>>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING JOE." JOINING US IS BILL BROWDER, THE MAN WHO INSPIRED A BILL THAT SINGLED OUT A NUMBER OF PUTIN ALLIES AND DENIED THEM U.S. VISAS. BECAUSE OF THAT HE'S BEEN CALLED PUTIN ENEMY NUMBER ONE. JEREMY BASH IS BACK WITH US. HE'S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE CIA AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. BILL, GOOD TO SEE YOU. I WANT TO BACK UP AND EXPLAIN THAT YOU WERE THE LARGEST FOREIGN INVESTOR IN RUSSIA FOR A TIME OR ONE OF THEM. YOUR ATTORNEY EXPOSED SOME TAX FRAUD THAT WAS HAPPENING IN RUSSIA. HE WAS JAILED AND KILLED IN JAIL. AND YOU CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE PUTIN REGIME EVERY DAY. WHY DO YOU FIGHT SO HARD AGAINST RUSSIA AND PUTIN? >> MY LAWYER WAS KILLED, I SHOULD SAY TORTURED TO DEATH IN A RUSSIAN PRISON IN 2009 FOR UNCOVERING A MASSIVE PUTIN RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION SCHEME. THEY KILLED HIM EFFECTIVELY AS MY PROXY. THEY KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE WORKED FOR ME, AND THAT'S A BIG RESPONSIBILITY. HE WAS 37 YEARS OLD. HE LEFT A WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN AFTER BEING TORTURED TO DEATH. AND SO ON THE DAY WHEN I LEARNED OF HIS MURDER, THE DAY AFTER THEY KILLED HIP, I MADE A VOW TO HIS MEMORY AND HIS FAMILY AND MYSELF TO MAKE SURE I WOULD GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO DID IT. I'VE SPENT EIGHT YEARS DOING THAT WHICH RESULTED IN LEGISLATION MAKING ASSET FREEZES. SO AGAINST PEOPLE OF THE PUTIN REGIME INVOLVED IN THIS AND WHO DO OTHER TERRIBLE THINGS IN RUSSIA AND PUTIN WENT CRAZY. >> GIVE THE SCALE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, IF YOU WERE ASSIGNED A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO THE AFFECT OF PUTIN'S OLIGARCHS, THE MONEY HE CONTROLS, WE'RE TALKING THE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HERE? >> I BELIEVE THAT PUTIN IS THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD. I BELIEVE THAT HE PERSONALLY IS WORTH $200 BILLION. AND I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE AROUND HIM, LET'S SAY THE TOP 1,000 OFFICIALS IN RUSSIA, ARE WORTH A TRILLION DOLLARS. THERE'S SO MUCH MONEY AT STAKE HERE. THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. I SHOULD POINT OUT THIS MONEY IS NOT KEPT IN RUSSIA. AS EASILY AS THEY STOLE IT FROM OTHER PEOPLE, IT COULD BE STOLEN FROM THEM. THEY KEEP IT IN THE WEST, IN THE UNITED STATES AND LONDON. >> TO DRAW A LINE BACK TO TRUMP WHERE HE WAS TO ANXIOUS TO GET RID OF THIS, TO LIFT THIS ACT TO GET RID OF THE SANCTIONS, DRAW THE LINE BACK TO TRUMP. WHAT'S HIS INCENTIVE? >> WE DON'T KNOW TRUMP'S POSITION ON THE SANCTIONS. PUTIN'S POSITION IS HE WANTS THE SANCTIONS LIFTED AS HIS NUMBER ONE FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY. WE KNOW HE GOT THIS AGENT, THE FAMOUS RUSSIAN LAWYER, HE GOT HER TO GO TO TRUMP TOWER WHEN TRUMP WAS JUST NOMINATED TO GO ON A QUEST TO DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, PAUL MANAFORT AND JARED KUSHNER TO REPEAL THE ACT. WE DON'T KNOW THE TRUMP CAMP'S REACTION TO THAT. AND SO WE'RE SORT OF SITTING HERE, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT MONTH. THIS IS THE MONTH MORE NAMES GET ADDED TO THE LIST. TRUMP WILL EITHER DO THAT AS SCHEDULED IN THE LAW OR NOT. AND THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT. >> YOU MENTIONED THE RUSSIAN LAWYER, THE WOMAN WHO WAS IN THE JUNE 2016 MEETING AT TRUMP TOWER. YOU'VE KNOWN HER FOR SOME TIME. IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT SHE WAS NOT ACTING ON BEHALF OF VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT? IN OTHER WORDS, COULD SHE HAVE BEEN FREELANING? >> THERE'S NO CHANCE. WE HAVE MULTIPLE PIECES OF EVIDENCE THAT SHE WAS ACTING AS AN AGENT FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN. WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE SHE WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GENERAL PROSECUTER OF RUSSIA, THE EQUIVALENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WHO IS PUTIN'S MAIN ENFORCER. AND MANY OTHER THINGS AS WELL. SHE WAS AN AGENT FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN SHOWING UP IN TRUMP TOWER. THAT'S FOR SURE. AND WHAT SHE WAS ASKING FOR IS ALSO FOR SURE WHICH IS REPEAL OF THE ACT. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW IS THE REACTION TO HER REQUEST. >> BILL, JEREMY BASH HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU. JEREMY? >> BILL, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE. HAVE YOU BEEN INTERVIEWED BY ROBERT MUELLER OR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES INVESTIGATING THE MONEY TRAIL BETWEEN VLADIMIR PUTIN AND THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION? >> I CAN ONLY TALK ABOUT WHAT I'VE DONE PUBLICLY. I HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED BY THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. I CANNOT TALK ABOUT ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTIONS I-HAD. >> FAIR ENOUGH. WE RESPECT THAT. TALK ABOUT THE MONEY TRAIL FOR A MOMENT. DO YOU BELIEVE YOU REFERENCE VLADIMIR PUTINEN'S PERSONAL WEALTH AND THE WEALTH AROUND HIM. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS LEAVING RUSSIA IN THE 80s AND THE 90s ACTUALLY WENT TO TRUMP AND THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION? DID THEY USE RUSSIAN MONEY EITHER THROUGH OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS OR SHELL COMPANIES TO FUND TRUMP BUSINESS PROJECTS? >> I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON TRUMP FINANCES OR RUSSIANS' CONNECTIONS TO TRUMP FINANCES. WHAT I DO KNOW IS MANY RUSSIANS BOUGHT CONDOMINIUMS IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN FLORIDA AND ELSEWHERE. AND THAT MAY NOT BE TOO DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DEVELOPERS, BUT WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE. WE'RE EFFECTIVELY ARM SHARE INVESTIGATORS. THERE'S 1,000 TIMES MORE INFORMATION THAN THAT US. THEY HAVE SUBPOENA POWERS. THEY CAN GET PEOPLE TO BECOME WITNESSES. WE'LL FIND OUT IN DUE COURSE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE AND IF THERE IS, WHAT IT IS. >> AND FINALLY, BILL, CAN YOU QUICKLY EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ACT WHICH WAS NAMED AFTER YOUR LAWYER AND RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE ELECTION? WHAT WERE THEY TRYING TO DO IN INTERFEING FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? >> THE WAY I PUT THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE TOGETHER IS PUTIN SAYS HE DOESN'T LIKE THE ACT. IT UPSETS HIM PERSONALLY. HE WANTS TO GET IT REPEALED. HE SENT IN PEOPLE TO MEET WITH THE TRUMP CAMP TO TRY TO REPEAL IT, AND FOR SOME REASON OR ANOTHER, AND PUTIN, MAYBE THAT'S THE REASON PUTIN DECIDED TRUMP WAS HIS FAVORITE CANDIDATE IN THE U.S. ELECTIONS. WE KNOW AS WELL THAT PUTIN WENT IN WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF TECHNIQUES TO HACK, TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTIONS, ET CETERA. WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE IS WHETHER TRUMP PARTICIPATED OR IF PUTIN WAS JUST EXPRESSING HIS INTEREST IN THE SIDELINES. >> THE ASSETS IN LONDON, PARIS, CHICAGO, HOW DO THEY HIDE THEM? HOW DO THEY WASH THEM? >> PUTIN DOESN'T KEEP ANY MONEY IN HIS OWN NAME. HE KEEPS ALL MONEY IN THE NAME OF OLIGARCHS. WHEN YOU SEE A RICH SPECTACULARLY RICH RUSSIAN AND YOU SEE THEIR NAME ON THE FORBES LIST, MULTIPLY IT BY 50%. THE OTHER HALF OF THE MONEY IS PUTINS. THEY KEEP THEIR MONEY, OR HE KEEPS HIS MONEY THROUGH OLIGARCHS IN HEDGE FUNDS AND PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS AND TROPHY PROPERTY IN THE UNITED STATES AND ALL THESE OTHER PLACES YOU NAMED. >> AND GIVEN THE SCOPE AND THE REACH OF VLADIMIR PUTIN IN THE WEST, AND IN THE WORLD, DO YOU FEAR FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY? >> UM, WELL, TWO QUESTIONS. AM I LIVING IN FEAR? THE ANSWER IS NO. I'M OUT THERE CAMPAIGNINGNG EVE DAY TO OLD PUTIN TO ACCOUNT. AM I AT RISK OF BEING KILLED? THE ANSWER IS YES, A HIGH RISK. THEY'VE THREATENED TO KILL ME, KIDNAP ME. THEY'VE TRIED GOING TO INTERPOLL TO HAVE ME ARRESTED? >> THEY THREATENED TO KILL YOU? WHAT FORM DOES THAT TAKE? >> FOR EXAMPLE, THE PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA WAS AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS AND WAS ASKED BY A GROUP OF JOURNALISTS, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MAG KNIT SKI, HE SAID IT'S A SHAME HE'S DEAD AND BILL BROWDER IS STILL ALIVE AND RUNNING AROUND. >> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE WHOLE TRUMP MAGNITSKI ACT, DO YOU GET A SENSE PRESIDENT TRUMP THEN CANDIDATE TRUMP WAS AN UNWITTING MARK OR SOMEONE WHO WAS A WITTING MARK, SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHITE WHAT WAS GOING ON -- WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON OR SOMEONE WHO GOT IT? >> IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME. I'M SLOWLY LOOKING AT THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE BEING PUT TOGETHER. I KNOW FOR SURE WHAT THE RUSSIANS WANTED, AND I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE TRUMP CAMP REACTED. BUT WE WILL KNOW, AND QUITE SOON, I THINK. >> IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. GREAT COURAGE. YOU'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THAT AT GREAT RISK TO YOUR OWN SAFETY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HE HAS A BOOK CALLED "RED NOTICE" IF YOU WANT TO SEE HOW THE PIECES OF THE PUZZLE COME TOGETHER. >>> A NEW POLL FINDS MOST
