1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,719 Speaker 1: And now it's time for our daily Bloomberg lawb Brief, 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: exploring legal issues in the news, brought to you by 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: American Arbitration Association, International Trade or Business Dispute Result Faster 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: with the International Center for Dispute Resolution, the leader in 5 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: alternative dispute resolution around the world i c d R 6 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: dot org. Today, Bloomberg Lahos student Grosso discusses Special Investigator 7 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: Robert Mueller exploring obstruction of justice charges against President Trump 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: for interfering in the Russia investigation. She speaks with Fred tc, 9 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: a partner at Ice Miller. Fred, after everything we've heard 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: from James Coley and from the President himself in tweets 11 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: and interviews, does this obstruction of justice investigation come as 12 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: a surprise. No, under the current political climate, it doesn't 13 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: come as a surprise in any way, shape or form. So, 14 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: you know, the question is whether or not it's a 15 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: legitimate criminal investigation of a of a of a serious crime, 16 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: and that that's a different issue. Well, how would you 17 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: determine that until he actually goes through with his investigation. Well, 18 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: I mean, let's assume for a minute that the conversation 19 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: is what the conversation is, that's the obstruction, right, it 20 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: was what was what President Trump said to Comy or 21 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: or as as I understand now, they've expanded it to 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,040 Speaker 1: include the firing of Comey. The question is whether or 23 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: not that was an attempt to corruptly and influence an investigation. 24 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: And the irony of all this, which is when people 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: kind of put down the politics, certain people have the 26 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: right in government to make decisions about whether or not 27 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: investigations should go forward. Look, look what happened last fall 28 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: and which led to the bipartisan call for Comy's firing 29 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: because he made a determination that Loretta Lynch either implicitly 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: or explicitly decided not to move forward with an investigation. Well, 31 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,279 Speaker 1: that's no. That is her unfettered right as the attorney general, 32 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: whether she's right or she's wrong to make that decision. 33 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: That's not obstruction to just so the president could have 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: stopped the investigation. Isn't it something different if you try 35 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: to get someone else through some kind of coercion to 36 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: try to stop the investigation. Well, that's a great question. 37 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: Does the president if the president has the authority to 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: stop an investigation, and you see, here's the wrinkle that 39 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: you throw it under coercion. Okay, there's no need to 40 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 1: engage in coercion if you have the authority to do something. 41 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:30,360 Speaker 1: So does the president have If the president has the 42 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: right to stop an investigation, does does he have the 43 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: ability to delegate that right to someone else to stop 44 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: the investigation. That's that's a different question. And that is 45 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: Fred tc, a partner at Ice Miller, speaking to Bloomberg 46 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: Law host in Gross So you can listen to Bloomberg 47 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: Law Weekday is at one pm Wall Street Time here 48 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 1: on Bloomberg Radio Now. Among the top legal stories from 49 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Law, the Justice Department is investigating a unit of 50 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 1: Booze Allen over how he built the government for consulting work. 51 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: The company says it's cooperating that its own prov has 52 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: not shown any significant deficiencies. Booz Allen gout nineties seven 53 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: percent of its revenue from US government contracts in the 54 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: last fiscal year. The company shares fell almost fourteen percent 55 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: in after hours trading. And that is this morning's Bloomberg 56 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,080 Speaker 1: Law Brief. You can find more legal issues in the 57 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: news at Bloomberg Law dot com and Bloomberg Bna dot com. 58 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Attorneys will find exceptional legal research and business development tools 59 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: there as well. Visit Bloomberg law dot com and Bloomberg 60 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: BNA dot com for more information.