monday and Tuesday, and he refused unquote. Suddenly, 16 00:01:27,195 --> 00:01:30,675 Speaker 1: the attempted violent coup of January six is no longer 17 00:01:30,755 --> 00:01:34,715 Speaker 1: something that Trump could plausibly, if never convincingly, say just 18 00:01:34,915 --> 00:01:38,795 Speaker 1: happened without his planning, participation or fore knowledge, or if 19 00:01:38,795 --> 00:01:42,395 Speaker 1: Matt failed claim was the spontaneous outcome of his speech 20 00:01:42,515 --> 00:01:44,795 Speaker 1: just before the mob tried to take the capital. You 21 00:01:44,835 --> 00:01:47,555 Speaker 1: know what all the Trump thugs have been saying at 22 00:01:47,595 --> 00:01:50,635 Speaker 1: their trials, I just got caught up in the moment. 23 00:01:51,155 --> 00:01:54,355 Speaker 1: Trump might try to defend himself with his viewpoint of 24 00:01:54,395 --> 00:01:58,595 Speaker 1: that same statement, they just got caught up in the moment, 25 00:01:58,675 --> 00:02:01,475 Speaker 1: or even that he himself just got caught up in 26 00:02:01,475 --> 00:02:04,355 Speaker 1: the moment. It would be a lie, but it might 27 00:02:04,435 --> 00:02:07,835 Speaker 1: be enough to make a jury wonder. But that Hicks 28 00:02:07,915 --> 00:02:13,235 Speaker 1: text erases all of those lines of defense. She wrote 29 00:02:13,315 --> 00:02:16,875 Speaker 1: in real time to another Trump loyalist that the day 30 00:02:16,915 --> 00:02:20,635 Speaker 1: before the attempted coup, and two days before the attempted coup, 31 00:02:21,155 --> 00:02:24,555 Speaker 1: she suggested to Trump that he should, as Gidley phrased it, 32 00:02:24,875 --> 00:02:29,355 Speaker 1: tweets something about being non violent, and, to again quote her, 33 00:02:30,075 --> 00:02:35,795 Speaker 1: he refused. Simple, simple enough to overlook in a crime 34 00:02:35,795 --> 00:02:40,795 Speaker 1: of such titanic proportions and dimensions, but ultimately damning. It 35 00:02:40,915 --> 00:02:45,395 Speaker 1: expands Trump's involvement from one day to three. It underscores 36 00:02:45,435 --> 00:02:48,155 Speaker 1: that his delay in saying anything to quell the allowance 37 00:02:48,395 --> 00:02:51,275 Speaker 1: was not of the moment on January six itself. It 38 00:02:51,355 --> 00:02:54,875 Speaker 1: means that no later than January four, he was planning 39 00:02:54,995 --> 00:02:58,515 Speaker 1: a violent nightmare. It goes to motive, it goes to 40 00:02:58,555 --> 00:03:02,195 Speaker 1: awareness of guilt, it goes to awareness of the consequences 41 00:03:02,235 --> 00:03:05,915 Speaker 1: of his own actions. And if that X text is 42 00:03:05,995 --> 00:03:10,555 Speaker 1: somehow insufficient at trial, there is even more evidence also 43 00:03:10,675 --> 00:03:14,915 Speaker 1: pertaining to her that Trump was warned early and often 44 00:03:15,195 --> 00:03:20,355 Speaker 1: that just his silence would provoke and enable violence. Hicks 45 00:03:20,395 --> 00:03:23,755 Speaker 1: on the record telling the committee about her conversation with 46 00:03:23,835 --> 00:03:28,675 Speaker 1: Trump's colorful attorney, Eric Hirshman, and what was Mr Hershman's response. 47 00:03:29,275 --> 00:03:33,635 Speaker 1: Mr Hershman said that he had made the same recommendation 48 00:03:34,995 --> 00:03:37,955 Speaker 1: UM directly to the President UM and that he had 49 00:03:37,955 --> 00:03:42,635 Speaker 1: refused to understand. Mr Hersman said that he had already 50 00:03:42,675 --> 00:03:46,355 Speaker 1: recommended to the President that the president they a method 51 00:03:46,555 --> 00:03:49,675 Speaker 1: that people should people on January six, and the President 52 00:03:49,715 --> 00:03:56,355 Speaker 1: had refused to do that. Yes, he refused. To Hicks 53 00:03:56,395 --> 00:04:00,275 Speaker 1: and to Hershman, Inciting or assisting an insurrection one of 54 00:04:00,275 --> 00:04:04,595 Speaker 1: the committee's criminal referrals expands from a one day crime 55 00:04:04,715 --> 00:04:08,635 Speaker 1: him to a three day plot with at least two 56 00:04:08,875 --> 00:04:13,875 Speaker 1: attempts to convince him to stop it refused. Now, this 57 00:04:13,955 --> 00:04:17,595 Speaker 1: guy Klukowski, he came up before the hearings in June. 58 00:04:17,795 --> 00:04:21,715 Speaker 1: He is the zelig of Trump's various coup attempt components. 59 00:04:21,755 --> 00:04:24,635 Speaker 1: He stitches at least three of them together, and there 60 00:04:24,635 --> 00:04:27,795 Speaker 1: will be nothing more useful at trial than to present 61 00:04:27,835 --> 00:04:31,155 Speaker 1: the jurors with one neatly formed web that links the 62 00:04:31,235 --> 00:04:35,035 Speaker 1: January six violence with the fake electors scheme, with the 63 00:04:35,035 --> 00:04:37,875 Speaker 1: attempt to weaponize the Department of Justice to subvert the 64 00:04:37,875 --> 00:04:41,435 Speaker 1: presidential election, with the plan to have Mike Pen's overrule 65 00:04:41,515 --> 00:04:46,755 Speaker 1: the Electoral College. Ken Klukowski is central to the second 66 00:04:46,795 --> 00:04:50,155 Speaker 1: and third and fourth parts of Trump's attempted coup. He 67 00:04:50,355 --> 00:04:54,835 Speaker 1: is in the Justice Department as of December drafting the 68 00:04:54,915 --> 00:04:57,675 Speaker 1: letter for the man who was willing to prostitute himself 69 00:04:57,675 --> 00:05:00,715 Speaker 1: and sell the country out as a fascist, Attorney General 70 00:05:00,835 --> 00:05:04,315 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Clark. This was the letter Clark was to send 71 00:05:05,035 --> 00:05:07,755 Speaker 1: on behalf of the do O J to the State 72 00:05:07,755 --> 00:05:11,115 Speaker 1: of Georgia, demanding that the Georgia General Assembly be convened 73 00:05:11,155 --> 00:05:14,635 Speaker 1: on an emergency basis to conduct a sham hearing that 74 00:05:14,675 --> 00:05:17,955 Speaker 1: would throw out the election and send a different slate 75 00:05:18,075 --> 00:05:21,835 Speaker 1: of Electoral College voters to support not the winner, Joe Biden, 76 00:05:21,875 --> 00:05:26,155 Speaker 1: but the loser, Donald Trump, but before that, the committee 77 00:05:26,155 --> 00:05:29,955 Speaker 1: confirmed Klukowski had also been working with John Eastman on 78 00:05:29,995 --> 00:05:33,995 Speaker 1: the attempt to decertify election results in other states, and 79 00:05:34,155 --> 00:05:38,915 Speaker 1: was proposed to join Eastman to brief Pence about how 80 00:05:38,995 --> 00:05:42,835 Speaker 1: his purely ceremonial role in the electoral college process could 81 00:05:42,835 --> 00:05:47,115 Speaker 1: be turned into a very real, rebellious role. What the 82 00:05:47,115 --> 00:05:50,195 Speaker 1: committee added to this yesterday was that Klukowski had been 83 00:05:50,195 --> 00:05:54,795 Speaker 1: working for Trump on the campaign, details not specified. We 84 00:05:54,875 --> 00:05:57,795 Speaker 1: already knew that Klukowski had worked for Trump on the 85 00:05:58,235 --> 00:06:02,795 Speaker 1: seventeen transition, and we also know that since at least 86 00:06:02,795 --> 00:06:06,355 Speaker 1: the end of July, ken Klukowsky has been cooperating with 87 00:06:07,315 --> 00:06:12,315 Speaker 1: the Justice Department. And then there is the mystery witness, 88 00:06:12,395 --> 00:06:17,115 Speaker 1: or perhaps more correctly mystery witnesses, who may open an 89 00:06:17,235 --> 00:06:20,915 Speaker 1: entirely new line of criminal charges against Trump. The committee 90 00:06:20,955 --> 00:06:23,595 Speaker 1: was vague and its quotations were anonymous, but it strongly 91 00:06:23,595 --> 00:06:27,235 Speaker 1: implied yesterday that at least one witness was tampered with, bribed, 92 00:06:27,475 --> 00:06:32,715 Speaker 1: and were threatened by directly or indirectly Trump. In its summary, 93 00:06:32,995 --> 00:06:35,915 Speaker 1: the committee implied that one of its witnesses told them 94 00:06:36,115 --> 00:06:40,555 Speaker 1: she was lying that one quote lawyer had advised the 95 00:06:40,595 --> 00:06:43,275 Speaker 1: witness that the witness could, in certain circumstances, tell the 96 00:06:43,275 --> 00:06:46,955 Speaker 1: committee that she did not recall facts when she actually 97 00:06:47,075 --> 00:06:50,595 Speaker 1: did recall them. It was also this quote. During a 98 00:06:50,675 --> 00:06:53,795 Speaker 1: break in the Select Committee's interview, the witness expressed concerns 99 00:06:53,795 --> 00:06:56,435 Speaker 1: to her lawyer that an aspect of her testimony was 100 00:06:56,475 --> 00:06:59,875 Speaker 1: not truthful. The lawyer did not advise her to clarify 101 00:06:59,955 --> 00:07:03,435 Speaker 1: the specific testimony that the witness believed was not complete 102 00:07:03,435 --> 00:07:06,835 Speaker 1: and accurate, and in stead conveyed that quote, they don't 103 00:07:06,915 --> 00:07:09,675 Speaker 1: know what you know. They don't know that you can 104 00:07:09,795 --> 00:07:12,555 Speaker 1: recall some of these things, So you saying I don't 105 00:07:12,595 --> 00:07:18,875 Speaker 1: recall is an entirely acceptable response to this. And Congresswoman 106 00:07:18,955 --> 00:07:22,155 Speaker 1: Zoe Lofgren went into detail about an effort with apparently 107 00:07:22,195 --> 00:07:25,475 Speaker 1: a different witness to keep them from testifying at all 108 00:07:26,435 --> 00:07:29,675 Speaker 1: by giving them a cushy job. Quoting her, we've learned 109 00:07:29,675 --> 00:07:32,195 Speaker 1: that a witness was offered potential employment that would make 110 00:07:32,195 --> 00:07:35,835 Speaker 1: her quote financially very comfortable as the date of her 111 00:07:35,875 --> 00:07:40,035 Speaker 1: testimony approached by entities that were apparently linked to Donald 112 00:07:40,035 --> 00:07:44,755 Speaker 1: Trump and his associates. That in turn echoed something Liz 113 00:07:44,835 --> 00:07:46,835 Speaker 1: Cheney had said over the summer about a witness who 114 00:07:46,875 --> 00:07:49,075 Speaker 1: told the Committee, the Trump inner circle was trying to 115 00:07:49,115 --> 00:07:52,475 Speaker 1: control how she testified. Quote. What they said to me is, 116 00:07:52,995 --> 00:07:55,355 Speaker 1: as long as I continue to be a team player, 117 00:07:55,595 --> 00:07:57,715 Speaker 1: they know that I'm on the team. I'm doing the 118 00:07:57,795 --> 00:08:00,555 Speaker 1: right thing. I'm protecting who I need to protect. You know, 119 00:08:00,995 --> 00:08:06,115 Speaker 1: I'll continue in good graces in Trump world. Between what 120 00:08:06,235 --> 00:08:09,835 Speaker 1: was revealed yesterday about this and the Washington Post report 121 00:08:09,915 --> 00:08:13,875 Speaker 1: that Trump's Save America pack had been paying for attorneys 122 00:08:13,875 --> 00:08:16,835 Speaker 1: for key witnesses in the Marilago case, like his all 123 00:08:16,955 --> 00:08:20,915 Speaker 1: purpose back totum walten Noa, there is an entirely new 124 00:08:20,995 --> 00:08:23,875 Speaker 1: line of potential cover up charges that could put Trump 125 00:08:23,915 --> 00:08:26,995 Speaker 1: in prison, even if those related directly to the various 126 00:08:27,035 --> 00:08:32,995 Speaker 1: tentacles of the coup do not so three day preplanned 127 00:08:33,115 --> 00:08:37,755 Speaker 1: violent Trump coup. Thanks to evidence from Hope Picks, Ken Klukowski, 128 00:08:38,035 --> 00:08:42,035 Speaker 1: the zelig of the tentacles, cooperating with the Department of Justice, 129 00:08:42,475 --> 00:08:47,155 Speaker 1: and new obstruction of justice charges to keep witnesses from 130 00:08:47,195 --> 00:08:50,515 Speaker 1: testifying or at least testifying honestly to the January six 131 00:08:50,555 --> 00:08:55,995 Speaker 1: Committee and the mari Lago document investigation. There were also 132 00:08:56,035 --> 00:08:59,595 Speaker 1: a couple of other laughs from the committee report. I 133 00:08:59,635 --> 00:09:02,275 Speaker 1: call them laughs because I refused to call them what 134 00:09:02,275 --> 00:09:07,715 Speaker 1: everybody else has called them. Takeaways One committee report summary, 135 00:09:07,755 --> 00:09:12,875 Speaker 1: released early in the afternoon in December. Trump's incitement quote 136 00:09:12,915 --> 00:09:15,635 Speaker 1: big protest in d C on January six, b there 137 00:09:15,715 --> 00:09:23,435 Speaker 1: will be wild, tweeted early in the morning of December two. 138 00:09:23,715 --> 00:09:27,315 Speaker 1: Trump campaign manager Bill Stepian had his assistant lock the 139 00:09:27,395 --> 00:09:31,635 Speaker 1: big glass door to their office to keep certain people out. 140 00:09:32,235 --> 00:09:35,595 Speaker 1: Quote and you know, sure enough, you know, Mayor Giuliani 141 00:09:35,675 --> 00:09:38,155 Speaker 1: tried to, you know, get into my office and ordered 142 00:09:38,155 --> 00:09:41,155 Speaker 1: her to unlock the door, and she didn't do that 143 00:09:41,555 --> 00:09:44,635 Speaker 1: end quote And in my head, I am hearing open 144 00:09:44,675 --> 00:09:49,675 Speaker 1: the door. I'm Rudy Giuliani, and I'm not wearing pants. Three. 145 00:09:50,235 --> 00:09:54,515 Speaker 1: Mike Pence is the all time and eternal poster boy 146 00:09:54,555 --> 00:09:58,555 Speaker 1: for Stockholm syndrome. The referrals come out, and he goes 147 00:09:58,595 --> 00:10:01,675 Speaker 1: on Fox and says, I would hope they would not 148 00:10:01,755 --> 00:10:05,075 Speaker 1: bring charges against the former president. I think the residents 149 00:10:05,115 --> 00:10:08,195 Speaker 1: actions and words on January six were reckless, But I 150 00:10:08,235 --> 00:10:13,115 Speaker 1: don't know that it's criminal to take bad advice from lawyers. 151 00:10:13,235 --> 00:10:17,515 Speaker 1: Unquote gee whiz Mike, which lawyer told him to try 152 00:10:17,555 --> 00:10:20,835 Speaker 1: to get you hanged? How hurt would you have had 153 00:10:20,835 --> 00:10:23,675 Speaker 1: to have been to admit that Trump and his mob 154 00:10:23,795 --> 00:10:29,515 Speaker 1: tried to kill you losing one limb one I a 155 00:10:29,555 --> 00:10:33,675 Speaker 1: little brain damage. What's the threshold, Mike, before you will 156 00:10:33,715 --> 00:10:39,195 Speaker 1: act ethically? Four? The Washington Post report about Trump's days 157 00:10:39,275 --> 00:10:44,235 Speaker 1: in Mari Lago exile came out contemporaneous with the committee report. 158 00:10:44,635 --> 00:10:48,995 Speaker 1: It is essentially a printed summary of the plot of 159 00:10:49,155 --> 00:10:54,075 Speaker 1: Citizen Kane. After the Orson Wells lead character is abandoned 160 00:10:54,075 --> 00:10:56,235 Speaker 1: by his wife and he spends the end of the 161 00:10:56,235 --> 00:11:00,875 Speaker 1: movie just wandering around his castle. Quoting the Post, at 162 00:11:00,915 --> 00:11:04,595 Speaker 1: one point in early Trump asked a team of advice 163 00:11:04,715 --> 00:11:08,035 Speaker 1: there's if he could summon a press pool for an 164 00:11:08,035 --> 00:11:11,555 Speaker 1: event at his Florida club. Quote. We had to explain 165 00:11:11,595 --> 00:11:14,195 Speaker 1: to him that he didn't have a group of press 166 00:11:14,275 --> 00:11:20,035 Speaker 1: standing around waiting for him anymore unquote. And five. Just 167 00:11:20,235 --> 00:11:22,595 Speaker 1: when something like that might make you feel, if not 168 00:11:22,755 --> 00:11:25,675 Speaker 1: more sorry for Trump, then at least may be less 169 00:11:25,875 --> 00:11:30,075 Speaker 1: enraged and more embarrassed for him. You can always count 170 00:11:30,115 --> 00:11:33,235 Speaker 1: on Trump to bring us right back to that same place, 171 00:11:33,475 --> 00:11:37,835 Speaker 1: to the collective pursuit of righteous vengeance on behalf of 172 00:11:37,955 --> 00:11:41,595 Speaker 1: everyone who has ever lived in the United States of America. 173 00:11:42,475 --> 00:11:47,275 Speaker 1: His social media post after the Committee hearing was this quote. 174 00:11:47,915 --> 00:11:51,435 Speaker 1: These folks don't get it that when they come after me, 175 00:11:51,715 --> 00:11:55,635 Speaker 1: people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me. 176 00:11:56,235 --> 00:12:02,275 Speaker 1: What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. Unquote what doesn't 177 00:12:02,515 --> 00:12:10,075 Speaker 1: kill me makes me strong younger. Mm hmm. Well if 178 00:12:10,075 --> 00:12:28,915 Speaker 1: those are your terms, asshole, those are your terms still ahead. 179 00:12:28,955 --> 00:12:31,995 Speaker 1: He is the congressman who never was. The New York 180 00:12:32,035 --> 00:12:38,235 Speaker 1: Times catches Republican Congressman elect George Santos in a lie, Well, 181 00:12:38,315 --> 00:12:42,875 Speaker 1: a few lies, allow about twenty lies, like about his education, 182 00:12:43,235 --> 00:12:48,355 Speaker 1: his business experience, his charities, his education, his criminal record, 183 00:12:48,755 --> 00:12:51,555 Speaker 1: his employees who were not murdered at the Pulse nightclub. 184 00:12:52,115 --> 00:12:56,355 Speaker 1: Santos is response a statement in which his spokesman doesn't 185 00:12:56,355 --> 00:13:00,155 Speaker 1: deny any of that, but does end quote as Winston 186 00:13:00,235 --> 00:13:03,555 Speaker 1: Churchill famously stated, you have enemies good. It means that 187 00:13:03,595 --> 00:13:07,715 Speaker 1: you've stood up for something sometime in life, which Winston 188 00:13:07,795 --> 00:13:12,595 Speaker 1: Churchill did not say Victor Hugo did. Of course, they 189 00:13:12,635 --> 00:13:16,555 Speaker 1: picked that quote a loss in baseball. The only pitcher 190 00:13:16,555 --> 00:13:19,635 Speaker 1: who left the ballpark during a World Series game and 191 00:13:19,675 --> 00:13:21,915 Speaker 1: they had to put out an a p B on 192 00:13:21,995 --> 00:13:24,995 Speaker 1: him on radio and TV to get him back, has 193 00:13:25,035 --> 00:13:30,075 Speaker 1: passed away. And one blackmail David Letterman. The other was 194 00:13:30,235 --> 00:13:35,275 Speaker 1: used to blackmail Jeff Bezos, and somehow I worked with 195 00:13:35,355 --> 00:13:38,555 Speaker 1: both of them. Things I promised not to tell. Coming up. 196 00:13:38,595 --> 00:13:50,475 Speaker 1: That's next. This sis Countdown. This is Countdown. With Keith 197 00:13:50,515 --> 00:13:57,155 Speaker 1: Overman still ahead on Countdown. How is it possible that 198 00:13:57,235 --> 00:14:01,075 Speaker 1: in two of the highest profile blackmail cases of this century, 199 00:14:02,075 --> 00:14:04,915 Speaker 1: I worked with the blackmail ee in one of them 200 00:14:04,995 --> 00:14:08,955 Speaker 1: years ago, and I worked with the blackmailer in the 201 00:14:08,995 --> 00:14:11,595 Speaker 1: other one years ago. Things I promised not to tell. 202 00:14:11,675 --> 00:14:13,795 Speaker 1: Coming up first. In each edition of Countdown, we feature 203 00:14:13,795 --> 00:14:16,075 Speaker 1: a dog in need you can help. Every dog has 204 00:14:16,115 --> 00:14:20,075 Speaker 1: its day to shrive Port Louisiana at a handsome Australian 205 00:14:20,155 --> 00:14:25,355 Speaker 1: cattle dog blue Healer mix named Buddy. Parish Paws Rescue 206 00:14:25,675 --> 00:14:29,355 Speaker 1: found him outside an abandoned house, crying in pain, one 207 00:14:29,395 --> 00:14:32,675 Speaker 1: side of his face and ear gashed and swollen. Local 208 00:14:32,715 --> 00:14:35,995 Speaker 1: animal control had wanted to euthanize Buddy because it was 209 00:14:36,035 --> 00:14:38,555 Speaker 1: clear he'd been attacked by another animal and he stank 210 00:14:38,715 --> 00:14:42,355 Speaker 1: of infections. Parish Falls got him help, some surgery, a 211 00:14:42,355 --> 00:14:45,835 Speaker 1: lot of antibiotics. He's out of the animal hospital already, 212 00:14:45,875 --> 00:14:48,675 Speaker 1: but with a lot of help still needed. Parish. Pause 213 00:14:48,755 --> 00:14:51,755 Speaker 1: is doing a fundraiser on Cuddly and you can find 214 00:14:51,795 --> 00:14:54,715 Speaker 1: Buddy there, or check my Twitter account for dogs Tom 215 00:14:54,795 --> 00:14:57,795 Speaker 1: Jumbo Grumbo and you'll find the link to donate there. 216 00:14:58,355 --> 00:15:14,995 Speaker 1: I thank you and Buddy thanks you. Post Scripts to 217 00:15:15,035 --> 00:15:19,035 Speaker 1: the news, some headlines, some updates, some snark, some predictions. 218 00:15:19,075 --> 00:15:24,955 Speaker 1: This is a Lulu dateline glen Cove, New York. Just 219 00:15:25,115 --> 00:15:29,435 Speaker 1: how disorganized and slobby the New York State Democratic Party 220 00:15:29,515 --> 00:15:32,995 Speaker 1: actually is has now been underscored, as The New York 221 00:15:33,035 --> 00:15:37,075 Speaker 1: Times has profiled Congressman elect George Santos of the third 222 00:15:37,195 --> 00:15:40,235 Speaker 1: District of New York, one of the richest counties and 223 00:15:40,435 --> 00:15:43,515 Speaker 1: congressional areas in the country and the biggest one in 224 00:15:43,555 --> 00:15:46,835 Speaker 1: New York. The Republican took the seat even though Joe 225 00:15:46,875 --> 00:15:51,235 Speaker 1: Biden had won the third District in ten points. What 226 00:15:51,395 --> 00:15:55,195 Speaker 1: The Times has revealed, in short, is that Republican Congressman 227 00:15:55,195 --> 00:15:59,515 Speaker 1: Elect George Santos is the proverbial man who never was. 228 00:16:00,755 --> 00:16:05,035 Speaker 1: There were a few holes in the Santos campaigns story 229 00:16:05,075 --> 00:16:08,715 Speaker 1: about the son of emigres from Brazil, and somehow the 230 00:16:08,755 --> 00:16:13,995 Speaker 1: Democrats never found them. Just a few holes, like his 231 00:16:14,635 --> 00:16:18,515 Speaker 1: business resume. He ran on being a young gay, conservative, 232 00:16:18,635 --> 00:16:22,355 Speaker 1: quote seasoned Wall Street financier and investor who had honed 233 00:16:22,395 --> 00:16:25,955 Speaker 1: his skills at City Group, which told The Times Santos 234 00:16:26,075 --> 00:16:29,395 Speaker 1: never worked for them. Oh, he was also at Goldman Sachs, 235 00:16:29,875 --> 00:16:32,715 Speaker 1: which also told The Times Santos never worked for them. 236 00:16:33,395 --> 00:16:35,795 Speaker 1: Santos had fought his way up after a good but 237 00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:39,515 Speaker 1: blue collar college experience at n y U, which told 238 00:16:39,515 --> 00:16:42,555 Speaker 1: The Times it has no record of Santos ever going there. Oh, 239 00:16:42,555 --> 00:16:45,515 Speaker 1: when he graduated from Baruke College in two thousand ten, 240 00:16:46,075 --> 00:16:49,115 Speaker 1: Baruke College, which told The Times it has no record 241 00:16:49,155 --> 00:16:52,515 Speaker 1: of anyone matching his name and date of birth graduating 242 00:16:52,555 --> 00:16:55,395 Speaker 1: that year. The graduation would have been quite the trick, 243 00:16:55,435 --> 00:16:57,955 Speaker 1: of course, because The Times did find that in two 244 00:16:57,995 --> 00:17:01,235 Speaker 1: thousand and eight, when he was supposedly at Baruke, nineteen 245 00:17:01,315 --> 00:17:04,475 Speaker 1: year old George Santos was actually in Brazil, where his 246 00:17:04,755 --> 00:17:08,435 Speaker 1: there was a caregiver for an ailing man. Brazilian authorities 247 00:17:08,515 --> 00:17:11,155 Speaker 1: charged him with stealing the man's check book and buying 248 00:17:11,195 --> 00:17:15,235 Speaker 1: stuff with the checks, including shoes. In two thousand ten, 249 00:17:15,275 --> 00:17:19,915 Speaker 1: George Santos confessed to Brazilian authorities, reports The Times. But 250 00:17:20,075 --> 00:17:23,275 Speaker 1: George Santos became a successful businessman with his own company 251 00:17:23,315 --> 00:17:27,395 Speaker 1: that matched investment funds with rich investors. It was called 252 00:17:27,395 --> 00:17:32,035 Speaker 1: the Devolder Organization. It managed eighty million dollars in assets, 253 00:17:32,035 --> 00:17:35,475 Speaker 1: and he owned thirteen properties that he rented to people. 254 00:17:36,275 --> 00:17:39,315 Speaker 1: So he reported making a salary of seven fifty thousand 255 00:17:39,355 --> 00:17:42,595 Speaker 1: dollars a year dividends of more than a million from Devolder. 256 00:17:43,155 --> 00:17:46,595 Speaker 1: But his congressional financial disclosure does not list any clients 257 00:17:46,635 --> 00:17:50,835 Speaker 1: for the Devolder organization, which is either a huge problem 258 00:17:50,915 --> 00:17:54,675 Speaker 1: for him with the Congressional Financial Department, or it means 259 00:17:54,675 --> 00:17:57,755 Speaker 1: there are no clients, and The Times reports it may 260 00:17:57,795 --> 00:18:00,515 Speaker 1: also be true that there are no properties for which 261 00:18:00,515 --> 00:18:03,195 Speaker 1: Santos said he was the landlord, but they did find 262 00:18:03,355 --> 00:18:08,315 Speaker 1: records that in two thousand fifteen, a landlord sued Santos 263 00:18:08,395 --> 00:18:11,915 Speaker 1: for unpaid rent in a place he was renting for them, 264 00:18:12,235 --> 00:18:16,875 Speaker 1: and the landlord one This little detail with his company 265 00:18:16,915 --> 00:18:20,315 Speaker 1: goes even further. Santos told a radio interviewer that he 266 00:18:20,395 --> 00:18:25,515 Speaker 1: quote lost four employees unquote at the Pulse nightclub shooting 267 00:18:25,515 --> 00:18:29,395 Speaker 1: in Orlando, Florida, in June two thousand sixteen. There were 268 00:18:29,435 --> 00:18:32,755 Speaker 1: forty nine victims of that nightmare. The Times went through 269 00:18:32,795 --> 00:18:35,875 Speaker 1: their biographies and their obituaries and not one of them 270 00:18:35,875 --> 00:18:38,755 Speaker 1: ever worked for any of the companies Santos claims to 271 00:18:38,835 --> 00:18:43,155 Speaker 1: have owned or been affiliated with. Santos website also claimed 272 00:18:43,195 --> 00:18:45,795 Speaker 1: his mother was in her office at the World Trade 273 00:18:45,795 --> 00:18:49,195 Speaker 1: Center on nine eleven. And guess what, nobody's proved that 274 00:18:49,395 --> 00:18:54,635 Speaker 1: or found information about that either. Besides his orientation, his immigration, 275 00:18:54,835 --> 00:18:58,115 Speaker 1: his business experience, those victims at the Pulse who were 276 00:18:58,115 --> 00:19:01,115 Speaker 1: not at the Pulse, the nine eleven hook with his mom, 277 00:19:01,635 --> 00:19:05,155 Speaker 1: Santos had the human touch. While campaigning, he ran a 278 00:19:05,315 --> 00:19:09,195 Speaker 1: tax exempt animal rescue that had saved more than dogs 279 00:19:09,195 --> 00:19:13,675 Speaker 1: and cats. Friends of Pets United, the i r S 280 00:19:13,715 --> 00:19:15,595 Speaker 1: told The New York Times it has no record of 281 00:19:15,635 --> 00:19:19,515 Speaker 1: a registered charity called Friends of Pets United. The Times 282 00:19:19,555 --> 00:19:22,555 Speaker 1: did find evidence of a fundraiser held by Friends of 283 00:19:22,595 --> 00:19:26,155 Speaker 1: Pets United in two thousand seventeen, and it also found 284 00:19:26,195 --> 00:19:30,075 Speaker 1: the intended beneficiary, who says she never got any of 285 00:19:30,075 --> 00:19:33,475 Speaker 1: the money that Friends of Pets United had raised for her. 286 00:19:34,555 --> 00:19:37,155 Speaker 1: The Democrats and their candidate in the New York Third, 287 00:19:37,275 --> 00:19:41,395 Speaker 1: Robert Zimmerman, had found none of this. And of course, 288 00:19:41,435 --> 00:19:45,435 Speaker 1: what's especially going about that is this, George Santos did 289 00:19:45,435 --> 00:19:49,075 Speaker 1: not pop up out of nowhere. George Santos was also 290 00:19:49,155 --> 00:19:54,715 Speaker 1: the Republican nominee also in the third district in so 291 00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,355 Speaker 1: New York. Democrats had at least two years to just 292 00:19:57,795 --> 00:20:04,235 Speaker 1: you know, Google him, and clearly they didn't. So the 293 00:20:04,275 --> 00:20:06,795 Speaker 1: demock rats of New York have one set of problems. 294 00:20:07,355 --> 00:20:12,035 Speaker 1: What happens to George Santos if that is your real name? Well, 295 00:20:12,075 --> 00:20:14,795 Speaker 1: if he doesn't resign or get expelled from Congress, the 296 00:20:14,795 --> 00:20:19,035 Speaker 1: answer is obvious. With his skills, he will rise very 297 00:20:19,115 --> 00:20:36,715 Speaker 1: quickly in the GOP. This is Sports Center. Wait, check 298 00:20:36,755 --> 00:20:45,195 Speaker 1: that not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith in sports. 299 00:20:45,275 --> 00:20:48,155 Speaker 1: If you're hearing stories about the NBA putting an expansion 300 00:20:48,195 --> 00:20:52,675 Speaker 1: team in Mexico City or moving an extant franchise there, 301 00:20:52,955 --> 00:20:56,635 Speaker 1: you can probably relax about that. Miami beat San Antonio 302 00:20:56,715 --> 00:20:59,475 Speaker 1: in Mexico City Saturday, and as usual, there are quotes 303 00:20:59,475 --> 00:21:01,915 Speaker 1: about how the city is doing all the things necessary 304 00:21:02,155 --> 00:21:04,515 Speaker 1: to demonstrate to the league that ultimately we may be 305 00:21:04,715 --> 00:21:07,875 Speaker 1: position to house an NBA team there that as Commissioner 306 00:21:07,915 --> 00:21:10,835 Speaker 1: Adam Silver he goes on, there's no doubt we will 307 00:21:10,875 --> 00:21:15,675 Speaker 1: be looking seriously at Mexico City over time. Sounds intriguing. 308 00:21:15,755 --> 00:21:19,715 Speaker 1: Huh An NBA franchise, a major American sports franchise in 309 00:21:19,835 --> 00:21:25,635 Speaker 1: Mexico that's never happened before. Well, as always, sports media 310 00:21:25,755 --> 00:21:30,595 Speaker 1: in this country has no institutional memory. What's soever. The 311 00:21:30,715 --> 00:21:35,075 Speaker 1: NBA has been looking at Mexico City Arena there over time. 312 00:21:35,355 --> 00:21:40,475 Speaker 1: It played its first game there in I should emphasize 313 00:21:40,915 --> 00:21:44,715 Speaker 1: that was its first regular season game, the first preseason 314 00:21:44,795 --> 00:21:50,955 Speaker 1: game it was in. What the NBA wants her Mexico, 315 00:21:51,115 --> 00:21:53,955 Speaker 1: like what the NFL wants for Mexico, Like what Baseball 316 00:21:54,035 --> 00:21:56,315 Speaker 1: wants from Mexico is for people there to watch its 317 00:21:56,355 --> 00:22:00,915 Speaker 1: games on TV and buy its merchandise. To get this, 318 00:22:01,275 --> 00:22:05,475 Speaker 1: it holds out this carrot of possible expansion to Mexico City. 319 00:22:05,675 --> 00:22:08,915 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball played its first regular season games in 320 00:22:08,995 --> 00:22:13,275 Speaker 1: Mexico in nineteen ninety six. The NFL held its first 321 00:22:13,275 --> 00:22:15,955 Speaker 1: game there in two thousand five, but it had put 322 00:22:15,995 --> 00:22:18,755 Speaker 1: its toe in the water by putting out a series 323 00:22:18,755 --> 00:22:23,475 Speaker 1: of NFL bubblegum cards in Mexico in Spanish in nineteen 324 00:22:23,475 --> 00:22:28,155 Speaker 1: seventy seven. Nobody is expanding to Mexico City. Between the 325 00:22:28,195 --> 00:22:31,515 Speaker 1: altitude two thousand feet higher than is Denver and the 326 00:22:31,555 --> 00:22:36,235 Speaker 1: governmental vagaries, it is not happening. Not anytime soon, not 327 00:22:36,395 --> 00:22:40,155 Speaker 1: for decades, but it is necessary to make Mexican sports 328 00:22:40,235 --> 00:22:45,115 Speaker 1: fans think it could happen. Meantime, there is sadness in Cincinnati. 329 00:22:45,155 --> 00:22:48,155 Speaker 1: One of the most beloved of former Cincinnati Reds players, 330 00:22:48,195 --> 00:22:51,395 Speaker 1: Tom Browning, was found dead at his home yesterday at 331 00:22:51,395 --> 00:22:53,795 Speaker 1: the age of sixty two. It looks like natural causes. 332 00:22:54,115 --> 00:22:56,875 Speaker 1: Browning one a hundred nineteen games for the Reds over 333 00:22:56,995 --> 00:22:59,275 Speaker 1: nine full seasons, and he added four more in two 334 00:22:59,275 --> 00:23:02,515 Speaker 1: partial seasons, including a perfect game against the soon tob 335 00:23:03,435 --> 00:23:06,355 Speaker 1: eight world champion l A Dodgers. But the game they 336 00:23:06,355 --> 00:23:09,715 Speaker 1: remembered Tom Browning four in Cincinnati is one he did 337 00:23:09,755 --> 00:23:12,555 Speaker 1: not play in. He was in the dugout during the 338 00:23:12,555 --> 00:23:16,995 Speaker 1: second game of the World Series October seventeenth of that year, 339 00:23:17,035 --> 00:23:19,075 Speaker 1: and his wife, Debbie was in the stands, or so 340 00:23:19,115 --> 00:23:22,395 Speaker 1: he thought. In the seventh inning, a clubhouse boy found 341 00:23:22,435 --> 00:23:25,195 Speaker 1: Browning on the Reds bench and told him Debbie was 342 00:23:25,235 --> 00:23:28,715 Speaker 1: asking if somebody could move a van that had blocked 343 00:23:28,715 --> 00:23:31,555 Speaker 1: her car, which was in the players parking lot at 344 00:23:31,555 --> 00:23:35,275 Speaker 1: Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium. Browning was due to pitch Game three 345 00:23:35,315 --> 00:23:38,195 Speaker 1: of the World Series two nights later in Oakland, so 346 00:23:38,275 --> 00:23:41,195 Speaker 1: he figured he should run out and see what was wrong. 347 00:23:41,835 --> 00:23:45,595 Speaker 1: What was wrong was Debbie was leaving for St. Elizabeth's hospital. 348 00:23:46,115 --> 00:23:49,435 Speaker 1: She was also do She was supposed to give birth 349 00:23:49,475 --> 00:23:52,835 Speaker 1: to their third child eight days later on the October. 350 00:23:52,875 --> 00:23:56,515 Speaker 1: But guess what, Browning did not hesitate. He put her 351 00:23:56,555 --> 00:23:59,035 Speaker 1: in the passenger seat, and he drove her to the 352 00:23:59,115 --> 00:24:03,595 Speaker 1: hospital while still wearing his Cincinnati Reds uniform and his 353 00:24:03,675 --> 00:24:06,755 Speaker 1: Cincinnati Reds app in the middle of his team's first 354 00:24:06,795 --> 00:24:10,715 Speaker 1: World Series games in fourteen years. Debbie had in fact 355 00:24:10,795 --> 00:24:13,995 Speaker 1: already gone into labor. Tom joined her in the delivery 356 00:24:14,035 --> 00:24:18,315 Speaker 1: room in his uniform with a surgical gown over the uniform. 357 00:24:18,915 --> 00:24:23,075 Speaker 1: They made him leave his Red's cap outside, and that's 358 00:24:23,195 --> 00:24:25,235 Speaker 1: all there would have been to the story, except the 359 00:24:25,275 --> 00:24:27,275 Speaker 1: Reds in the A's were tied four four in the 360 00:24:27,315 --> 00:24:29,915 Speaker 1: seventh inning of the second game of the World Series, 361 00:24:30,075 --> 00:24:32,675 Speaker 1: and Cincinnati was already on its fourth pitcher of the game, 362 00:24:32,955 --> 00:24:35,875 Speaker 1: and back then that was a lot and manager Luke 363 00:24:35,875 --> 00:24:37,635 Speaker 1: Pannello of the Red started, Boy, if we go to 364 00:24:37,715 --> 00:24:40,115 Speaker 1: extra innings, I may need a starter to pitch the 365 00:24:40,155 --> 00:24:42,315 Speaker 1: rest of the night. My best bet is the guy 366 00:24:42,315 --> 00:24:45,675 Speaker 1: who's going in Game three. Get Tom Browning ready, He 367 00:24:45,755 --> 00:24:49,715 Speaker 1: told his pitching coach Stan Williams. Well, of course Tom 368 00:24:49,795 --> 00:24:52,315 Speaker 1: Browning was not in the bullpen working on his delivery. 369 00:24:52,355 --> 00:24:55,995 Speaker 1: He was in the hospital working on her delivery. The 370 00:24:56,115 --> 00:24:59,155 Speaker 1: pitching coach, Williams, did not know this. The manager, Panella, 371 00:24:59,235 --> 00:25:02,395 Speaker 1: did not know this. The clubhouse folks knew only that 372 00:25:02,475 --> 00:25:07,155 Speaker 1: he'd left to go to a hospital, which one Panella 373 00:25:07,235 --> 00:25:10,155 Speaker 1: followed up with Williams, What about Browning? He's gone, the 374 00:25:10,195 --> 00:25:13,995 Speaker 1: coach said, where. The manager said, the hospital. The coach said, 375 00:25:14,195 --> 00:25:16,635 Speaker 1: what's going on? The manager said, I don't know. I 376 00:25:16,715 --> 00:25:18,875 Speaker 1: never heard of a pitcher leaving a World Series game, 377 00:25:18,915 --> 00:25:22,435 Speaker 1: the coach said. Turned out they knew his wife was pregnant, 378 00:25:22,475 --> 00:25:25,275 Speaker 1: but nobody on the Reds knew how soon she had 379 00:25:25,275 --> 00:25:30,435 Speaker 1: been expected to deliver. Mind you, this is I had 380 00:25:30,475 --> 00:25:33,395 Speaker 1: a cell phone. It was the size of my hand 381 00:25:34,075 --> 00:25:36,755 Speaker 1: and part of my wrist and maybe up to the elbow. 382 00:25:37,235 --> 00:25:39,635 Speaker 1: I didn't know anybody else who had a cell phone, 383 00:25:39,675 --> 00:25:42,155 Speaker 1: so there's no way to call Browning, and nobody knew 384 00:25:42,195 --> 00:25:45,315 Speaker 1: which hospital he had gone to, So naturally, the team 385 00:25:45,355 --> 00:25:48,515 Speaker 1: had the Reds radio play by play man Marty Brennaman 386 00:25:48,595 --> 00:25:51,955 Speaker 1: broadcast an appeal during the game for Browning to come 387 00:25:51,955 --> 00:25:54,675 Speaker 1: back to the ballpark and pitch in the game in 388 00:25:54,715 --> 00:25:58,115 Speaker 1: the World Series. When that didn't work, they slipped a 389 00:25:58,195 --> 00:26:01,435 Speaker 1: note into the TV booth and Tim McCarver working the 390 00:26:01,475 --> 00:26:04,435 Speaker 1: game on CBS Television and thus on my test station 391 00:26:04,515 --> 00:26:07,475 Speaker 1: in l a K CBS, he got on and made 392 00:26:07,475 --> 00:26:12,235 Speaker 1: the same plea will Tom Browning please report to the ballpark. 393 00:26:12,915 --> 00:26:14,955 Speaker 1: It was one of the damnedest things I ever heard 394 00:26:14,995 --> 00:26:18,995 Speaker 1: of in baseball or television for that matter. Browning was 395 00:26:19,115 --> 00:26:21,635 Speaker 1: ducking out of the delivery room to watch the game 396 00:26:21,715 --> 00:26:23,795 Speaker 1: on the TV in the waiting room at the hospital, 397 00:26:23,835 --> 00:26:26,555 Speaker 1: and he heard mccarvery say, the Reds have asked Tom 398 00:26:26,595 --> 00:26:29,715 Speaker 1: Browning to return to the ballpark. Tom, are you watching? 399 00:26:30,555 --> 00:26:33,875 Speaker 1: I was sweating the picture. Told reporters later. I was scared. 400 00:26:33,995 --> 00:26:36,275 Speaker 1: What did I want to do? Be at the birth 401 00:26:36,715 --> 00:26:40,595 Speaker 1: or pitch in a World Series game? Happily for everybody, 402 00:26:40,635 --> 00:26:43,715 Speaker 1: an obscure utility man of the Reds named Billy Bates 403 00:26:44,035 --> 00:26:46,235 Speaker 1: pinch at his single to start a rally off Hall 404 00:26:46,275 --> 00:26:48,875 Speaker 1: of Famer Dennis Eckersley of Oakland in the bottom of 405 00:26:48,915 --> 00:26:51,075 Speaker 1: the tenth inning and the Reds one at five to four. 406 00:26:51,475 --> 00:26:55,715 Speaker 1: Browning's decision had been made for him. Tucker Thomas Browning 407 00:26:55,835 --> 00:26:58,675 Speaker 1: was born about half an hour later, and Tom Browning 408 00:26:58,755 --> 00:27:01,875 Speaker 1: was there for the birth. Two days later, Tom Browning 409 00:27:01,915 --> 00:27:04,955 Speaker 1: pitched six effective innings and got the win as the 410 00:27:04,995 --> 00:27:07,595 Speaker 1: Reds took Game three on the way to a stunning 411 00:27:07,675 --> 00:27:11,155 Speaker 1: upset in a sweep over the heavily favored Days. To 412 00:27:11,355 --> 00:27:16,435 Speaker 1: my knowledge, only two baseball guys predicted that the Reds 413 00:27:16,555 --> 00:27:20,675 Speaker 1: might sweep Oakland that year on the record, me and 414 00:27:20,755 --> 00:27:24,075 Speaker 1: Tim McCarver in an interview we did on case CBS 415 00:27:24,155 --> 00:27:26,675 Speaker 1: before Game one. But of course neither of us could 416 00:27:26,675 --> 00:27:29,555 Speaker 1: have predicted the story of Tom Browning and the baby 417 00:27:29,915 --> 00:27:32,835 Speaker 1: who apparently wanted to be here while his dad was 418 00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:36,475 Speaker 1: going to pitch in the World Series. Our condolences to 419 00:27:36,595 --> 00:27:54,795 Speaker 1: him and all the others who loved Tom Browning to 420 00:27:54,955 --> 00:27:57,635 Speaker 1: the number one story on the countdown in my favorite topic, 421 00:27:57,715 --> 00:28:00,395 Speaker 1: Me and Things I promised not to tell, And I 422 00:28:00,435 --> 00:28:04,755 Speaker 1: was reminded on Saturday of two stories about media a 423 00:28:04,875 --> 00:28:07,435 Speaker 1: blackmail because it was the anniversary of one of those 424 00:28:07,475 --> 00:28:11,395 Speaker 1: stories the day Dave Letterman announced he had been blackmailed, 425 00:28:11,675 --> 00:28:13,955 Speaker 1: and they named the guy that they had arrested for 426 00:28:13,995 --> 00:28:16,635 Speaker 1: doing it, and I said, oh, him, of course it's him. 427 00:28:16,635 --> 00:28:18,995 Speaker 1: I've known him for twenty eight years. And then there 428 00:28:19,035 --> 00:28:22,195 Speaker 1: was the bigger blackmail story, and they named the woman 429 00:28:22,195 --> 00:28:24,475 Speaker 1: who was one of the victims, and I said, oh, her, 430 00:28:24,475 --> 00:28:26,355 Speaker 1: of course it's her. I've known her for twenty years. 431 00:28:27,155 --> 00:28:31,835 Speaker 1: That one first, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and 432 00:28:31,875 --> 00:28:35,235 Speaker 1: owner of the Washington Post, was being blackmailed by allies 433 00:28:35,315 --> 00:28:38,075 Speaker 1: of Crazy Trump, who expected to get positive coverage for 434 00:28:38,075 --> 00:28:41,075 Speaker 1: their leader of their cults. What they had on Bezos 435 00:28:41,195 --> 00:28:43,755 Speaker 1: was he had a girlfriend. They had pictures. It would 436 00:28:43,755 --> 00:28:46,995 Speaker 1: cost him hundreds of millions of dollars. Were his wife 437 00:28:47,035 --> 00:28:51,915 Speaker 1: to find out, he said, that'll happen. In February two 438 00:28:51,955 --> 00:28:55,315 Speaker 1: thousand nineteen, Jeff Bezos went public, said his marriage was 439 00:28:55,435 --> 00:28:58,355 Speaker 1: ending anyway. He was sorry about the pain that caused 440 00:28:58,435 --> 00:29:01,315 Speaker 1: his wife, but he would now give her all she wanted, 441 00:29:01,715 --> 00:29:06,155 Speaker 1: and the National Inquirer blackmailers could shut of it. Amid 442 00:29:06,235 --> 00:29:08,795 Speaker 1: everything else, It suggested to me that when you cannot 443 00:29:08,875 --> 00:29:11,995 Speaker 1: figure out what happened to the people who once seemed 444 00:29:11,995 --> 00:29:14,955 Speaker 1: to have principles, or at least seemed to have enmity 445 00:29:15,075 --> 00:29:20,315 Speaker 1: towards Crazy Trump, Ted Cruz, Lindsay Graham others, remember that 446 00:29:20,395 --> 00:29:24,715 Speaker 1: the odds were amazingly small that the first time Trump's 447 00:29:24,755 --> 00:29:28,315 Speaker 1: allies tried to blackmail somebody on his behalf, that they 448 00:29:28,315 --> 00:29:31,315 Speaker 1: would find in Jeff Bezos, the one guy who would 449 00:29:31,395 --> 00:29:35,595 Speaker 1: say no on the first try. I don't think so. 450 00:29:36,555 --> 00:29:38,755 Speaker 1: I have assumed ever since that this process has been 451 00:29:38,875 --> 00:29:44,235 Speaker 1: utilized for years on Trump's behalf, in business, inside politics 452 00:29:44,675 --> 00:29:47,515 Speaker 1: and at its fringes, and that Bezos was not the 453 00:29:47,555 --> 00:29:49,875 Speaker 1: first victim of this, just the first victim who said, 454 00:29:49,915 --> 00:29:53,795 Speaker 1: f you, this is why we have f you money. 455 00:29:54,715 --> 00:29:56,995 Speaker 1: But beneath all that important stuff where she had another 456 00:29:56,995 --> 00:29:59,555 Speaker 1: occasion where my jaw dropped to the floor and I 457 00:29:59,595 --> 00:30:03,275 Speaker 1: had to reattach it with Elmer's glue. The woman at 458 00:30:03,315 --> 00:30:05,475 Speaker 1: the center of the blackmail, the mean for whom Jeff 459 00:30:05,475 --> 00:30:08,555 Speaker 1: Bezos was going to leave his wife, was named Lauren Sanchez, 460 00:30:09,635 --> 00:30:12,635 Speaker 1: and like everybody else in this twenty one century America, 461 00:30:13,435 --> 00:30:17,235 Speaker 1: I used to work with her. Lauren was a reporter 462 00:30:17,315 --> 00:30:20,355 Speaker 1: and sometimes anchor at Fox Sports Net when I got there, 463 00:30:20,395 --> 00:30:24,515 Speaker 1: in only sometimes they wrote her a script once that 464 00:30:24,555 --> 00:30:27,155 Speaker 1: actually read Roger Clemens E. R. A is one of 465 00:30:27,195 --> 00:30:29,955 Speaker 1: the greatest in his era, and she of course read 466 00:30:30,315 --> 00:30:32,795 Speaker 1: Roger Clemens Era is one of the greatest in his 467 00:30:32,915 --> 00:30:36,315 Speaker 1: e r A. She was much better at interviewing Lakers 468 00:30:36,355 --> 00:30:39,995 Speaker 1: players after games, particularly Shaquille O'Neill, even though he was 469 00:30:40,035 --> 00:30:42,115 Speaker 1: more than two ft taller than she was, and she 470 00:30:42,195 --> 00:30:46,315 Speaker 1: used to insist on interviewing him standing up. These little 471 00:30:46,515 --> 00:30:51,595 Speaker 1: visits looked so odd on camera that I remember seeing 472 00:30:51,595 --> 00:30:53,595 Speaker 1: one of her stories being fed in from the l 473 00:30:53,675 --> 00:30:56,235 Speaker 1: A Forum and I asked the producer, were you actually 474 00:30:56,235 --> 00:30:58,835 Speaker 1: putting that on the air? Just onto the gag reel 475 00:30:58,955 --> 00:31:03,315 Speaker 1: for Christmas? We did not overlap long there after, she 476 00:31:03,355 --> 00:31:05,195 Speaker 1: gave birth to the child of nf L tight end 477 00:31:05,235 --> 00:31:08,275 Speaker 1: Tony Gonzalez, long after she had ended her relationship with him. 478 00:31:08,555 --> 00:31:11,835 Speaker 1: Lauren Sanchez was hired to anchor the news on Channel thirteen, 479 00:31:12,435 --> 00:31:15,155 Speaker 1: which is a station that was apparently created because somebody 480 00:31:15,155 --> 00:31:17,515 Speaker 1: would always have to be in last place in the 481 00:31:17,515 --> 00:31:21,035 Speaker 1: news ratings, and it might as well be them. I 482 00:31:21,115 --> 00:31:23,275 Speaker 1: was back visiting in l A in the spring of 483 00:31:23,275 --> 00:31:25,715 Speaker 1: two thousand two and dived in and out of as 484 00:31:25,715 --> 00:31:27,875 Speaker 1: many newscasts as I could so I could see what 485 00:31:27,955 --> 00:31:30,595 Speaker 1: my two X employers there, and so many of my 486 00:31:30,635 --> 00:31:34,195 Speaker 1: old colleagues and rivals were doing. That's when I saw it. 487 00:31:34,795 --> 00:31:38,355 Speaker 1: The worst or perhaps the best commercial for a local 488 00:31:38,395 --> 00:31:43,395 Speaker 1: television news sweeps series in human history in any language. 489 00:31:44,515 --> 00:31:48,035 Speaker 1: SWEEPS series used to be local TVs bread and butter. 490 00:31:48,195 --> 00:31:50,915 Speaker 1: During the weeks when the local ratings were tabulated and 491 00:31:51,035 --> 00:31:54,195 Speaker 1: used to establish who was number one and thus how 492 00:31:54,315 --> 00:31:57,435 Speaker 1: much everybody's commercials would cost, each station would do a 493 00:31:57,515 --> 00:32:02,115 Speaker 1: series of special reports within each newscast. They were designed 494 00:32:02,235 --> 00:32:05,675 Speaker 1: solely to be advertised to be spy answered and to 495 00:32:05,755 --> 00:32:09,915 Speaker 1: be as salacious or silly, or unbelievable or titillating or 496 00:32:09,955 --> 00:32:13,875 Speaker 1: just as memorable as possible. When I was in local 497 00:32:13,875 --> 00:32:15,555 Speaker 1: news in l A in the eighties and nineties, we 498 00:32:15,555 --> 00:32:17,955 Speaker 1: had a series at Channel two with a very good 499 00:32:18,035 --> 00:32:20,795 Speaker 1: reporter named Dorothy Lucy, and the series was called The 500 00:32:20,835 --> 00:32:25,115 Speaker 1: Search for Slee's. The commercials for the Search for Sleez 501 00:32:25,875 --> 00:32:28,795 Speaker 1: showed her riding around in a jacuzzi built into the 502 00:32:28,795 --> 00:32:31,315 Speaker 1: back of a stretch Limo with an old guy with 503 00:32:31,435 --> 00:32:34,035 Speaker 1: a beard and a couple of bikini models in there too. 504 00:32:34,595 --> 00:32:37,915 Speaker 1: That had been, to my knowledge, the low point of 505 00:32:37,955 --> 00:32:42,195 Speaker 1: the SWEEPS series. But now, as I watched in my 506 00:32:42,275 --> 00:32:44,595 Speaker 1: hotel room in Santa Monica in the spring, of two 507 00:32:44,595 --> 00:32:47,755 Speaker 1: thousand two. This is more or less what I heard 508 00:32:47,755 --> 00:32:52,715 Speaker 1: the voiceover announcers say. This week special report case O P. 509 00:32:52,875 --> 00:32:57,635 Speaker 1: Thirty News anchor Laurence Sanchez brings you how to meet 510 00:32:57,675 --> 00:33:01,515 Speaker 1: a baller. Ladies, find out where to meet the athlete 511 00:33:01,515 --> 00:33:05,355 Speaker 1: of your dreams. Lakers, Here's King's Dodgers Angels. Do you 512 00:33:05,435 --> 00:33:10,395 Speaker 1: want to meet him? Do you want to get to 513 00:33:10,435 --> 00:33:14,755 Speaker 1: know him? Do you want to date him? How to 514 00:33:14,875 --> 00:33:16,875 Speaker 1: be the baller? This week on the case O P. 515 00:33:17,075 --> 00:33:22,115 Speaker 1: Thirteen News, attend with Lauren Sanchez how to meet a Baller. 516 00:33:24,875 --> 00:33:27,755 Speaker 1: I'm not certain how they restored me to human form 517 00:33:27,915 --> 00:33:30,715 Speaker 1: from the puddle into which I had dissolved. I do 518 00:33:30,835 --> 00:33:34,235 Speaker 1: remember calling the desk to ask if it was still Tuesday. 519 00:33:34,715 --> 00:33:37,235 Speaker 1: It felt like I had been out called for several weeks. 520 00:33:37,675 --> 00:33:42,355 Speaker 1: I was appalled, shocked, chagrined, nauseated, mortified, embarrassed, humiliated, and 521 00:33:42,355 --> 00:33:45,955 Speaker 1: then I stopped and as an angelic choir sang in 522 00:33:45,955 --> 00:33:49,275 Speaker 1: the background, I changed my mind completely. This was not 523 00:33:49,555 --> 00:33:53,555 Speaker 1: Sweeps series madness. This was not a woman debasing herself 524 00:33:53,595 --> 00:33:56,875 Speaker 1: by teaching other women how to debase themselves how to 525 00:33:57,435 --> 00:34:02,275 Speaker 1: meet dollars. This was, for perhaps the first time, in 526 00:34:02,395 --> 00:34:05,755 Speaker 1: sweeps series history, perhaps the first, I mean local television 527 00:34:05,755 --> 00:34:11,635 Speaker 1: news history, A true expert lending her panoramic learned comprehensive 528 00:34:11,675 --> 00:34:16,955 Speaker 1: knowledge about one subject, requiring subtlety, insight, insider information, and 529 00:34:16,995 --> 00:34:20,635 Speaker 1: the selflessness to share it with mere ordinary women viewers. 530 00:34:22,035 --> 00:34:25,995 Speaker 1: How do you meet a baller? I would never have 531 00:34:26,115 --> 00:34:29,195 Speaker 1: known who to ask. I never would have known to 532 00:34:29,275 --> 00:34:35,155 Speaker 1: whom to send my wife or daughter or friend. Not really. 533 00:34:35,835 --> 00:34:40,395 Speaker 1: I knew there were experts, there were scholars, there were 534 00:34:40,435 --> 00:34:43,835 Speaker 1: fonts of wisdom. But Laurence Sanchez was the Einstein of 535 00:34:43,915 --> 00:34:48,755 Speaker 1: meeting ballers. And even in the glimmering light of knowledge 536 00:34:48,755 --> 00:34:51,315 Speaker 1: that radiated from her that week on Channel thirteen, Los 537 00:34:51,315 --> 00:34:54,515 Speaker 1: Angeles two decades ago, even in the blinding aura of 538 00:34:54,555 --> 00:34:58,475 Speaker 1: her brilliance, could she have known that the ultimate target 539 00:34:59,195 --> 00:35:02,675 Speaker 1: of the Little Sweep series should have been No mere 540 00:35:02,755 --> 00:35:06,155 Speaker 1: Tony Gonzalez? Or do you want to meet him? Do 541 00:35:06,235 --> 00:35:08,515 Speaker 1: you want to get to know him? Do you want 542 00:35:08,555 --> 00:35:10,955 Speaker 1: to date him? It should have been do you want 543 00:35:10,955 --> 00:35:13,115 Speaker 1: to meet him? Do you want to get to know him? 544 00:35:13,115 --> 00:35:15,475 Speaker 1: Do you want to date him? How to meet up 545 00:35:15,555 --> 00:35:21,715 Speaker 1: bezos in life? You just don't expect people you worked 546 00:35:21,755 --> 00:35:24,155 Speaker 1: with for a few weeks like Laurence Sanchez to wind 547 00:35:24,195 --> 00:35:28,315 Speaker 1: up as part of modern American history. It just seems unlikely, 548 00:35:29,235 --> 00:35:31,715 Speaker 1: not that they could be involved in a blackmail story 549 00:35:31,795 --> 00:35:35,595 Speaker 1: like hers and she was a victim, but that you 550 00:35:35,635 --> 00:35:37,715 Speaker 1: could have known her. And yet for me this was 551 00:35:37,755 --> 00:35:42,075 Speaker 1: the second time. On October one, two thousand nine, it 552 00:35:42,155 --> 00:35:44,635 Speaker 1: was the anniversary that reminded me of both of these stories. 553 00:35:45,195 --> 00:35:47,515 Speaker 1: My friend David Letterman came out onto the stage of 554 00:35:47,595 --> 00:35:49,755 Speaker 1: the CBS Late Night Show and revealed that he had 555 00:35:49,795 --> 00:35:53,555 Speaker 1: had a series of consensual relationships with women on his staff. 556 00:35:54,755 --> 00:35:58,195 Speaker 1: The studio audience laughed, assuming it was the start of 557 00:35:58,235 --> 00:36:01,475 Speaker 1: some bit in which the guys at the Hello Deli 558 00:36:01,675 --> 00:36:04,875 Speaker 1: would somehow have a roll of some sort. But Eve 559 00:36:04,955 --> 00:36:08,235 Speaker 1: went on and on and on, and finally revealed he 560 00:36:08,275 --> 00:36:11,515 Speaker 1: had been the victim of an extortion plot and that 561 00:36:11,635 --> 00:36:13,955 Speaker 1: he in the Manhattan d A's office set up a 562 00:36:13,995 --> 00:36:16,835 Speaker 1: meeting with the blackmailer, who wanted two million dollars, with 563 00:36:16,955 --> 00:36:20,475 Speaker 1: the cover story being that he had written a screenplay 564 00:36:20,555 --> 00:36:24,475 Speaker 1: about Letterman that would reveal all the relationships, but he 565 00:36:24,515 --> 00:36:27,995 Speaker 1: would sell the quote screenplay unquote two Letterman for two 566 00:36:27,995 --> 00:36:33,555 Speaker 1: million dollars. Within hours, Letterman's blackmailer was identified by authorities. 567 00:36:33,595 --> 00:36:36,235 Speaker 1: I saw the name pop up on my computer terminal, NBC, 568 00:36:36,555 --> 00:36:39,875 Speaker 1: Robert Joel, Joe Halderman, and I looked at it, and 569 00:36:39,915 --> 00:36:44,915 Speaker 1: I said, of course, Joe Halderman. He had been the 570 00:36:44,955 --> 00:36:47,515 Speaker 1: assignment editor at CNN in New York from the day 571 00:36:47,555 --> 00:36:50,555 Speaker 1: I broke into television in August until he left for 572 00:36:50,555 --> 00:36:54,875 Speaker 1: CBS News a year later. All television assignment editors had 573 00:36:54,955 --> 00:36:59,275 Speaker 1: to deny reporters camera crews. There are invariably scheduling conflicts, 574 00:36:59,315 --> 00:37:02,315 Speaker 1: and ultimately there are always two stories to shoot for 575 00:37:02,435 --> 00:37:07,275 Speaker 1: every one camera crew available. But Halderman used to enjoy 576 00:37:07,315 --> 00:37:10,155 Speaker 1: denying us reporters cruise. He used to like to mock us, 577 00:37:10,395 --> 00:37:13,075 Speaker 1: to make us gruvel, and then when you got to 578 00:37:13,275 --> 00:37:15,955 Speaker 1: your story with your crew, he would page them and 579 00:37:15,995 --> 00:37:18,235 Speaker 1: tell them to go cover something else and leave you 580 00:37:18,355 --> 00:37:24,675 Speaker 1: stranded there. And personally he had absolutely no redeeming qualities. 581 00:37:25,395 --> 00:37:27,835 Speaker 1: If you could travel back in time to the twenty 582 00:37:27,835 --> 00:37:30,435 Speaker 1: two or twenty three year old me and explain who 583 00:37:30,515 --> 00:37:32,875 Speaker 1: David Letterman would be and what his fame would be like, 584 00:37:33,275 --> 00:37:35,115 Speaker 1: and how I'd be a guest on his show one 585 00:37:35,235 --> 00:37:38,155 Speaker 1: night when a presidential candidate canceled at the last minute, 586 00:37:38,315 --> 00:37:40,635 Speaker 1: and how somebody I already knew and had worked with 587 00:37:40,675 --> 00:37:43,275 Speaker 1: at age two or twenty three would try to blackmail 588 00:37:43,395 --> 00:37:47,475 Speaker 1: him over staffers he'd slept with, and could I I 589 00:37:47,515 --> 00:37:49,475 Speaker 1: would have interrupted you by that point and said, matter 590 00:37:49,515 --> 00:37:52,915 Speaker 1: of factly, oh, it's Joe Halderman, right, of course, Halderman, 591 00:37:52,955 --> 00:37:58,795 Speaker 1: total creep. You say he blackmails this letterbox guy. Frankly, 592 00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:01,075 Speaker 1: forty year old me probably could have figured out the 593 00:38:01,075 --> 00:38:04,275 Speaker 1: whole Laurence Sanchez thing for some time traveling quiz master 594 00:38:04,315 --> 00:38:07,675 Speaker 1: as well. Although I will make no comparison between Joe 595 00:38:07,715 --> 00:38:11,795 Speaker 1: Halderman and Laurence Sanchez. Lauren was very pleasant and there 596 00:38:11,915 --> 00:38:16,715 Speaker 1: is a lesson in that for you. It's not just nostalgia. 597 00:38:16,995 --> 00:38:19,315 Speaker 1: It's not a brush with greatness to use a letterman 598 00:38:19,355 --> 00:38:22,595 Speaker 1: asked term. Wherever you are in life or in your career, 599 00:38:23,035 --> 00:38:25,635 Speaker 1: you may have yet to meet them, or you may 600 00:38:25,675 --> 00:38:29,395 Speaker 1: have already met them. But this I know to be true. 601 00:38:30,395 --> 00:38:35,355 Speaker 1: You have your own Lauren Sanchez and your own Joe 602 00:38:35,395 --> 00:38:41,515 Speaker 1: Halderman already or already in the past. And whatever your 603 00:38:41,515 --> 00:38:44,315 Speaker 1: first impressions about them were, or are or will be, 604 00:38:45,195 --> 00:38:50,235 Speaker 1: you're damned right they are. And also keep in mind 605 00:38:50,595 --> 00:38:53,995 Speaker 1: that thought I mentioned that I had about Bezos and 606 00:38:54,115 --> 00:38:58,715 Speaker 1: the blackmail. Do you really think he could have been 607 00:38:58,795 --> 00:39:03,155 Speaker 1: the first one they tried to blackmail into supporting Trump, 608 00:39:03,955 --> 00:39:08,155 Speaker 1: and the first one turned them down and went public. 609 00:39:21,755 --> 00:39:23,595 Speaker 1: I've done all the damage I can do here. Thank 610 00:39:23,635 --> 00:39:25,955 Speaker 1: you for listening. If you're doing following, we're subscribing to 611 00:39:26,035 --> 00:39:29,355 Speaker 1: this podcast, please do so. Here are the credits. Most 612 00:39:29,355 --> 00:39:32,715 Speaker 1: of the music, including our theme from Beethoven's Ninth, was arranged, produced, 613 00:39:32,715 --> 00:39:36,275 Speaker 1: and performed by Brian Ray and John Philip Channel There 614 00:39:36,315 --> 00:39:39,835 Speaker 1: the Countdown musical directors. All the orchestration and keyboards by 615 00:39:39,875 --> 00:39:43,195 Speaker 1: John Philip Shanelle, guitars based and drums by Brian Ray, 616 00:39:43,355 --> 00:39:46,635 Speaker 1: produced by t k O Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have 617 00:39:46,675 --> 00:39:49,475 Speaker 1: been arranged and performed by the group No Horns Allowed. 618 00:39:49,995 --> 00:39:53,195 Speaker 1: Our sports music is the Olberman theme from ESPN two. 619 00:39:53,475 --> 00:39:56,635 Speaker 1: It was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 620 00:39:56,995 --> 00:40:00,675 Speaker 1: Musical comments by Nancy Faust. The best baseball stadium organist ever. 621 00:40:01,035 --> 00:40:03,915 Speaker 1: Our announcer today was Stevie Band's Aunt. Everything else is 622 00:40:03,915 --> 00:40:06,515 Speaker 1: pretty much my halt. So let's countdown for this at 623 00:40:06,555 --> 00:40:10,715 Speaker 1: seven four day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against 624 00:40:10,755 --> 00:40:14,235 Speaker 1: the democratically elected government of the United States. The criminal 625 00:40:14,275 --> 00:40:18,035 Speaker 1: referrals are in arrest him now while we still can 626 00:40:18,755 --> 00:40:21,635 Speaker 1: work Countdown tomorrow. Till then, I'm Keith Alderman. Good morning, 627 00:40:21,635 --> 00:40:30,835 Speaker 1: good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with Keith old 628 00:40:30,835 --> 00:40:33,955 Speaker 1: Reman is a production of I heart Radio. For more 629 00:40:34,035 --> 00:40:37,395 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 630 00:40:37,475 --> 00:40:40,875 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.