1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Bloomberg Law Podcast. I'm June Grosso. Every 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: day we bring you insight and analysis into the most 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,399 Speaker 1: important legal news of the day. You can find more 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: episodes of the Bloomberg Law Podcast on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 1: and on Bloomberg dot com slash podcasts. Today's congressional testimony 6 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: of Peter Struck, the FBI agent who exchanged anti Trump 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: text with a bureau lawyer, promised to be contentious, and 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: it lived up to its promise, breaking down in partisan 9 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: bickering among the committee members from the very first question. 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: In an impassioned answer, Struck said his personal political beliefs 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: played no role in the investigation. I can't assure you, 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: Mr Chairman, at no time in any of these texts 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: did those personal beliefs ever enter into the realm of 14 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: any action I took. Furthermore, this isn't just me sitting 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: here telling you you don't have to take my word 16 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: for it and restep at every investigative decision. There are 17 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: multiple layers of people above me joining me now. Is 18 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: William Banks, professor at Syracuse University Law School. Bill Republicans 19 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: have been using these personal texts for their argument that 20 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: Mueller's investigation is biased for some time. Is there any 21 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: hope that this hearing won't turn into a partisan match 22 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: as it started out? I don't think so. June had 23 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 1: more fireworks this morning, and there we're on the mall 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 1: on the fourth of July. From the accounts that I read, 25 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: it's lining up that way. We already know as much 26 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: as we need to know about his behavior during the investigation. 27 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: We all recalled just a few weeks ago the in 28 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: the Inspector General report thoroughly reviewed uh the involvement of 29 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 1: Stroking and his UH then girlfriend page and the inappropriate text, 30 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: and he it in no uncertain terms that while the 31 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: behavior was improper and unprofessional, that there's no evidence that 32 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: it had any impact on the impartiality of the investigation. 33 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: So what's the point of this testimony. He already testified 34 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: in private, right, so you know? The Independent Council investigation 35 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: and the more investigation are separate, of course, from Congressional investigations. 36 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: They are conducted in the executive branch. Congress likes to 37 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: remind the American people and others in government that it 38 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: has at least as much authority to investigate the going 39 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: on in government as does the other political branch, and 40 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: that's what they're doing. Unfortunately, in this case, I believe 41 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: that it's been done to make partisan points and not 42 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: for any fruitful purpose. Did you hear anything that you 43 00:02:56,120 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: hadn't heard before about those texts? No, not sing at all. 44 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: In fact, you know there was. The investigation in the 45 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 1: Inspector General, of course, was lengthier, more deliberative, and indeed 46 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: the report was more thorough about the nature of the 47 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 1: texts and the context in which they were written than 48 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: anything that's going to come out in the hearing today. 49 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: What the Republicans wanted to demonstrate, I think at the 50 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 1: very beginning was that he Struck was much more heavily 51 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: involved in the Mueller investigation than uh then had been 52 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: led we have been led to believe before he asked 53 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: how many individuals he interviewed in the first eight days, 54 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: and things like that that get into the weeds of 55 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: an ongoing investigation, that he Struck the witness properly refused 56 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: to answer. A couple of things struck me as a lawyer, 57 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: and one was when Struck said that the FBI Council, 58 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: as you mentioned, instructed him not to answer questions about 59 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: the continuing investigation of Russian meddling, and then Republican Robert Goodlad, 60 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: who was an attorney and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, 61 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: said Struck couldn't consult with the FBI's attorney and could 62 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 1: only consult with his personal attorney. It seemed to be 63 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: the FBI's privilege. He was asserting, are there any grounds 64 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: for saying you know which attorney you can consult with? Well? 65 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: There was, you know. Underlying that that debate, which is 66 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 1: a fair one, is the question of whether he was 67 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: there under subpoena or voluntarily. He says, uh that he 68 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: was there voluntarily. He'd agreed to appear before he ever 69 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: received a subpoena. So if he's there voluntarily, I suppose 70 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 1: there's there's more reason to argue that he should be 71 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: consulting only with his own a lawyer other than rather 72 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,239 Speaker 1: than with the FBI. If he's responding subpoena, of course, 73 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: it's part of his job to ask for advice from 74 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: his employer about what he can say and what he 75 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: can So then that would cut against what good Lad said, 76 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: because good landing that he was there nder subpoena. Yes, 77 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: it seems to be an easy thing to figure out 78 00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: whether he was there under whether subpoena was served or not. Um. 79 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: Something he did say that that also struck me was 80 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:15,479 Speaker 1: he said he was one of a handful of people 81 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: who knew details of the Russian election interference and it's 82 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: possible connection to Trump camp and to the campaign. He 83 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: said this information had the potential to derail and quite 84 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 1: possibly defeat Mr Trump, but he didn't. He didn't even 85 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: cross his mind to expose that. Do we know what 86 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: he's referring to their No, we don't for sure, although 87 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: given the timing, we can surmise that he was aware 88 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: of the electronic surveillance that may have been carried on 89 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,480 Speaker 1: in June and July of those who were involved in 90 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 1: in the Trump campaign because of their involvement themselves with 91 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: with with foreign entities Russia and the Ukraine. We know 92 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: more about the nature of those now than we did that. 93 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: Where does this leave the Muller investigation? Will this have 94 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: any more effect on the Republicans ratcheting up of the 95 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,799 Speaker 1: attempts to derail the Muller investigation? Will this give credence 96 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: to either side? I don't think so. You know, it's 97 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: been relatively quiet lately, and and here we are in July, 98 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: and soon the Congress is going to take their summer recess, 99 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: and I think this will quiet down and Mueller will 100 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: will continue on. We might think that he's getting close 101 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: to the end of his investigation, but we don't know 102 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: that for sure. But I doubt there'll be more fireworks 103 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: unless something happens, say around the Labor day period when 104 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: they when they come back from recess. I like to 105 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: to change gears just a little bit and talk about 106 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer. He's been He's been doing 107 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 1: things that sort of don't fit in with the way 108 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: he has behaved up until this point, one being that 109 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: he talked with ABC. And is this an outreach to 110 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: the prosecutor's office saying that, you know, basically indicating that 111 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: he wants to turn or do you really need to 112 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: do outreach to the prosecutor's office? You don't. I mean, 113 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: it's hard to read Cohen, and there have been so many, uh, 114 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 1: permutations and changes in the narrative along the way. But indeed, 115 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: you know, the longer this goes on, in the morning, 116 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: thanks pile up against him. He may be looking for 117 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: ways out and ways to make a deal and talking 118 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: to the media. Is there's one way to hasten that process, 119 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: I suppose, but you know it's uh, it's hard to tell. 120 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: In his case, again, it may just have been a 121 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: slow day at ABC. Well, Um, what what sort of 122 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: puzzles me is what I mean, we assume that his 123 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: attorneys are that at least his attorneys who are representing 124 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: him criminally, they are talking with the prosecutors about the case. 125 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: So it's just it's so people are saying, well, is 126 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 1: there going to be a deal, And maybe this is 127 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: outreach for a deal. I mean, isn't that something that 128 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 1: you discuss with the prosecutors. Yes, it is and and 129 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: and I assume that is going on. And why you know, 130 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: Cohen may just needed to get some attention on that 131 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 1: particular day. Uh. You know, how much of the allegations 132 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: against Colin are amenable to deal making is hard to 133 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: know at this point, but certainly they're talking about some 134 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: of the issues. And another odd thing is he has 135 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: hired Lanny Davis, who is known he wrote a book 136 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: about how the election was stolen from Hillary Clinton by 137 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: the revelations of FBI Director uh Comy, and now he's 138 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: representing Michael Cohen at what you know, just just for 139 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: a second think about it. Tell us what you're thoughts 140 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: are about why, well, uh, success rate? I think you know, 141 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 1: there are a few high profile lawyers and these politically 142 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: connected cases who have done especially well. I think Davis 143 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: is a very good reputation, and so I think which 144 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: side of the partisan line Cohen is on matters very 145 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: well when it's his own skin. And the other thing 146 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: is Lennie Davis is has connections to the Clintons. He does. 147 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: It's ironic to be sure, But again, you know, he 148 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: closed the Clinton file. Now he's opening a Colon file, 149 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: and he's got other files. And that's that's what lawyers 150 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: in this business do. Yes, Well, it's it's it gets 151 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: getting more and more complicated, and it seems like there's 152 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: a lot of overlap recently. Well thanks Bill. As always, 153 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: that's William Banks. He's a professor at Syracuse University Law School. 154 00:09:57,640 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: Democrats are a value to throw roadblocks in the way 155 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: of a confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. One 156 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: of the groups mounting the fight is Demand Justice, joining 157 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: me as Christopher Kang, Chief Council of Demand Justice and 158 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: former Deputy Council to President Barack Obama Chris Only conservatives 159 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 1: will be nominated by President Trump. So why fight Kavanaugh 160 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: when you could end up with someone even more conservative 161 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: next time? Well, I'm not sure that we could end 162 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: up with somebody even more conservative next time, given Brett 163 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: Kavanaugh's demonstrated record. And so we're going to fight this 164 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: nomination because Brett Kavanaugh's record demonstrates that he is anti healthcare, 165 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: he's anti abortion, and he thinks Trump is above the law. 166 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: And these are the values and the principles that we 167 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: need to stand up and fight for, regardless of what 168 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: theoretically might happen down the line. So from the y 169 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: to the how Republicans have the votes? Justice Neil Gorsich 170 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: was confirmed by a vote of fifty ft. How can 171 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 1: you beat that Republicans do not have the votes? Republicans 172 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: currently have a majority of Senators. But when this nomination 173 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: and unfolds, when Judge Kavanaugh's full record comes out, when 174 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 1: the one million documents that are sitting in the Bush 175 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: Presidential Library come out from his time there and reveal 176 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: even more about his thinking and his analysis when it 177 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,680 Speaker 1: comes to these critical legal issues, I think you'll see 178 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: the tide change. They are currently a majority of Senators 179 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: who believe that healthcare for people with pre existing conditions 180 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,959 Speaker 1: should be maintained and not as the Trump administration is 181 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: trying to do taken away in the courts. And there 182 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 1: are majority of people who believe that Roe versus Way 183 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: it should not be overturned. These are critical issues that 184 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,080 Speaker 1: I think we can change the tide on, and when 185 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 1: the time comes for a vote, Judge Kavanaugh can and 186 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: should be defeated. Let's skip over the Republican votes for 187 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: a moment and talk about the three red state Democrats 188 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: who voted for Gorsage. Joe Mansion of West Virginia has 189 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,439 Speaker 1: said that Kavanaugh has all the right qualities and high 190 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 1: moral standards. Can you keep him and the other Democrats 191 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: from voting for Kavanaugh to protect themselves at the ballot box? 192 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: If you just look at Judge Kavanaugh his record resume, 193 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,679 Speaker 1: there's no question that he has the qualifications. But qualifications 194 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: are more than what school you went to and where 195 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: you worked as your last job. When Senator Manson and 196 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 1: other senators look at his record, they look at President 197 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: Trump's litmus test when it came to overturning the Affordable 198 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 1: Care Act and its critical healthcare protections. I think he's 199 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: not going to have a very hard time politically going 200 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: back and saying I am continuing to stand up for 201 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 1: all of the West Virginians who have pre existing who 202 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: have pre existing conditions and are receiving healthcare, and that 203 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: would be taken away if Judge Kavanaugh were confirmed. We're 204 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: hearing the same things from the two Republican female senators, 205 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,959 Speaker 1: Susan Collins and Lisa Rakowski that we heard when came 206 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: up for a nomination. They wanted to make sure he'll 207 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 1: follow precedent and not overturn Roe v. Wade. But Gorsuch, 208 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,839 Speaker 1: his votes show that whatever nominee says, he's been vetted 209 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: by the federal society and will follow his past. I 210 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,719 Speaker 1: completely agree with you, and I think that that will 211 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: be true of Judge Kavanaugh as well. And Judge Kavanaugh's 212 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: record goes even further than that. Just last year, he 213 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: delivered a speech in which he praised Justice rank with 214 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 1: dissent in row. I think we know where he's headed 215 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: and what his views are with respect to precedent and 216 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: with respect to Roll versus Wade and I think that 217 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: when Senator Collins and Senator Makowski and other senators have 218 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: a chance to question him and examine that record, they're 219 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: going to understand that if he is confirmed, Roll versus 220 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: Wade will in fact be overturned. So what is your 221 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,680 Speaker 1: group going to do? Concretely? Where are you going to 222 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: be spending your money? How much of it? What's the plan? 223 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: We already have ads up in Maine and Alaska, will 224 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:41,960 Speaker 1: have other ads up going as soon as the end 225 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: of the week talking about these issues, talking about healthcare, 226 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,400 Speaker 1: talking about protecting healthcare for people with pre existing conditions, 227 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: talking about the fact that Roll versus Wade is on 228 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 1: the brink of being overturned, and encouraging people to contact 229 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,760 Speaker 1: their senators and make their voices known. We are. We've 230 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: announced that our overall budget for ads will be five 231 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: million dollars, and I think you'll see that spread out 232 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,880 Speaker 1: from now until the time that this vote is taken. 233 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: How does your budget compare to the budgets of the 234 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: conservative groups that have made this You know, for years 235 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 1: and years have been fighting to have a more conservative court. Well, 236 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: we'll never match the conservative groups dollar for dollar. But 237 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: I also don't think we need to when the American people, 238 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: by a majority of two, by a margin of two 239 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: to one, believe that ro versus wage should not be overturned, 240 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: and by a majority of two to one do not 241 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: believe the President Trump should be taking away health care 242 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: for people with pre existing conditions. We're gonna see a 243 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,600 Speaker 1: lot of grassroots energy and activism come out, and I 244 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: think that people's voices, their telephone calls, they're marching in 245 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: the streets. I think that's going to overwhelm any money disadvantage. 246 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: We might have about a minute left here. You helped 247 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: oversee the confirmations of Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonya 248 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: Soto mayor are you gonna be taking part in the 249 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: prep of Democratic senators for these hearings or how are 250 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 1: you going to be taking part in that? I mean, 251 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: I think we leave it to the Democratic senators and 252 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: their staff and the legal experts that they can sult 253 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: to figure out exactly what lines of questioning and issues 254 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: that they might be interested in. But I will say 255 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: one of the things that I'm helping to lift up, 256 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 1: based on my experience with Atlanta Kagan's nomination, is again 257 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: these documents at the White House the Clinton administration. The 258 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: Clinton Library turned over a hundred and seventy thousand pages 259 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: of documents from Atlanta Kagan's confirmation process of what the 260 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: Senate asked for on a bipartisan basis. There are more 261 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,160 Speaker 1: than a million documents out there in the Bush Library 262 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: for Judge Kavanaugh, and I'm helping China light on that 263 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: to make sure that the entire Senate gets the documents 264 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: it needs in order to make a decision. Thanks Chris, 265 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: I'll note that you change your Twitter name to Chris 266 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: hashtag stop Kavanaugh Kang. That's Christopher Kangy's Chief Council of 267 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: Demand Justice and former Deputy Council to President Obama. Thanks 268 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: for listening to the Bloomberg Law Podcast. You can subscribe 269 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 1: and listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and 270 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg dot com slash podcast. I am June Brolso 271 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: this is Bloomberg m HM.