WEBVTT - Robert Mintz on Comey Firing Fallout (Audio) (Correct)

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<v Speaker 1>Is President Trump under investigation by Special counsel Robert Mueller?

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<v Speaker 1>The President and his lawyer seemed to have different opinions

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<v Speaker 1>on that. Yesterday, Trump's lawyer j Suckalo took to the

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<v Speaker 1>Sunday talk shows to proclaim that Trump is not under

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<v Speaker 1>investigation for obstruction. This was to counter Trump's own tweet

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<v Speaker 1>Friday that quote, I am being investigated for firing the

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<v Speaker 1>FBI director by the man who told me to fire

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<v Speaker 1>the FBI director, which hunt joining me as former federal

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<v Speaker 1>prosecutor Robert Mintz. He's the head of the white collar

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<v Speaker 1>and government investigations practice at McCarter In English. Bob Suckle

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<v Speaker 1>put forth several theories, one being that Trump has not

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<v Speaker 1>been notified by the Special Council that he's a target.

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<v Speaker 1>Would the Special Council have to notify him at the

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<v Speaker 1>stage of the investigation. Uh, It's unlikely that the UH

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<v Speaker 1>Special Council would at this point be notifying anybody, frankly,

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<v Speaker 1>that there are a target of the investigation. My suspicion

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<v Speaker 1>is that they are in the act gathering mode at

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<v Speaker 1>this point, trying to figure out exactly what happened, and

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<v Speaker 1>as consequence, they're focused really on facts and conduct rather

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<v Speaker 1>than individuals. So the reality is, as much as it

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<v Speaker 1>is tempting for pundits and for the media to prod

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<v Speaker 1>to predict where this investigation is headed and who is

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<v Speaker 1>exactly under investigation, the reality is that only those people

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<v Speaker 1>that are conducting the investigation know what they are looking at,

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<v Speaker 1>and it is probably too early at this point for

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<v Speaker 1>even them to predict where this might be headed. So

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<v Speaker 1>they're taking a broad view at this point. Wouldn't a

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<v Speaker 1>broad view naturally include what Trump did? Did TA come

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<v Speaker 1>me firing him? If he said he fired him because

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<v Speaker 1>of the Russian investigation? Absolutely, I think all of that

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<v Speaker 1>is within the scope of what the Special Council is investigating.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh So, I agree. I think they're probably casting a BroadNet.

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<v Speaker 1>They're going to speak with uh many individuals. We've learned

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<v Speaker 1>that certain high ranking intelligence officials may be coming in

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<v Speaker 1>to speak with a Special Counsel. Uh So they will

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<v Speaker 1>be moving, I think, very quickly to try to to

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<v Speaker 1>bring this to a conclusion. But at this point it's

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<v Speaker 1>hard to say where it's headed. And as I mentioned

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<v Speaker 1>a minute ago, I think even the Special Counsel cannot

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<v Speaker 1>answer that question at this point. They're really gathering facts.

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<v Speaker 1>They're going to see where the evidence leads them and

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<v Speaker 1>then draw their own conclusions at the end of that process. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>when Muller was first appointed, he had on both sides

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<v Speaker 1>of the aisle, everyone just said wonderful things, He had

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<v Speaker 1>perfect credentials and that he was the best person to

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<v Speaker 1>do this. Now we see that there are some allegations

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<v Speaker 1>by the Trump associates that he may be biased because

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<v Speaker 1>of the people that he's hiring. And Adam Schiff of California,

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<v Speaker 1>who's the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said

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<v Speaker 1>that Trump and his associates are trying to take down

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<v Speaker 1>Mueller before he finishes his investigation. Uh, engaging in a

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<v Speaker 1>scorched earth litigation strategy that's beginning with trying to discredit

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<v Speaker 1>the prosecutor. Is that is that something that could happen? Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I think that it's safe to say that Robert Mueller,

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<v Speaker 1>who is a special counsel, does come to this investigation

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<v Speaker 1>with broad bipartisan support, with an impeccable reputation, and with

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<v Speaker 1>a broad range of experience as both the prosecutor and

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<v Speaker 1>as a former director of the FBI. He's going to

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<v Speaker 1>be viewing this investigation through the lens of a prosecutor

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<v Speaker 1>and an investigator, not through the lens of politics. Most

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<v Speaker 1>of what we hear going on right now are really

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<v Speaker 1>people who are talking about what the impact of this

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<v Speaker 1>investigation could ultimately have on the president and on the

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<v Speaker 1>politics of the of this country. He is not going

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<v Speaker 1>to be viewing the investigation in that way, so I

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<v Speaker 1>don't think he's going to be paying much attention to

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<v Speaker 1>either the right or the left as they talk about

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<v Speaker 1>what he's gonna do. He's going to conduct his investigation

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<v Speaker 1>the way he feels is appropriate, and we'll just have

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<v Speaker 1>to wait and see what he finds. And when he

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<v Speaker 1>does find something, will he suggest charges, will he then

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<v Speaker 1>just give his report in on what kind of role

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<v Speaker 1>does he have at that point? Well, it's unclear exactly

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<v Speaker 1>how this will go forward, but I suspect that he

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<v Speaker 1>will conclude his investigation and then he will report to

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<v Speaker 1>the individual within the Department of Justice that is supervising

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<v Speaker 1>him at this point, that is the Deputy Attorney General,

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<v Speaker 1>Rod Rosenstein, and it will be up to that individual

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<v Speaker 1>to decide what to do with that information. And speaking

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<v Speaker 1>of speaking of Rod rosen Stein, um, it seems as

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<v Speaker 1>if there's a lot of pressure on him right now,

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<v Speaker 1>but not only that, there's a suggestion that he'll have

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<v Speaker 1>to recuse himself if he and we have about thirty seconds,

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<v Speaker 1>if he does have to testify too or talk to

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<v Speaker 1>Malla about that about what happened with the firing of Comey,

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<v Speaker 1>would that necessarily mean that he would have to recuse himself.

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<v Speaker 1>The short answer is it depends. It's possible for him

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<v Speaker 1>to remain in the supervisory capacity because it's a very

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<v Speaker 1>loosely structure. He really has given great independence to the

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<v Speaker 1>Special Council, but there is a possibility, depending on how

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<v Speaker 1>this progresses, that he might have to step aside, and

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<v Speaker 1>then the next person in lying, Rachel Brand within the

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<v Speaker 1>Department Justice, would then be the one supervising the investigation.

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<v Speaker 1>I remember when everyone said that once a special Counsel

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<v Speaker 1>was appointed, everything would be clear and everything would move forward,

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<v Speaker 1>and it seems like it gets more complicated day by day.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you, Bob for helping us sort through some of it.

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<v Speaker 1>That's from a federal prosecutor. Robert Mint's a partner at

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<v Speaker 1>Macartter in English