WELL HAVE THAT ALL FOR YOU AS IT HAPPENS AND UNFOLDS, BREAKING NEWS IN OUR HOUR. ALSO, THE OTHER BIG STORY, THE LEGAL HEAT ON CITIZEN DONALD TRUMP IS HOTTER THAN EVER AS A MEASURABLE FACT IN NEW YORK. UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION THERE. THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL CONFIRMING THIS AND ANNOUNCING IN SOMETHING THAT HAS SHOCKED AND ANGERED TRUMP WORLD THAT SHE IS FORMALLY JOINING THE MANHATTAN PROBE IN A WAY THAT CONFIRMS IT IS A CRIMINAL PROBE OF TRUMPS BUSINESS DEALINGS, FINANCES, EVERYTHING GOING ON. THE AGS OFFICE ALERTED THE TRUMP ORB TO THIS FACT. UP UNTIL THIS POINT, OUTSIDERS VIEWED WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE AS PRIMARILY OR LIKELY A CIVIL MATTER. THIS IS A CRIMINAL PROBE. THAT MEANS DEPENDING ON WHERE IT HEADS THAT PEOPLE COULD WIND UP IN JAIL. NOW, WE DONT KNOW WHO THIS PROBE IS SPECIFICALLY TARGETING RIGHT NOW. PROSECUTORS CERTAINLY ARENT TIPPING THEIR HANDS THAT WAY. WE DONT KNOW IF IT COULD STILL END WITH A FINDING THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE. THE FACT A CRIMINAL PROBE EXISTS DOESNT MEAN IT ENDS WITH CHARGES, OF COURSE. WE DONT KNOW IF IT WOULD BE ONE PERSON OR MORE THAN ONE PERSON. BUT JAIL BEING ON THE TABLE CHANGES EVERYTHING FOR ANYONE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS THING. THIS IS, SIMPLY PUT, A VERY BIG DEAL. THE INVESTIGATION REACHING A POINT WHERE THEY HAVE TO INFORM THOSE INVOLVED IF ANYONE INVOLVED HAS THEIR RIGHTS. NOW, THAT COULD INCLUDE, OF COURSE, THE PERSON AT THE HEAD OF THIS TRUMP ORGANIZATION, DONALD TRUMP. IT COULD INCLUDE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE TRUMP ORGANIZATIONS RECENT ACTIVITIES OR ANYTHING WITHIN THE NEW YORK STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. NOW, THIS IS A BIG DEAL. LET ME SHOW YOU SOMETHING ELSE. WE WILL PUT IT ON THE SCREEN HERE. DONALD TRUMP TODAY BASICALLY SAYING WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT ALL OF THIS. ITS A CORRUPT, DESPERATE SEARCH OR A CRIME THAT HE IMPLIES NEVER OCCURRED. NOW, YOU HAVE SEEN, IF YOU EVER WATCHED THE NEWS OR, FOR EXAMPLE, "THE BEAT," YOU HAVE SEEN US COVER LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO MAKE HIS DEFENSE EVERY TIME INCLUDING IMPUGNING OR ATTACKING THE INVESTIGATORS. BUT LEGALLY THAT STATEMENT DOESNT DO ANYTHING. AND THE OTHER BIG DIFFERENCE IS ONE WE ALL KNOW ABOUT. IT IS ONE THAT BASICALLY COURSES THROUGH SO MANY OF THE STORIES TODAY, INCLUDING WHAT CONGRESS IS DELIBERATING ON RIGHT NOW, WHETHER TO FULLY INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 6th. WHAT WAS JANUARY 6th ABOUT? WHAT WAS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP LOSING THE ELECTION. IT WAS ABOUT HIM BEING THE ELECTORAL LOSER. THAT MEANS, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, HE IS NOW A REGULAR CITIZEN. HE HAS NO PRESIDENTIAL POWERS TO ARM HIM LEGALLY OR IN THE COURTS AS HE DEALS WITH A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. HE DOESNT HAVE A HAND PICKED ATTORNEY GENERAL TO COME IN AND INTERPRET EVERYTHING AS MUCH AS THAT PERSON AND IN THE INSTANCE OF THE MUELLER PROBE. AND HE NO LONGER HAS A PARDON POWER, WHICH PROVED TO BE QUITE PIVOTAL ALAL AS HE PARDONED THOS THAT HAD HIS BACK TO THE END. SOMETIMES THESE STORIES CAN BE EXHAUSTED. BUT I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT. NOT IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. BUT IMPORTANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE RULE OF LAW STILL DOES FUNCTION IN THIS COUNTRY, HOWEVER IMPERFECTLY. THERE WERE YEARS OF BATTLES OVER WHETHER DONALD TRUMP COULD KEEP HIS TAX RETURNS HIDDEN. HE LOST THAT LONG BATTLE AND THAT CONNECTS TO THIS CASE TONIGHT BECAUSE THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL IS WORKING WITH THE D.A. WHO OBTAINED YEARS OF TAX RETURNS AND MILLIONS OF DOCUMENTS PERTAINING TO DONALD TRUMP AND MANY OF THE ISSUES UNDER REVIEW AT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION. THE MANHATTAN D.A. HAS ALSO BEEN MOVING CLOSER, WE KNOW TO TRUMPS INNER CIRCLE INCLUDING THE MONEY MAN ALLEN WEISSELBERG. HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT EVERYTHING DONALD TRUMP DID AND WANTED DONE THROUGH THIS TRUMP ORGANIZATION. PROSECUTORS ARE PRESSING HARD TO GET HIM TO COOPERATE. THEY EVEN SUBPOENAED A PRIVATE SCHOOL WHERE HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF HIS GRANDCHILDRENS TUITION WAS PAID FOR, SIGNED BY WEISSELBERG WHICH MIGHT SEEM PRETTY ORDINARY, OR DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF, WHICH IS NOT. MICHAEL COHEN DEFINITELY TURNED A LOT OF PEOPLES INTEREST TO WEISSELBERG AND THE WAY THE MONEY WORKED WHEN HE GAVE THAT INFAMOUS OR FAMOUS, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK, TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS IN 2019 BEFORE HE WENT TO TRIAL SAYING TRUMP DELIBERATELY PROVIDED MISLEADING OR FALSE VALUATIONS IN OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. REMEMBER, LYING IN DAY-TO-DAY LIFE IS NOT TECHNICALLY A CRIME. LYING TO THE GOVERNMENT, TO TAX AUTHORITIES, TO ANYONE IN THE NEW YORK GOVERNMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU PAID, THAT CAN BE CRIMINAL. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND BEFORE I BRING IN OUR EXPERTS BECAUSE HERE IS WHAT COHEN TOLD ME ABOUT TRUMPS MONEY MAN WEISSELBERG. >> THE ONLY FEW PEOPLE THAT IN THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION THAT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TAXES IS MR. TRUMP WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING, ALLEN WEISSELBERG, THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DON, IVANKA AND ERIC. THOSE ARE YOUR FIVE. >> THAT IS A TROOUMUMP LAWYER IN KNOW FOR YEARS TALKING ABOUT A TRUMP MONEY MAN WHO HAS BEEN IN THE KNOW ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS YEAR. THOUGH DONALD TRUMP REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL PEOPLE IN PUBLIC LIFE IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, MAYBE THE WORLD, I WANT TO TELL YOU, THIS NEWS IS NOT ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT DONALD TRUMP OR HOW HE PERFORMED AS PRESIDENT. HIS PERFORMANCE, HOWEVER ABYSMAL MANY PEOPLE FEEL IT WAS. WE KNOW THE BULK OF VOTERS TURNED AWAY FROM HIM WHEN GIVEN A REFERENDUM IS NOT UNDER VIEW IN THE COURTS. INDEED, I WILL TELL YOU THAT HOW GOOD OR BAD A PRESIDENT WAS SHOULD NEVER MATTER IN THE COURTS. WHAT MATTERS TONIGHT, WHATS SO SIGNIFICANT, IS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE THE OATH TO ENFORCE THESE LAWS WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR OR PARTISAN ADVANTAGE, THEY ARE MOVING TOWARDS A MORE SERIOUS REVIEW OF THIS AS A CRIMINAL MATTER. THAT SHOULD ONLY BE BECAUSE IF THEYRE DOING THEIR JOBS RIGHT THEY HAVE EVIDENCE, NOT ABOUT DONALD TRUMP THE PERSON OR THE POLITICIAN BUT ABOUT DONALD TRUMPS CONDUCT AND THE CONDUCT OF THE ORGANIZATION HE RAN, AND THEY HAVE EVIDENCE THAT MAKES THEM LOOK AT THIS AS A CRIMINAL PROBE. AND IF THEY FIND SOMETHING, WELL, THEY ARE DUTY BOUND TO CHARGE IT. IF THEY DONT FIND ANYTHING, THEYRE DUTY BOUND TO CLOSE OUT THE PROBE. EVERYONE DESERVED THE DUE PROCESS OF THIS SYSTEM. IT IS UNUSUAL IN THE EXTREME TO HAVE SOMEONE LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE AND SO SOON FIND THEMSELVES IN A NEWLY ANNOUNCED CRIMINAL PROBE. IT IS A BIG DEAL. WHERE IT HEADS FROM HERE SHOULD BE AS NONPARTISAN AND FAIR AS POSSIBLE LED BY THE EVIDENCE. NOW GIVEN THIS BIG NEWS STORY, WE HAVE LINED UP SOME EXPERTS THAT ARE VERY GOOD WITH LEGAL EXPERTS AND IM VERY HAPPY TO TURN TO THEM NOW. EMILY, FORMAL FEDERAL PROSECUTOR JOHN FLANRY AND JASON WHO WILL BRING UP THE INEVITABLE POLITICAL ASPECTS OF THIS. WE WILL TURN TO JASON ON THAT. I WANT TO START ON THE LAW AND ASK EMILY, WHAT DOES IT MEAN IN ENGLISH WHEN AT THIS JUNCTURE THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL MAKES AN ANNOUNCEMENT OR A CONFIRMATION LIKE THIS? >> WELL, WE KNOW THAT THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE IS GOING TO BRING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND FIRE POWER TO THIS CASE. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SHE HAS BEEN IN CHARGE OF A CIVIL INQUIREY THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE IS RUNNING A CRIMINAL INQUIRY. AND NOW WERE GOING TO SEE HOW THE THREADS OF THOSE TWO LINES FRAY TOGETHER. THEY SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN THE SAME TYPES OF QUESTIONS AND MATERIAL ABOUT FRAUD, ABOUT TAXES, ABOUT THESE KINDS OF PAYMENTS WE WERE DESCRIBING. AND NOW THESE OFFICERS WILL COME TOGETHER. THE FACT THEY ARE JOINING TOGETHER I WOULD SAY IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR DONALD TRUMP. >> NOT GOOD NEWS FOR DONALD TRUMP. AND JOHN FLANNERY WHO HAS BEEN COUNSEL TO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATIONS, JOHN, I THINK YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT THE COURTROOMS OF NEW YORK ARE NOT THE PLACE TO SETTLE ANY POLITICAL DISAGREEMENTS WITH DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS A HUGE STORY FOR ANY EX-PRESIDENT. IF A DIFFERENT EX-PRESIDENT IN WHATEVER PARTY WERE IN THIS SITUATION, IT WOULD ALSO BE OUR HUGE STORY. IT WOULD BE A HUGE DEAL, NOTWITHSTANDING SOME OF THE FATIGUE SOME PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT. WHAT IS LEGALLY IMPORTANT HERE SEPARATE FROM PEOPLES VIEWS OF DONALD TRUMP? >> WELL, I THINK SEPARATE FROM HIS VIEWS IS HIS CONDUCT, WHICH WE WOULDNT EXPECT TO HAVE AN HONEST DESCRIPTION FROM HIM. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS INVESTIGATION IS GOING. USUALLY YOU WOULD HAVE AN AG AND A DA WORRIED ABOUT TURF BATTLES. INSTEAD, THESE TWO, THESE TWO HEAVY WEIGHTS HAVE COME TOGETHER. I THINK THE REASON THEY CAME TOGETHER AND WHEN THEY CAME TOGETHER WAS IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. IN FEBRUARY, THE D.A. GOT THE TAX RECORDS. AND HE SOON AFTER THAT SAID, I DONT LIKE STEVE BANNONS PARDON AND HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. THE A.G. HAD ALSO LOOKED AT THAT BECAUSE OF HER EXPERTISE AND CHARITY WORK. NEXT THING WE KNOW IS ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERALS ARE EMBEDDED IN THE D.A.SOFFICE WHILE WHAT IS THE D.A. DOING? THE D.A. IS SEIZING WEISSELBERG TO GIVE EVIDENCE. NOW, THEYRE SQUEEZING HIM FOR WHATEVER THEY CLAIM HE DID WRONG AS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICE FOR 20 YEARS AND 20 YEARS BEFORE THAT HE WAS HANDLING ALL THE BOOKS AND RECORDS. SO THEY TARGET HIM. BUT THEY ALSO GO AFTER BARRY, HIS SON. AND I THINK THE TAXES, SUBPOENAS AND SO FORTH WERE TO SAY, DID YOU DECLARE THESE THINGS? DID YOU DECLARE THAT WONDERFUL LUXURY APARTMENT? DID YOU DECLARE THIS INCOME YOU GOT FOR TUITION FOR YOUR CHILDREN? WHAT ABOUT THAT NO SHOW JOB YOU HAVE DONE AT CENTRAL PARK? I THINK THEYRE SQUEEZING WEISSELBERG BY SQUEEZING HIS SON. NOW, WHO ELSE ARE THEY SQUEEZING IN STEVE BANNON. SO I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THIS. BUT WHEN YOU GO FROM A CIVIL CASE OF SIGNIFICANCE TO A CRIMINAL CASE, YOU DECIDED THAT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION IS THE SUBJECT OF INVESTIGATION, THE ORGANIZATION, TRUMP AND THE CHILDREN IDENTIFIED BY THE AG IN THE PAST. SO I THINK THIS IS A BIG DEAL. NOW, THEY HAVE DONE MORE IN NEW YORK BETWEEN THE AG AND THE DA THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AMERICA. YOU WANT TO HAVE GUTS FOR GLORY, THEY HAVE IT. AND I THINK THAT THEYRE LOOKING TO CLOSE. FOR ONE THING, THERE HAS TO BE CONCERN ABOUT THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. GOING BACK TO WEISSELBERG, MARK POMERANZ HAS BEEN WORKING OVER WEISSELBERG. AND VANCE, WHO IS NO SLEEPER HIMSELF WHEN IT COMES TO ASKING QUESTIONS, HAS BEEN ATTENDING AND WATCHING THIS RATHER THAN PARTICIPATING HIMSELF BECAUSE HE WANTS THIS TO BE DONE EFFICIENTLY AND HE WANTS THIS DONE WHILE IT IS ON HIS WATCH AND HE WANTS IT DONE BEFORE THE ELECTION AND HES CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. SO WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? WE HAVE A DAY OF HORROR FOR THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, ALL OF THEM, FROM TRUMP RIGHT DOWN THROUGH THE FAMILY, FINANCES AND EVERYTHING ELSE. YOU CAN GO AND DO TRASH TALK ALL YOU WANT ON TV. TRUMP HAS SOME EXPERIENCE ON THAT, BUT IT DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING. WHATEVER YOUR TITLE WAS BEFORE THIS INVESTIGATION BEGAN, YOURE IN A TOUGH PLACE. AND I THINK IT IS YOUR DAY OF RECKONING. I CANT SAY WHEN BECAUSE WE DONT KNOW ENOUGH. THEY HAVE VERY CAREFULLY CONTAINED WHAT THEYRE DOING. >> JOHN LAYING OUT ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT DISTINCT POINTS. HE DOES IT SEEMINGLY WITHOUT NOTES. IT IS QUITE STRIKING. YOUNG LAWYERS COULD LEARN FROM YOU, SIR. AND YOU MENTION ONE OF THE FIVE POINTS I WANT TO GET TO BEFORE --
>> IF YOU CANT DO THIS, YOU
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