1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin, and you're listening to Hear's the thing. 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: What follows may make for difficult listening. New York Attorney 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: General Eric Schneiderman sat down with me last Thursday, days 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: before news broke in the New Yorker magazine that four 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: women have accused him of physical violence. Schneiderman came to 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: his high office thanks to the left women's groups in particular, 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: and in our talk you'll hear him return multiple times 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: to his record in support of women's rights. Looking back 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: on our preparations with his office, there were signs maybe 10 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:44,959 Speaker 1: something was amiss. His communications director requested surprisingly to us 11 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 1: that we not mention the Harvey Weinstein case or hashtag 12 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: me to, or the Attorney General's past relationships. It is 13 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: a complicated thing listening to a man I respect and 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 1: who has in fact done much to support progressive causes 15 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: over his twenty five years in public service. But we 16 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: thought it was important to post this now so the 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: public has access to what turns out to be Eric 18 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: Schneiderman's last long form interview as Attorney General. I want 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: to just read from among the top elements in your bio, 20 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: we roll marveling on the production staff here. The only 21 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: child grew up in the Upper West Side, father was 22 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 1: born in tenements. Became big shot corporate defense lawyer, chairman 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: of City Opera. You graduated from Trinity and seventy three 24 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: and Amerston seventy seven. Studied abroad in Hong Kong, double 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: major in English and Asian studies. Eventually you graduated from 26 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,559 Speaker 1: Harvard Law School in eighty two. When it is here 27 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: that you were the deputy sheriff of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from 28 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy seven nineteen seventy nine, is that a fact? 29 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: It is? I was a deputy sheriff in Berkshire County. 30 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: I dropped in and out of school a lot. When 31 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: I was seventeen, I graduated from high school and it 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: was a year before Roe V. Wade. Instead of going 33 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: to college, I went I got a job in an 34 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,079 Speaker 1: abortion clinic in Washington, d C. Abortion was legal in DC, 35 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: illegal in the whole Southeast United States. No one thought 36 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: role was coming, and so at seventeen I was going 37 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: out to National Airport meeting women flying in from states 38 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: where they couldn't. What do you think motivated you to 39 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: do that at that age? Why you know, I mean 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: I was seventeen. It wasn't really that carefully thought through. 41 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: I you know, I had some sort of office job initially, 42 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: and it was really boring. And what did your parents say, 43 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: you're their only child. I was just gone. I mean 44 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: I left Toma, never went back, and I just had adventures. 45 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: There were people setting up clinics because they believed Washington 46 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: would be the only outpost for decades, that women would 47 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: have to come there from Georgia and South Carolina and Tennessee, 48 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: um because no one thought role was coming, so people 49 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: were setting up clinics. I thought it sounded really interesting 50 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 1: and the people who were doing it were really amazing people, 51 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: and so, you know, I just had never really occurred 52 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 1: to me that it was as controversial as I later 53 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: learned it was. And it had a big impact on me. 54 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: I mean, it was seeing women essentially fleeing oppression in 55 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: their states, coming in secret, arguing with the doctors that 56 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: had to go home before this medical staff thought they 57 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: were ready because they snuck out on their families, their 58 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: employers a lot of the times, their husbands they don't 59 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: want them to find out. So it's just an amazing 60 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: But when you when you add that, it only puts 61 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: a finer point on what I'm saying, which is you 62 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: have a very eclectic path to running for your first office. 63 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: You you, you when you, when you, when you go, 64 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: you study abroad in Hong Kong. This was under Amherst. 65 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: I took a year outside of Hong Kong while I 66 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: was in college, so abortion clinic, gopher semester, drop out again, 67 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: go back for a semester. Meet Bob Thurman, who was 68 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: my Tibetan Buddhism professor, and he inspired me to study Chinese. 69 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: This gravitation towards Asian studies was that something in your 70 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: home or not really, I mean I just was there 71 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 1: like a leaf in the wind here it was now 72 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: was it was a time of big ideas. I mean, 73 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: this is the era of the Ana Vietnam War movement, 74 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: the civil rights movement. I was in demonstrations when I 75 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: was fourteen, fifteen years old then in Washington, and there 76 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: was just a sense of tremendous possibility. It's a time 77 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: it's hard to explain to people now and what I 78 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: feel from the young people rising up today, this is 79 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 1: the first time I felt that level of energy since then, 80 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: that this is this reminds me of the late sixties 81 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: and early seventies what we're seeing now. And look, it 82 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 1: was also a time of you know, rebellion. We were 83 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: all we grew our hairs along. We were you know, 84 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: we were not really that interested in what our parents thought. 85 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:47,599 Speaker 1: We thought they were squares and we were going to 86 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: change the world. Your first job in law enforcement is 87 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: as a deputy sheriff in Pittsfield. This is many years 88 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: before you become the Attorney General of the many years 89 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: and what was that experience life was it? Was it 90 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 1: kind of lighthearted and not that serious or was being 91 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: a sheriff in Pittsfield that have some It was dangers, 92 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: not much. I mean it was really you know, most 93 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: of the folks in the jail were low level offenders, 94 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: it was, but it was a huge lesson for me 95 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: in you know, how the people at the bottom of 96 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: the system function because these were mostly poor, uneducated people 97 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: who were in and out of the system. So yeah, 98 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: and rural poor because back then there was we had 99 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: moonshine runners in the jail from South South Berkshire County 100 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: And was one guy who had been born in jail 101 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: when his mother was doing time, and he and his 102 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: brother were there, and so it was really it was 103 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,400 Speaker 1: a great lesson for me to see how the system 104 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 1: operates for the poor and the uneducated. And before going 105 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: to a place like Harvard Law School, I think it's 106 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,039 Speaker 1: good to have a little dose to that. You know, 107 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: your father, it was a big lawyer, corporate lawyer, and 108 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: he defended a lot of corporations, whether they do good 109 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: or bad, to influence the you have now. Yeah, But 110 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: then you know, time went on and I got older 111 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: and got you know, I got more appreciation for the 112 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: older generation and what they had done. And he had 113 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: the sense to step out of the shark lawyer scene 114 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: with still a lot of years to live. And the 115 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,360 Speaker 1: last twenty years of his life are really the best 116 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: because he just did the public interests work he wanted 117 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 1: w n y c. And was on the board of 118 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,360 Speaker 1: Nayral Opera. And so for him to have, having grown 119 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: up the way he did, to live to see his 120 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: son become the Attorney General in New York State, it 121 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: was quite a leap in life. So when you ran 122 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: for the state Senate, uh, that was your first race. 123 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: And I remember you reading or you had described me 124 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: when I first ran into you back in those days, um, 125 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: and you were in office, that it was it was 126 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: a strangely Jerrymander district. Correct, Well, it got stranger after 127 00:06:54,920 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: I was elected after one term in the Senate. Uh. 128 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: I think I was regarded as such a pain in 129 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: the neck that the leaders of the Senate redrew me 130 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: into a sixty per Latino district anchored in Washington Heights, 131 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: knowing that I had studied Chinese and college not Spanish. 132 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: So I've learned how to speak Spanish and had just 133 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: a tremendously rich experience with the do you do good 134 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: at Bloomber Bloomberg Spanish? I don't have. I don't have. 135 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,280 Speaker 1: He Spanish is not bad. His accent is challenging, but 136 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: Mike does be pretty good Spanish. Um. But you know, 137 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: I learned Dominican Spanish, and I bonded with a lot 138 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 1: of the people in that community. Started going to the 139 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: Dominican Republic. Had all sorts of interesting collateral consequences. I 140 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: discovered this lost Jewish community and found the archives of it. 141 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: We're sitting in some storeroom down in the northern part 142 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: of the Dominican Republic. Because and I learned this history 143 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,360 Speaker 1: that I had never known that. In seven um at 144 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,679 Speaker 1: the Big Avian Conference when they were talking about Jews 145 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: trying to get out of Europe, the one country that 146 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: said we'll take all of the ones, all the Jews 147 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: can get here was the Dominican Republican. That was a 148 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: history that really had been lost. So we raised the 149 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: money to bring send the archives from the Museum of 150 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 1: Jewish Heritage down there and had a great exhibition. And 151 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: then someone wrote a musical Cults Suo, which is the 152 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: name of the community, with half Jewish kids and half 153 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: Dominican kids performing. So a lot of great experiences in 154 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: my due district and with that community to this day. 155 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: You know, I consider myself at Dominicano Autotivo. You know, 156 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: you're a New Yorker who lived several different places during 157 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: the course of your college years, but you're a New 158 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,880 Speaker 1: Yorker born and bred, and I'm wondering what it was 159 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: like for you to go when you arrived at Albany 160 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: to go to work. Well, I had, I had. After 161 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:43,880 Speaker 1: I got out of law school, I I clerked, and 162 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: then I went into private practice and was an associate 163 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: and a partner in and a big law firm. So 164 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:53,319 Speaker 1: I had, you know, I went up there with that experience, 165 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 1: and Albany was not a place that ran by any 166 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: normal rules of business, and it was always rated by 167 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: the Brennan Center and other uh, others who studied it 168 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: in good government groups. Uh, you know, terrible in terms 169 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: of transparency, terrible letters of democracy. Really, it was a 170 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: fundament issure. It was a fundamentally anti democratic place when 171 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 1: I first got there. It has, it has improved quite 172 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: a bit, but it's still got a long way to 173 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: go in my my view. But it was what holds 174 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 1: it back from really growing in the right direction. I 175 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: think that, you know, I think that there has been 176 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: a a long term attachment to the status quo. People 177 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: resist change, and I think this year's election presents an 178 00:09:34,360 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: opportunity for some really fundamental change. We've already had the 179 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: whole series of senior senators, State senators announcing they're going 180 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: to retire. I think you're going to see new leadership 181 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: there in a lot of quite a few new people elected, 182 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: and I think that's going to provide the impetus for change. 183 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: When I got there, it was remarkable because the leaders 184 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: controlled everything. I mean, it was really this the majority 185 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: leader of the State Senate. UH controlled whether you had 186 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: a big suite of offices in the top floor of 187 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: the legislative office building or you were in a basement. 188 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: And what they controlled at dictatorial control over what bills 189 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 1: come to the floor. So groups would come up and say, 190 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: will you support this bill, will you know, check the 191 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: boxes on our checklist for environmental concerns or healthcare concerns 192 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: or gun control. And it didn't really make that. I 193 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: realized after a while, didn't make any difference. I was 194 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 1: debating bills, trying to change people's minds, and then I 195 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: realized after a few months, no bill ever comes to 196 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 1: the floor and loses it was all It was all 197 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,000 Speaker 1: staged in the back room. Yeah, it felt like, you know, 198 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,080 Speaker 1: I was in one of those phony governments in the 199 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: Eastern European Block where you pretend you're the parliament, but 200 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: the polit bureau is making the decisions behind the scenes. 201 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 1: That's what all many was like when I got there. 202 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: The State Senate term is how long is it four years? 203 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: Two years? The State Senate term is two years, and 204 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: the Assembly term as two years too. I thought it 205 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: was too sorry, I thought it was two and four, 206 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: uh not two and six like the federal So it's 207 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 1: a two year term for the and you served how 208 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: many terms? I was there from night and then I 209 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: ran we got elected ninety so from uh my last term, 210 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: and then I ran for a G. You were you were? 211 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: You were in the state Senate when you're refrag what's 212 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: the political chess board looked like them? When you're going 213 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: to run for a G? Who was a G and 214 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 1: was leaving? And why Cuomo was the a G? And 215 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: he was leaving because of the bizarre circumstances of Elliot 216 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 1: Spitzer becoming governor with overwhelming popularity and not lasting very long, 217 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: and then David Patterson lasting a little bit longer. But 218 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: I had certainly not expected the Attorney General's office to 219 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 1: be open in but it opened up, and uh, well, 220 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: what did you say to yourself? Well, I had I 221 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: had a seat in the Senate. The Democrats were in 222 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: the majority of that term and would end being in 223 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: the Senate, and the majority is a nice secure gig. 224 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: But I at that point I really had. You know, 225 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: I've been through everything in the Senate. I'd run the 226 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: Senate Campaign Committee. I've been the floor leader for the Democrats, 227 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: which was fun. Because we never got the bills till 228 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: like an hour before session, so it was like doing improv. 229 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: Was just you know, debating bills with while I was 230 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: learning about the laws. More so than any other bodies, 231 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: legislative bodies are very much about seniority and about people 232 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: developing relationships. A system. It's a system. It is a 233 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 1: system and a lot and people get Uh. Most people 234 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: want to fit in in the environment where you know 235 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: they are at work. And people wanted to fit in, 236 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: and you got a lot of I gotta When I was, 237 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: I said, come from you know, the private sector, and 238 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,319 Speaker 1: I it was less patient with the old ways than 239 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people. A lot of folks said, no, 240 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: you gotta try and get along. You gotta gotta get 241 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: along and settled down and that kind of thing. And 242 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,880 Speaker 1: it just wasn't me. So uh, I was ready to 243 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: try something different and it was given up a very 244 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: nice safe gig to take a shot at something. And 245 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,200 Speaker 1: they were and my first campaign was in retrospect, a 246 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: terrific campaign. And people, how does that process begin? Meaning 247 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,560 Speaker 1: like who do you call on the phone? Who do 248 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: you contact and say I want to run for a 249 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: g Well, how do you launch that process you contact who. 250 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: There wasn't a very strong sense of the state party 251 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,400 Speaker 1: managing things at that point in history. There were a 252 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: bunch of people who stepped up to run open seat, surprise, 253 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,040 Speaker 1: open seat, and it was it was it was really 254 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: a primary and the primary was a good campaign. We 255 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: had smart lawyers. Uh we had lots of debates. So 256 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: not somebody you call because New York State is so 257 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: insular that way. Now there really there really wasn't as 258 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:26,680 Speaker 1: a boss at that point in time. Well, I would 259 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 1: talk to people, and you know, I had relationships with 260 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: folks who influence you to make that decision. Well, a 261 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: lot of the different progressive groups that I had worked 262 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: with over the years. UM I had been on the 263 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: board of Citizen Action in New York and Citizen Action 264 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: and there that whole network constituency influence. Sure and I 265 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: had and I had strong relationships with folks in the 266 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 1: pro choice movement, LGBT equality movement, and uh I talked 267 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: to people about the potential for the Attorney General's office 268 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: and what I could do. I had done a lot 269 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: of legal work. I had when uh I was back 270 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: in private practice. Sometimes like to say, the money making 271 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: face of my career ended when they made me the 272 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: pro bono partner of the law firm and I started. 273 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: I realized how much more I like public interest work. 274 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: So I've been the lawyer for niperg Straphangers campaign I 275 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 1: had done. Uh, you know, I've been around in this 276 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: sort of network of progressive activists and I had a 277 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 1: basic support there. Yeah, and and I got a lot 278 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: of encouragement and my colleagues and some of my colleagues 279 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: in the Senate stepped up and really were very supportive, 280 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: and that gave me the ability to make connections in 281 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: other parts of the state. So it's uh. The campaign 282 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: was launched and it was wild. But I must say, 283 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: who was your competitor? Uh, well, Kathleen Rice, who's now 284 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: in Congress with the district attorney in Nasa County at 285 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: the time, Richard Brodsky, an assembly member run ran a 286 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: couple of good lawyers in private practice, And compared to 287 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: every other campaign I've been in, it was certainly the 288 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: most stimulating and challenging. The debates were great. People would 289 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: remember say, you know, and the last time we debated, 290 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: you said this about the Securities Fraud Act. And then 291 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: people would continue the conversations. So it was terrific that 292 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: I won. I won the primary, and then the general 293 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: election reverted to more typical American politics, which we didn't 294 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: have much in the way of debates, and the Republican 295 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: Republican opponent and who was the most Dan Donovan now 296 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: congressman sort of attorney general. Did you want to be 297 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 1: compared to your predecessors? Yeah, The New York City Train 298 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 1: General's Office is and has been for years before I 299 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: even got there. You know, one of the most extraordinary 300 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: public law firms in the country, and really going back 301 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: to Louis Leftwitz and Bob Abrams it it really emerged 302 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,840 Speaker 1: as a pre eminent advocate for consumers, for protecting the 303 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: most vulnerable among us, and an impressive tradition up through 304 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: Spitzer and Cuomo and and you know, making law and 305 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: showing leadership. So I took over an office that had 306 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: a good tradition. And but what was someone doing that 307 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 1: you wanted that you didn't think they should be doing it? 308 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: What were they not doing they should be doing? What 309 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: were the sins of oe and comission? How did you 310 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: want to change the office? Well, I mean, I having 311 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: spent more time than my predecessors in private practice. I 312 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: really wanted to use the lessons I had from the 313 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: private sector. I wanted to have the best public law 314 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: firm in the country. I wanted to make sure that 315 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: we had we improved training, that we tore down the 316 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: silos between different bureaus and established a really productive, aggressive, 317 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: but collegial atmosphere. And it's just been an amazing experience 318 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: building it up because you know, this great funny conversation 319 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: with with Andrew, who's going to become governor, and said, well, 320 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna take everybody from here, because you know, 321 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: I Elliott brought all these prosecutors and thought prosecutors could 322 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: run everything. And then he got to Albany and realized 323 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: there was nobody there and a lot of the agency. 324 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: So he came back and took a lot more people. 325 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: And at first that was a problem because we, you know, 326 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: we had to staff up quickly. It's really remarkable in 327 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: the government the United States. You get elected in November, 328 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: then you have six weeks including Thanksgiving and Christmas, to 329 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: hire all these people you've never met, and then you 330 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: entrust your career to them. Former New York Attorney General 331 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 1: Eric Schneiderman. Coming up, we talk about hashtag me too 332 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: and New York state politics. With his resignation, new York 333 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:24,880 Speaker 1: loses a Democratic Party leader. Schneiderman understood before most members 334 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:28,360 Speaker 1: of his party the importance of state politics and its 335 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: relationship to federal politics. This is Alec Baldwin and you're 336 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: listening to Here's the thing now. More from my conversation 337 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:44,400 Speaker 1: last Thursday with former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. 338 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: Do you think that the friction between Cuomo and do 339 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: Blasio is hurting either the state government or particularly the 340 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: city government. I don't know how much it's it's hurting. 341 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: I think that, you know, I try to work with everybody, 342 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: and you know, I think it's more productive to try 343 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: and get along and find common ground, and uh so, 344 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: you know, I encourage I encourage everyone to do that. 345 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,479 Speaker 1: You don't think it's hurt in the city, you know it, 346 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 1: It maybe in some let's put it. Let's put it 347 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: this way. I think it would probably be better for 348 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: everyone to try and work together and find whatever common 349 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 1: ground we can, because quite honestly, we're in a moment 350 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: of history where the biggest challenge we face from the 351 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 1: federal government and so um, you know, it's a good 352 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: time to be putting aside other more parochial issues. And 353 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: there are people banding together remarkably. Uh, some folks who 354 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: might disagree on a lot of things, but understand the 355 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 1: level of threat we're under to our constitutional structure and 356 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 1: the rule of law. And we have I'm very proud 357 00:18:47,040 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: of the work that we've done assembling a coalition to 358 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,359 Speaker 1: really form the core of the legal resistance to bad 359 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: public policies that spew out of Washington. Once the update 360 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 1: on the estate on the writing off your state income taxes, 361 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: what's the update on Well, we've we've they've passed some 362 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: laws in all many to create some workarounds. They will 363 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: be challenged and we'll we'll see where they will be 364 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,400 Speaker 1: will or they'll be challenged by some you know, taxpayer 365 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 1: group or something, and I'll defend defending them in court. Uh. Look, 366 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: that's the The tax bill was a dagger in the 367 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: back of New York State and other states, states and 368 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: other states, and we have to deal with it. Yeah. Look, 369 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: it's it's it's an important thing to understand the context 370 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: we're in. We're in a historical moment where their efforts 371 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: underway to undermine a lot of the basic components in 372 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:44,159 Speaker 1: my view of our constitutional structure, and this is a 373 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: test of our the federalist constitutional fabric we have. State 374 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: and local governments have tremendous power reserved to them under 375 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: our constitutional system. And this is a time when you're 376 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: seeing it's an ear of what I call progressive federalism, 377 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: where you're seeing states eyes up. And in my view, 378 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: the coalition of state attorneys general that I'm a part 379 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: of is more of more of an effective check on 380 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: access as the administration than the Democrats in Congress. They 381 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: try to do what they can, but they're in the minority. 382 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: I hope they'll be in the majority. But over the 383 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: last year and a half, my office and other attorneys 384 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: general's office is really emerged as a bulwark of our 385 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: constitutional structure against bad public policies that spew out of 386 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: Washington like to breede from some toxic volcano. Is it 387 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: time in your mind having lived in New York and 388 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: you're in New York, but you worked in Albany for 389 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: the state to give back control of the city to 390 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: the city. By and large, the city runs itself. But 391 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: it's important to understand, and this is really important to 392 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: understanding the Trump era for everyone to get the basic 393 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: unit of the United States of America is and has 394 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: always been the state. The states created the federal government, 395 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: States create local governments. Every state in the Union has 396 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,600 Speaker 1: ultimate power over local governments and that is something that 397 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: can of it has figured out a long time ago 398 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: and invested a tremendous amount in taking over state governments. 399 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: As of the election, Republicans control thirty four of the 400 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: fifty governorships, sixty nine and the nine nine state legislative chambers, 401 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: and that gave them a huge advantage, which I think 402 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,760 Speaker 1: was a factor that people do not paid enough attention 403 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 1: to in the loss in the Trump Clinton election. States 404 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: control who votes. A dozen states passed voter suppression laws 405 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:33,879 Speaker 1: between fourteen that cost Hillary Clinton many more votes. And 406 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,360 Speaker 1: I think that there were in a period now districting, 407 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: they control reapportionment, they and so, and state legislatures are 408 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: the bench for Congress, so it's there's a tremendous advantage there. Now, 409 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,159 Speaker 1: I feel that there is a transformation going on in 410 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,600 Speaker 1: among the electorate. People are getting more active and people 411 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: are focusing in more on state issues. I mean, we 412 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: had a special election in a swing state Senate seat 413 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: April four in Westchester, and they had thousands of volunteers 414 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: us to run santy campaigns we never had. We didn't 415 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: have hundreds of volunteers, much less thousands of volunteers. So 416 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,239 Speaker 1: I feel that we're in a time where there's a 417 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: political movement rising up. And this is the first time 418 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: since I was a kid. As I said that, I 419 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: felt the level of energy we had in the late 420 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: sixties and early seventies, and I think it's a great 421 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 1: thing for the country. But the fight is going to 422 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: really be much more at the state level. Um that 423 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 1: we will fight to control Congress, but the real battle 424 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: is taking back state governments of the governor has given 425 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: this mayor of the autonomy that he wants, not always, 426 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:31,760 Speaker 1: but but you know, if you look at it, there 427 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: really are not that many major points of contention. I 428 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 1: think it gets it gets a lot of attention because 429 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: of the press. Sense is the sort of personal animosity, 430 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: But in terms of public policy, people work together as 431 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: day to day people work together a lot more than 432 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: than many things. Yeah, you, in my lifetime, one of 433 00:22:56,119 --> 00:23:01,160 Speaker 1: the things that was always among the headline grabbing activities 434 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: of the States Attorney Attorney General was fighting organized crime, 435 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,159 Speaker 1: and I'm wondering, is organized crime pretty much dead in 436 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: New York now? Is the mafia gone? Well, no, there's 437 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: still organized crime, and we have an organized crime task 438 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,080 Speaker 1: Force that works with mostly with smaller jurisdictions where they 439 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: don't have the resources to deal with it. There are 440 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: a lot of different It's much more diffuse than it was. 441 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: You don't have the old style five families controlling everything 442 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: going on anymore. But you have a lot of gangs 443 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: and a lot of multi ethnic gangs, different different you know. 444 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: The issues that we deal with now are things like 445 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: drug trafficking and gun trafficking. We have done more work 446 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,680 Speaker 1: on issues related to guns in the office has ever 447 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,160 Speaker 1: done in the past. But yeah, they're still gang activity. 448 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: It's not like the old the old Godfather. Yeah, and 449 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: that that I understand. I mean, an obvious subject to 450 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,479 Speaker 1: talk about in a city like New York. But I 451 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: was told there's a kind of kind of an embargo 452 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: on this for you about talking about the me too. 453 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: You've had for enough to talk about that subject, correct. 454 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,640 Speaker 1: We have an investigation into the Weinstein companies that are 455 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: involved with a variety of matters related to that, so 456 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,199 Speaker 1: you can't touch on that. I mean, look, the movement 457 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: is extraordinary. I think it's changing the conversation. It is 458 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 1: a part of what I see is this moment of 459 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:25,280 Speaker 1: social transformation and of the emergence of a new political movement. 460 00:24:25,320 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: But it's, uh, you know, that's a whole other podcast. 461 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: Do you think that the an noown's been by Cynthia 462 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: Nixon that she's going to run? I mean, many many 463 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: people feel that a lot of women are coming to 464 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 1: the fork because this is at the time that there's 465 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: always been a relatively low percentage of people running for 466 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: office who are women. I mean, comparatively speaking, it's it's 467 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: it's improved over the years, but people really feel that 468 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 1: now as a uniquely special time. I mean, I know Cynthia, 469 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,439 Speaker 1: I've worked with Cynthia. If you work in this business, 470 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,040 Speaker 1: you worship Cynthia as one of the most talented actress 471 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,040 Speaker 1: is alive. I mean, she really is this phenomen the 472 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: talented woman to such integrity and honesty just as an actress. 473 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: I just have to say that she's just so remarkable. 474 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:11,160 Speaker 1: But most people agree in the Money Talks realm, he's 475 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: so loaded with money. Uh does that alone? You know, 476 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: this is a very quixotic thing for her. Why do 477 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 1: you think she would do that? I don't know. I 478 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,880 Speaker 1: do think that we're seeing a lot more new people 479 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: running for office than we have seen before. I think 480 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: that it's on traditional people, nontraditional people who haven't worked 481 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: their way up through the political system. I mean, in 482 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: some places we have some congressional districts where we haven't. Honestly, 483 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 1: it seems like we have too many candidates Democrats who 484 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: all want to run from some extraordinary backgrounds. But I 485 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 1: think it's a part of this change. I have look, 486 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: I worked for years to try and get people involved 487 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: in politics. When I was in the State Senate with 488 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly democratic state Republicans still held the majority, I tried 489 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: to get major national Democratic donors to help us out. 490 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: No one was interested in the state Senate, and that 491 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:02,439 Speaker 1: has transfer formed since Trump got elected. I feel that 492 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: this was what it took to get people awake off 493 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:10,240 Speaker 1: the sidelines, energized the proliferation of all these hundreds of 494 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: indivisible groups all over New York State. I meet with 495 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: them and other organizations, and the all of this new 496 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: infrastructure that has risen up in the last year and 497 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:21,360 Speaker 1: a half is phenomenal, and it is we are starting 498 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: to get to the point where we can actually compete 499 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:27,720 Speaker 1: with the Conservatives. And there amazing infrastructure they built over 500 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: thirty years. They invest first in infrastructure. They will make 501 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:35,640 Speaker 1: sure the American political infrastructure that Harry's Foundation, the American 502 00:26:35,760 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: no political infrastructure, that's right, the American Enterprise Institute, Competitive 503 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: Enterprise Institute. They've created this great infrastructure. We now see 504 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: in a very different way because it's much more decentralized. 505 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: The emergence of a political infrastructure that can counterbalance that. 506 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 1: And people are interested in running for office, people in 507 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:58,159 Speaker 1: supporting candidates for office again. State Senate special election April. 508 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: Democrats didn't used to even show up for special elections. 509 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: Thousands of volunteers and and I wipe out victory. So 510 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: I think, who's the head of the state party now, Well, 511 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: the governors are ahead of the state party. There were 512 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: a chairman of there's no persons, yes Byron Brown. The 513 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,360 Speaker 1: micro buffalo is a chair of Judy Hope. I worked 514 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: with Judy Hope and she was running when she was 515 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 1: when she was the chair to get Chuck elected to 516 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: get Hillo reelected, and and look, it's it's a fascinating time. 517 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 1: And increasingly, you know, I'm doing work for candidates from 518 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,360 Speaker 1: other states and helping speaking at fundraisers in New York 519 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: for candidates from other states. A lot more interest in 520 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: state races than there ever was. We got terrific people 521 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: running for attorney general and states around the country, and 522 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 1: special initiative as you just relating to what you just said, 523 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 1: Um of the Democratic Attorney General's Association to recruit more 524 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,520 Speaker 1: women to run. So I think that there is there's 525 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: a lot of energy out there, a lot of desire 526 00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: to have non traditional candidates run for office, and it's 527 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: a good thing. I want to just do a couple 528 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: of quick ones and try to get a quick answer 529 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,120 Speaker 1: to these. Is there anything you think can be done? 530 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,679 Speaker 1: Is is there something you guys are working on now 531 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: that can affect the homeless issue here in the city, 532 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,439 Speaker 1: Because you do well public policy that way, don't you. 533 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: We do because we have a Tenant Protection Task Force 534 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: and one of the things we are working on, and 535 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:13,720 Speaker 1: this is in conjunction with both the city and state 536 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 1: agency all working together to try and ensure that housing 537 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,760 Speaker 1: is supposed to be affordable, rent regulated is maintained and 538 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:24,680 Speaker 1: that there there are not unscrupulous landlords trying to gain 539 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,640 Speaker 1: the system force people out of their homes so they 540 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 1: can take take apartments out of rent regulated status. So 541 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: preserving affordable housing is an ongoing struggle because the upside 542 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: is so huge, the difference now between a rent regulated 543 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: apartment and if you can get it out into the 544 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,400 Speaker 1: free market. It creates a strong incentive for an unscrupulous 545 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: landlord to do that. But I think you can see 546 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: a lot of different federal and state actors, including our office, 547 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: engaged in the project. One of the challenges we face 548 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 1: now like is that with the federal government in the 549 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: hands of people who are committed to a very radical 550 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: form of conservatism, you're not going to see big housing 551 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: programs or big transportation programs coming out of the federal government. 552 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: So the challenge again falls to those of us at 553 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: the state level more and more to fill that gap. 554 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: We say in my office often that our three tasks 555 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:19,160 Speaker 1: in the Trump era are to fill in where the 556 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,880 Speaker 1: federal government falls back if they won't enforce not sitting 557 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: around waiting for Jeff Sessions to start enforcing civil rights laws, 558 00:29:24,520 --> 00:29:27,760 Speaker 1: we enforce civil rights right, we fill in where they 559 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: fall back. We fight back when the federal government is 560 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: attacking the people we represent, whether it's sanctuary cities or 561 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:38,560 Speaker 1: withdrawing protections from LGBT students, failure to enforce environmental laws, 562 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: and tided efforts by Pruitt and a company to dial 563 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: back environmentalism. We sued them. The Times did the story 564 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: in December, marking my one legal action against the administration, 565 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: and we're way past that by now. And we are 566 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: joined by other attorneys general, lawyers for local governments, public 567 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:59,000 Speaker 1: interest lawyers, lawyal firms doing pro bona work. Law schools 568 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: are sending us their students. The legal resistance that is 569 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: developed over last year and a half is something I'm 570 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: very proud of. What what with that? The third one 571 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: you were saying and the third the third one fill 572 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: in fight back, and the third one is we have 573 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 1: to show the way to move ahead. We can't just 574 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: be against something and smart progressive governance is going to 575 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: be modeled at the state level, So models for reforming 576 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: the criminal justice system are going to happen at the 577 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: state Level's mass incarceration an issue for you, It's a 578 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,000 Speaker 1: huge issue. For me, since I worked in the prison 579 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: between college and law school, I've been and I watched. Uh. 580 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 1: You know, let's go from a country with maybe three 581 00:30:35,520 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 1: or four hundred thousand people in jails and prisons all 582 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: over the America to have two point five million a 583 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: decade or so ago. And now the tide is turning 584 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 1: very dramatically, and in New York we are bringing our 585 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: prison population down while the crime rate goes down. That's 586 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:54,840 Speaker 1: the future. This is a failed act, is a failed 587 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: national experiment in mass incarceration. It doesn't make us safer, 588 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: and I think that people are waking up to that. 589 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: Most Americans think there are too many people in prison. Now. 590 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: Whatever the Conservatives push on this issue, I think they're 591 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: losing that war. Three quick bullet points. One is now 592 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:11,560 Speaker 1: that I have the Attorney General of the State of 593 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: New York here explained. Does Trump have a pardon power 594 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: over people convicted of state crimes and state courts? Uh? No, 595 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 1: the president can pardon for federal offenses. Uh. You can't 596 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 1: pardon for state crimes. But because New York has a 597 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: the most restrictive double jeopardy statute in the country, that 598 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: means that if someone gets to the eve of trial 599 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,040 Speaker 1: and the President pardons them. Under New York's statute, we 600 00:31:38,080 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: would not be able to go after them for a state. 601 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:45,440 Speaker 1: We have proposed to uh modify the double jeopardy statute 602 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: has been modified quite a few times in the past 603 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 1: to enable us to pursue people who we don't want 604 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,480 Speaker 1: to interfere with the regular presidential clemency importance that come 605 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: usually after someone has served a lot of time in prison. 606 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: But were we are concerned that we should change the 607 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 1: statu you to prevent essentially preemptive partons, partons where someone 608 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: doesn't ever serve a day in jail. So it doesn't 609 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 1: serve a day in jail, but it gets often because 610 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 1: of the way that our statute operates. It functionally gives 611 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: Trump the ability to block state prosecutions as well as 612 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: federal prosecutions, and that's something that we're out to change. 613 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: So we've got legislation in the Assembly and the Senate, 614 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: we've got sponsors, and we're moving aggressively to try and 615 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:27,040 Speaker 1: get that past the session. You've got a myriad of responsibility. 616 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,680 Speaker 1: You've got such a complex job. What are there ever 617 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: time that material comes across your desk, A case and 618 00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: issue something that really moves you, that really is important 619 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: to you. And I called it the moment where you 620 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,920 Speaker 1: turn to your office, close the door and you like 621 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: sit there with a file and to start reading and 622 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: reading and just immerse yourself in something is deeply personal 623 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: to you. What would be an example of that, you 624 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 1: would site, Oh yeah, what issue? There are cases that 625 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: that come our way that where the facts are really devastating. 626 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:02,240 Speaker 1: And you know, look some of these UH cases that 627 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:04,920 Speaker 1: we take on and my capacity as a special prosecutor 628 00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 1: when UH un armed civilians die in contact with police officers. 629 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,440 Speaker 1: A lot of these cases are tragedies. Whether the cops 630 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,680 Speaker 1: did anything wrong or not. There are people who didn't 631 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: it didn't deserve to die. And and most of the 632 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: circumstances reflect poverty, often drug and alcohol abuse. Just again 633 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: reminding me of my days back in the jail. But 634 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 1: there are a lot of people living in really tragic circumstances. 635 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: Cases that relate to UH children UH move me deeply 636 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,760 Speaker 1: when we get cases where you have UH child abuse, 637 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,720 Speaker 1: we have trafficking cases. I have to say that the 638 00:33:44,280 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: our our inquiry into what happened at the Weinstein companies 639 00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 1: was like taking a taking a swim in a sewer, 640 00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 1: and we still that's still an ongoing matter. So there 641 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: are cases that get to me personally and affect me. 642 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,760 Speaker 1: I think the the nice thing about this work is 643 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: very often we have a lot of creative lawyers working 644 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 1: for me and incredibly proud of our team. We can 645 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 1: think of ways to address issues that sometimes allude to others. 646 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: We try and be as creative as possible. That means 647 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: sometimes like we take on cases that are hard to win. 648 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 1: But I'm not someone who is a prosecutor looks to 649 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 1: have a batting average. We're willing to try some things 650 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 1: that are that are harder in order to do justice. 651 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: But we're the oversight board or whatever it is. The 652 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 1: oversight group here in New York with the police Department 653 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 1: announced that they want to try to have more transparency 654 00:34:32,239 --> 00:34:35,439 Speaker 1: and hass been this back and forth with them. Uh, 655 00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:40,399 Speaker 1: what influence does the State Attorney General operation have on 656 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:42,560 Speaker 1: the Police Department of the City of New York. There's 657 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: is no way you can affect that the city agents 658 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:49,799 Speaker 1: get in there with everything that in terms of contracts 659 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: and everything has worked out to a fairly well with 660 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,440 Speaker 1: the police in terms of what they're what they're expected 661 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,759 Speaker 1: to do and not do in terms of transparency. Yeah, 662 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 1: I mean that's not really something that's in our wheelhouse. 663 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: We have to leave that to the city. Yeah, we do, 664 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 1: and we work with the NYPD a lot. We deal 665 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: with them in our Organized Crime Task Force and others. 666 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,879 Speaker 1: We're working with them on gun issues and other things. 667 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: And it's and as as law enforcement agencies go in 668 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: the United States, it's an incredible agency. But you know, 669 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:21,480 Speaker 1: they're always struggles about, uh, the need for transparency. And 670 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:23,359 Speaker 1: I think we've made a lot of tremendous progress. I'm 671 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,520 Speaker 1: keeping in mind we cut stops in first by in 672 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: New York City and crime continues to go down. I 673 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:32,720 Speaker 1: mean this is this is the safest big city in America. 674 00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: And that reflects a lot of good work by a 675 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:36,439 Speaker 1: lot of people for many years. I'm told that there's 676 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 1: steam coming out of the ears of your staff, your 677 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 1: chief of staff here. But I'm assuming that in order 678 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 1: for you to move elsewhere to the next place, to 679 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,400 Speaker 1: have your public service destiny, something has to happen to 680 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:52,000 Speaker 1: somebody else. There's only three statewide jobs and make sense 681 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: for you, Is it's safe to say that? And no, look, 682 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 1: I think people happy to stay where you are for 683 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 1: the time being. Yeah, I mean, I'm running for re 684 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:02,280 Speaker 1: election now and after that spect to run a great campaign, 685 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,279 Speaker 1: moving around the state and helping down ballot races. And 686 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 1: then look, I'm I'm very much committed to continuing to 687 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:10,960 Speaker 1: build and lead the legal resistance to what's going on 688 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 1: in Washington. I'm very inspired to be a state actor 689 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:17,319 Speaker 1: in the seri of progressive and for the next couple 690 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: of years and then, uh, we'll see what happens. I'm 691 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,080 Speaker 1: I want to get us through this four years of 692 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: Trump and Pence and then uh, and then at that point, 693 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:29,160 Speaker 1: I'm really playing with house money. We've got to get 694 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: through this period of national trauma and I can play 695 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: a role. It's beyond anything I ever would have expected, 696 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 1: and h I'm pleased to be doing it. We will 697 00:36:39,160 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: never know what kind of impact Eric Schneiderman could have 698 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: had on the elections. His resignation from his post as 699 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:51,600 Speaker 1: New York Attorney General is effective as of five pm today, 700 00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 1: Tuesday May eight. This is Alec Baldwin, and you're listening 701 00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 1: to Here's the thing