1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Grossel from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: Attorney General Pam Bondi used to say that the Jeffrey 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Epstein files would be released. 4 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: You know, tens of thousands of pages of documents and 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 2: hundreds and hundreds of victims of Jeffrey Epstein. So the 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 2: FBI they have been working round the clock at my directive, 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: at Kashptel's directive. Now Dan Bongino's there. 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 3: Who is a great asset for all of us at 9 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 3: the FBI as well. But yeah, we have to protect 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,159 Speaker 3: their identity, their personal information to make sure they're safe. 11 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 3: But other than that, we are releasing all of these 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 3: documents as soon as we can get them redacted. 13 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 1: That was Bondi on Fox in March. Now the question 14 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: is whether even a congressional subpoena will make the Attorney 15 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: General release the files, particularly in light of a Wall 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: Street Journal report that Bondi toll President Trump. His name 17 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: appears multiple times in the finals. As pressure on the 18 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: administration to release the Epstein files grows, the Justice Department 19 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: is taking a detour, apparently casting itself as searching for 20 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: more information on the Epstein case, with Deputy Attorney General 21 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: Todd Blanche meeting today with Glaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's former 22 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: girlfriend who's serving a twenty year sentence in Florida. Joining 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: me is Dave Ehrenberg, former Palm Beach County State Attorney. 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: Dave the number two person at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: Trump's former criminal defense attorney, is meeting with a convicted 26 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: sex trafficker, Gallaine Maxwell, that the Justice Department successfully prosecuted, 27 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: and it comes as she's appealing her twenty twenty one conviction. 28 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 1: How odd is this? 29 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 4: It's extremely odd because generally the number two person at 30 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 4: the deparminative Justice doesn't conduct interviews with potential witnesses, especially 31 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 4: those who have already been convicted by their department of 32 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 4: such a serious crime. I mean, why would you ever 33 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 4: believe anything this woman says. He's not only a convicted 34 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 4: human trafficker, but she's also a liar. She was indicted 35 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 4: for perjury back in twenty twenty and she is someone 36 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 4: who is untrustworthy. But both sides want something here. She 37 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 4: meaning Glen Maxwell, wants a pardon from the President who's 38 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 4: very transactional, and President Trump wants her to exonerate him 39 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 4: to say that Trump had nothing to do with any 40 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 4: of the crimes. Now, I personally believe that Trump had 41 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:50,959 Speaker 4: nothing to do with any of the crimes. But there's 42 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 4: a lot of smoke here because of Trump's name being 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,920 Speaker 4: in the Epstein files. And you know what they say, 44 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 4: it's not the crime but the cover up. And the 45 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 4: cover up here is to prevent the release of these 46 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 4: files when you promised it over and over again to 47 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 4: your supporters. So, yes, this whole thing is extraordinary. Not 48 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 4: the lease of which is that the number two person 49 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 4: of the Department of Justice doesn't get on a plane 50 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 4: and get a briefcase in a notepad and start acting 51 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 4: like a line prosecutor. 52 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: Bland said he wants to know if Glaine Maxwell has 53 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims. But 54 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, has said that nothing in 55 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: the files warranted further investigation or prosecution. So what's going on? 56 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 4: This is about CYA. It's to protect Donald Trump. This 57 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 4: is to protect him because his name is in the files. Now, 58 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 4: his supporters were led to believe that anyone whose names 59 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 4: in the files must have committed some crimes. They were 60 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 4: led to believe that the number one name in the 61 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 4: file would be Bill Clinton, filed by Bill Gates and 62 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 4: then every other prominent Democrat. Of course, they were lied to, 63 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 4: they were made to look like fools. I mean, these 64 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 4: folks thrive on conspiracy theories and now they're outraged and 65 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 4: they're ready to revolt. So the administration is trying to 66 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 4: placate them further by saying, see, we'll get more information 67 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 4: from this disgraced, convicted human trafficker. Well, what makes you 68 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 4: think she'll be telling the truth? She has every incentive 69 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 4: to lie. She's lie before, she will lie again. Anything 70 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 4: that she says should be corroborated. And then if she 71 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 4: says something to Todd blanche who was President of Trump's 72 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 4: former defense lawyer, his personal defense lawyer, what makes you 73 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 4: think will make its way to the public if it 74 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 4: at all implicates Donald Trump. So this is not how 75 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 4: an investigation should be done. And if the administration wanted 76 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 4: full transparency, they should just release the file subject to 77 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 4: court orders and other privacy concerns involving the victims, and 78 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 4: then I think people would start to move on from 79 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 4: this story. But until that happens, this story ain't going away. 80 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: Did you think that she's talking to Blanche. If she 81 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: is talking to Blanche, do you think that she's talking 82 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: to him under some kind of agreement like queen for 83 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: a day where nothing you say is going to be 84 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:06,920 Speaker 1: used against you. 85 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 4: Her lawyers would never allow her to talk to a prosecutor, 86 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 4: even if it's the number two person at the Department 87 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 4: of Justice and not aligned prosecutor. They would never let 88 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 4: her talk to anyone without a guarantee that she has 89 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 4: immunity for at least those comments on that day. So 90 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 4: some call it a Queen for the day. But she's 91 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 4: not going to jeopardize her appeal and her potential because 92 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 4: she has an appeal pending if she is retried. She 93 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 4: doesn't want this information to come back and haunt her. 94 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 4: So she wants something out of Donald Trump. She wants 95 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 4: a pardon, and she's probably going to be willing to 96 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 4: say anything to get it, but she doesn't want it 97 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 4: to come back at her in a future trial. So yes, 98 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 4: she will get some sort of immunity before she speaks 99 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 4: to Todd Blash. Now she goes before Congress, that too 100 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,839 Speaker 4: will require immunity because her lawyers, I would think, would 101 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 4: have the same issue They don't want her to implicate 102 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 4: herself any more than she already has. 103 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: Her brother told The New York Post that she's compiling 104 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: new evidence pretending to allege government misconduct stemming from her trial, 105 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: to hand over to the Justice Department. 106 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 4: Every criminal defendant believes that there's government misconduct for their case, 107 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 4: especially if you're convicted. So yeah, she's going to compile 108 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 4: her evidence. Meanwhile, she had any real evidence that could 109 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 4: be of use to the government to release the victims 110 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 4: and to the public, she would have done so already 111 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 4: because now she's facing twenty years in prison. She's not 112 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 4: getting out until she's seventy five years old at the earliest. 113 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 4: And so if she didn't have the goods back then, 114 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 4: why would we believe she has the goods now. I 115 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,120 Speaker 4: think there's a desperate woman who was willing to say anything. 116 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 4: She'll do anything for a pardon. She does not want 117 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 4: to spend her next decade or so behind bars. She's 118 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 4: not used to this lifestyle. She's used to the high life, 119 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 4: life of privilege, life of prestige, and now she's the 120 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,239 Speaker 4: only one being locked up for the whole Jeffrey Epstein 121 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 4: saga because Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. 122 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: Dave about the congressional subpoena. The House Overside Chair Republican 123 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: James Comer has subpoenaed Maxwell for a deposition. In what 124 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 1: circumstances would her lawyer allow her to testify? How would 125 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: that kind of testimony help her at all? 126 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 4: It will help her if she publicly exonerates President Trump. 127 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 4: It will help her get a pardon. That's what she's 128 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 4: aiming for. She wants either a pardon a commutation. She 129 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 4: wants the Department of Justice to not retry the case 130 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 4: if she wins on her appeal, which is going before 131 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 4: the Supreme Court. So there are things that Trump can 132 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 4: offer her, and that's why she'll be doing this. Otherwise, 133 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 4: there's no reason for her to be doing this. I mean, 134 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 4: she's a convicted human trafficker, she's a proven liar. She's 135 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 4: a criminal. And for the Magabase, which thinks that Jeffrey 136 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 4: Epstein is Satan himself, to me how they're willing to 137 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 4: roll out the red carpet for Satan's accomplice. 138 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: The House Oversight sub Committee voted Wednesday to subpoena the 139 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: DOJ for the Epstein files. And they're not only looking 140 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: for the files, but also communications between former Biden officials 141 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: and the Justice Department related to the Epstein matter. Well, 142 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: the Justice Department hand them over, especially now that the 143 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: Wall Street Journal has reported that Bondie and Blanche informed 144 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: the President in May that his name appears multiple times 145 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: in the Epstein files. 146 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 4: Oh, the Department of Justice is not giving Congress anything 147 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 4: with Donald Trump's name in it. So if they give 148 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 4: up the Epstein file, maybe will be a redacted version 149 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 4: of it. But they're not going to do anything to 150 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 4: harm the Boss. I mean, that's why the folks are 151 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 4: there to begin with. That's why Donald Trump put his 152 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 4: two defense lawyers at top positions at the Department of Justice. 153 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 4: That's why I picked the loyalists like Pam Bondi to 154 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 4: be Attorney General. He doesn't want this thing to get 155 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 4: out of hand and get a mind of its own. 156 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 4: That's why he's not going to appoint a special counsel. 157 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 4: People said, we should have a special counsel. Yeah, well, 158 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 4: I remember Bill Clinton had a special counsel. You remember 159 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 4: Janerino stepped aside and had Kenneth Starr investigate Whitewater. Well, 160 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 4: the investigation in Whitewater became an investigation into Monica Lewinsky 161 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 4: and led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. Donald Trump doesn't want 162 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 4: to go down that road. He wants to button this 163 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 4: thing up. But the irony is in his attempt to 164 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 4: cut this off at its knees, he has prolonged the agony. 165 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 4: It's not the crime, it's the cover up. And it 166 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 4: looks like there's been a cover up here, at least 167 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 4: the many in the public, which is why people are 168 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 4: still talking about this. 169 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: Does Congress have any levers to pull to force the 170 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: Justice Department on this? 171 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 4: They can subpoena the documents and then go to court, 172 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 4: but you really think the Republicans in Congress are going 173 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 4: to go to court to fight the Republicans and the 174 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 4: executive branch. One thing we've learned from this is that 175 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 4: when the going gets tough, they roll over, They turn 176 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 4: tail and run away. This Congress has a masculated itself 177 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 4: to the executive branch. And I know they're starting to 178 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 4: sense penisn't ask questions about this because their base demands it. 179 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 4: Both They'll only go so far. Donald Trump is the 180 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 4: leader of their party, and when Donald Trump wants something 181 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 4: badly enough, he gets it. 182 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,440 Speaker 1: Coming up next, why a Florida judge decided not to 183 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: release the transcripts. This is Bloomberg. I've been talking to 184 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: Dave Ehrenberg, former Palm Beach County state attorney, about the 185 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: pressure on the Trump administration to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. 186 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: Let's talk about the grand jury transcripts first. You can 187 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: explain why the transcripts will not reveal client lists or 188 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: any of the other things that the conspiracy theorists are 189 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: looking for. 190 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,680 Speaker 4: The grand jury transcripts are just a portion of the 191 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 4: portion of what people are looking for. See what they 192 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 4: wanted the Epstein files. They want the names of these 193 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 4: third parts parties who allegedly were involved with human trafficking. 194 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 4: Who were these girls trafficked too, That's what people are seeking. 195 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 4: That's not going to be in the grand jury transcripts, 196 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 4: especially redacted once. It's not going to be in there. 197 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 4: So it's pretty much a distraction that the administration is 198 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 4: just seeking these grand jury transcripts and we come on. 199 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 4: First of all, they're not going to get him. The 200 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 4: judges will reject it, and then they can blame the judiciary, 201 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 4: which is part of the strategy because if there's one 202 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 4: group that the MAGA world hates more than the media, 203 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 4: it's the judiciary. It's judges. So that was actually a 204 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 4: smart move I thought by Trump to put the focus 205 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 4: on the judges. But it's still not going to work. 206 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 4: It's not going to satisfy the MAGA base who've been 207 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,559 Speaker 4: led to believe there's this client list and that you 208 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 4: have this democratic conspiracy to have a child sex trafficking green. Well, 209 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 4: it's a different role when you go from being a 210 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 4: blogger to being in government. When you're in government, you 211 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 4: got to produce. When you're a blogger, you can say 212 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 4: whatever you want and never be held accountable for it. 213 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 4: And that's a lesson that Caspitel and Dan Begino and 214 00:11:58,160 --> 00:11:58,880 Speaker 4: others are learning. 215 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:02,440 Speaker 1: The Florida said judge has already declined to release the 216 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: transcripts on what grounds. 217 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 4: There are grand jury secrecy rules and you can't get 218 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 4: the grand jury transcripts unless you have an exception under 219 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 4: the federal law, and there's no exception here just because 220 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 4: the public wants to see it. Also, you need to 221 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,199 Speaker 4: go to victims and get their permission and approvals, but 222 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 4: the administration didn't do that. They just went right to 223 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 4: the judge because it was about the show. It wasn't 224 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 4: about to go. It was about the show. They wanted 225 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 4: the public to think that they were doing something about transparency. 226 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 4: But the judge rule, as we all expected, the judge 227 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 4: the rule. But even if the judge did produce these 228 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 4: grand jury transcripts, I mean, it's really, as I said, 229 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 4: just a portion of what the public wants. The public 230 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 4: wants names. Grand jury transcripts wouldn't produce those names of 231 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 4: third parties. It would just be the testimony that was 232 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 4: written down and the exhibits that were provided inside the 233 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,319 Speaker 4: secret grand jury that led to Epstein's indictment. It's not 234 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 4: going to be what implicates uncharged third parties. And so 235 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 4: if you are waiting for the grand jury transcripts to 236 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 4: answer your at Jeffrey Epstein questions, you'll be waiting a 237 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 4: long time. 238 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: There are still two judges in New York considering the 239 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: government's requests to release the grand jury transcripts in the 240 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:24,679 Speaker 1: Epstein and Maxwell cases. They're taking more time and requesting 241 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: more information. What do you think they're just not, you know, 242 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,479 Speaker 1: denying them out of hand and saying grand jury secrecy. 243 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,120 Speaker 4: The rules up there in that circuit in New York 244 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 4: are a little better for the public to get access 245 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 4: to grand jury transcripts. There's there's a slight opening. It's 246 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 4: not impossible. It's hard, but it's not impossible. So there's 247 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 4: an outside chance that could happen up there. But as 248 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 4: I said, even if you get them, they're going to 249 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 4: be disappointing. They're going to be largely a nothing burger 250 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 4: of people, and it probably suits Trump more if the 251 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 4: judges just reject the request, then Trump can say, see, 252 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,319 Speaker 4: I tried, I try to be transparent. Blame those unelected 253 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 4: liberal judges, even though he may have appointed some of them. 254 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,240 Speaker 4: But you can just blame the people wearing the black 255 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 4: ropes who get lifetime appointments and carry the gabble. Much 256 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 4: easier to do than to turn and shine the flashlight 257 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 4: on yourself. 258 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: And I want to get your reaction to the Trump 259 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 1: administration falsely claiming that President Obama deliberately manufactured and politicized 260 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: intelligence reports about Russian interference in the twenty sixteen election. 261 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: I don't know how we got back to this point. 262 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: Do you know what this is about? 263 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's about distraction. It's to take your mind off 264 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 4: of the Jeffrey Epstein situation. So he has Pulsey Gabbert, 265 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 4: who has no business being in government. Quite frankly, she's 266 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 4: a hack. She's not qualified to be the director of 267 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 4: D and I, and she's doing Pulsy Gabbert things by 268 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 4: creating a story out of nothing. Even what she produced 269 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,800 Speaker 4: doesn't show what she says it shows. All shows is 270 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 4: that Russia did not manipulate votes. They did not change 271 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 4: the outcome of the election by the voting. But they did, 272 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 4: and it's been proven over and over again, even by 273 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 4: the report by Senator Marco Rubio's Senate Intelligence Committee that 274 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 4: Russia did interfere with the election. They had a favorite 275 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 4: in the election, Donald Trump, and they had a strategy 276 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 4: that they implemented to get involved through spreading disinformation. But 277 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 4: they didn't hack into voting machines. So I don't know 278 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 4: what this thing is about that Tulsa Gabbert is trying 279 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 4: to show, except it's nothing except for a distraction on 280 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 4: the Jeffrey Epstein matter and approves why Tulsa Gabbard is 281 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 4: unfit for office. 282 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: Obama spokesman said these bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a 283 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: weak attempt at distraction. I mean, this is not the 284 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: first time that Trump has attacked Obama. 285 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 4: Well, that's how he built his political career by claiming 286 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 4: that Obama born in Kenya. This is why the magabase 287 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 4: is so upset about this latest conspiracy theory, because they 288 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 4: were led to believe that there are conspiracies under every 289 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 4: mattress in DC, whether it's Obama being from Kenya, or 290 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 4: the election of twenty twenty being stolen, or Jeffrey Epstein 291 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 4: being part of a Democrat at cabal. But as the 292 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 4: conspiracy theories get destroyed, the magabases is starting to wonder 293 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 4: if they've been misled, if they've been made to look 294 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 4: like fools, And they're understandably point their finger at their 295 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 4: own team because their own team is the one who 296 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 4: has led them astray. 297 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 1: Turning to other legal news, one of the world's most 298 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: vulnerable countries to the fallout from climate change has won 299 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,920 Speaker 1: a landmark legal battle, giving countries new ammunition to pursue 300 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 1: some of the planet's biggest emitters. Joining me is environmental 301 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 1: law expert Michael Girard, director of Columbia Law schools Saban 302 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: Center for Climate Change Law, tell us about this decision 303 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: by the International Court of Justice. 304 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 5: So the International Court of Justice just issued a unanimous 305 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 5: opinion by all fourteen of its judges on climate change. 306 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 5: The decision said that climate change is a grave threat 307 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 5: to humankind and many elements of international law require every 308 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,920 Speaker 5: country to act very strongly to try to fight climate change. 309 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: And tell us about the case that was brought to 310 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: years ago by. 311 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 5: Vanuatu vano Watu, which is one of the small island 312 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 5: nations in the Pacific that is really endangered by subl rise, 313 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 5: who was able to organize an international effort and persuade 314 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:50,680 Speaker 5: the UN General Assembly to send to the International Court 315 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 5: of Justice in the Hague questions about what are the 316 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 5: obligations of countries to reduce their greenhouse assmentions and among 317 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 5: other things, to save small island states and everybody else 318 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 5: from the ravages of climate change. 319 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 1: The ICJ doesn't have the power to enforce the decision 320 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 1: on its own. US is among the countries that doesn't 321 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: automatically recognize its legal authority. So what weight does this 322 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: opinion have. 323 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 5: That's right, the ICJ opinions in this kind of case 324 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:27,720 Speaker 5: our advisory. They don't have enforcement power. Many countries of 325 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 5: the world do take the ICJ's decisions seriously, and we've 326 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 5: already seen in quite a few countries around the world 327 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 5: decisions by their own courts saying that their governments aren't 328 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 5: doing enough. I think we'll see a lot more of 329 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 5: those kinds of lawsuits all around the world. We'll see 330 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 5: more lawsuits brought by environmental groups and others in their 331 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,160 Speaker 5: national courts saying that under the ICJ opinion and other 332 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 5: legal doctrines, those countries are not doing enough to produce 333 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 5: their green ask gas missions, and that could lead to 334 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 5: enforcement by those national courts against those national governments. 335 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: Last year, at least two hundred and twenty six new 336 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,879 Speaker 1: climate cases were brought. Are those mostly against countries? Are 337 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: they against you know, corporations? You know? Where are they 338 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: bringing these suits? 339 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 5: They're mostly against countries, but very few of them are 340 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 5: what we call strategic litigation, that is trying to get 341 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 5: the country to act more broadly, Most of those lawsuits 342 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 5: are concerning particular projects or our particular small actions. But 343 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 5: we have seen strategic cases that are ordering countries to 344 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 5: do more. We saw them in successful cases the Netherlands, Germany, France, Mexico, Nepal, Brazil, 345 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 5: South Africa. Most recently Hungary, several other countries all around 346 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,320 Speaker 5: the world. We're seeing these kinds of cases, these kinds 347 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 5: of decisions from the courts, and I think now we'll 348 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 5: see more of them. 349 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: And our countries complain vying with the results of these 350 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: cases when they're decided. 351 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 5: Not necessarily that's a very good question. We've seen that 352 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 5: the countries are doing something but not necessarily enough, and 353 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,280 Speaker 5: frequently the plaintives go back to court to try to 354 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 5: seek more specific enforcement. So the decisions do have a 355 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 5: positive effect, but they're not completely solving the problem. 356 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: Are there other international courts that are taking a stand 357 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: on climate Yes. 358 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,160 Speaker 5: In the last year and a half or so, we've 359 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 5: seen decisions from the European Court of Human Rights, the 360 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 5: Inter American Court of Human Rights, and the International Tribunal 361 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 5: on the Law of the Sea, and all three of 362 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 5: those international tribunals also said that the countries have an 363 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 5: obligation to reduce their green ass gas emissions and otherwise 364 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:52,679 Speaker 5: address climate change. 365 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 1: Is litigation the best way forward for climate activists or 366 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: negotiations ongoing anywhere? 367 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 5: I wouldn't say that litigation is necessarily the best way. 368 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 5: I think the best way is to try to get 369 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 5: politicians to pass and implement strong laws, but in few 370 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 5: countries as that actually happens. So litigation is one important 371 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 5: part of the toolkit. It's not the biggest part, but 372 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 5: it's one important part, and it just became a lot 373 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 5: stronger with yesterday's decision. 374 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: As far as the United States and the Trump administration, 375 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 1: how has the Trump administration impacted the environment and environmental protections? 376 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 5: Well, the Trump administration is basically a denying climate change, 377 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 5: or at least that they have to do anything about it. 378 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 5: They're working very hard to stop all of the actions 379 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 5: that had been taken under previous administrations to control climate change. 380 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 5: They again withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. So the 381 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 5: Trump administration is very much moving backwards on all of this. 382 00:21:56,200 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: Let's say that after Trump's term ends, there as a 383 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: president who is more concerned about the environment. Can the 384 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: Trump administration's actions be easily reversed. 385 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 5: They can be reversed, but it will take time. Of course. 386 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 5: In the first Trump administration they moved backwards, although not 387 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,440 Speaker 5: as faster as quickly, and then when Biden came in, 388 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 5: they did reverse of that and secured passage of the 389 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 5: Inflation Reduction Act, which Congress has now partly revoked. One 390 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 5: of the big problems is loss of staff, loss of expertise, 391 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 5: loss of scientific capability. That'll take some time to rebuild. 392 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 5: So the legal issues most of us can be restored, 393 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 5: but actually regaining the momentum is going to take time. 394 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 5: We will have lost a lot of time that we 395 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 5: don't have. 396 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: What can environmental activists do is it file suits to 397 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 1: try to slow down the Trump administration. 398 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:54,080 Speaker 5: Yes, and there's already a lot of that, and quite 399 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 5: a few of those lossits have had early successes in 400 00:22:57,840 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 5: the district court, serve in quite a few preliminary injunctions 401 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 5: granted against what the Trump administration is doing. And those 402 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 5: states that still care about climate change are doing a 403 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 5: lot in New York, California, Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, several other 404 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 5: states are acting on their own to reduce their emissions. 405 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 5: But I think the most important thing that needs to 406 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 5: be done is is that nepolling place is to elect 407 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 5: officials at every level, federal, state, and local, who really 408 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 5: are going to act on climate change. 409 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: I mean, how do climate deniers even support their position? 410 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 5: Yeah, I mean there's a small handful of climate deniers 411 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 5: or climate not so batters, as I call them, are 412 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:42,120 Speaker 5: out there, several of whom have just been hired by 413 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 5: the federal government to advise them. They're complete outliers in 414 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 5: the scientific community, but there are a few of those 415 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 5: out there, and there are some news media outlets that 416 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 5: put that out. Nobody has the nerve. No lawyer goes 417 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 5: to court denying climate change. They know that that would 418 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 5: be a real loser, but we still see that in 419 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 5: the political arena and in some media outlets. 420 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. That's Michael Gerard, director of Columbia Law 421 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 1: school Saban Center for Climate Change Law. And that's it 422 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: for this edition of The Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you 423 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 1: can always get the latest legal news on our Bloomberg 424 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: Law podcasts. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 425 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 1: and at www dot Bloomberg dot com, slash podcast, Slash Law, 426 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: and remember to tune into The Bloomberg Law Show every 427 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: weeknight at ten pm Wall Street Time. I'm June Grosso 428 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: and you're listening to Bloomberg