JUDGE
LATE
THIS
WEEK
%SENTENCED AN ASSOCIATE
OF
%PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
ON
%OBSTRUCTION AND
PERJURY
CHARGES
%RELATED TO
THE
RUSSIAN
ELECTION
%INTERFERENCE INVESTIGATION.
%THE
JUDGE SEVENTEEN
TENNED
SENTENCED
ROGER
STONE
%TO
THREE
YEARS,
FOUR
MONTHS
IN A
%CASE
THAT
SAW
PRESIDENT
TRUMP
%INTERFERE.
%AFTER THE
PRESIDENT'S
TWEETS
A
ND
%COMMENTS,
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
WILL
%BUM
%WILLIAM BARR
OVERRULED
HIS
OWN
%PROSECUTORS WHO
THEN
QUIT
THE
%CASE.
%MORE
THAN
2,000
FORMER FEDERAL
%PROSECUTORS
AND
U.S.
ATTORNEYS
%HAVE
SIGNED ON
TO A
LETTER
%DEMANDING
THAT WILLIAM
BARR
%RESIGN
SAYING THEY
STRONGLY
%CONDEMN
HIS
INTERFERENCE
IN
THE
%FAIR
ADMINISTRATION
OF
JUSTICE.
%AMONG THOSE
SIGNING
ON
T
O
THE
%CALL,
FORMER
U.S. ATTORNEY
FOR
%THE
WESTERN
DISTRICT
OF
%
WISCONSIN JOHN VAUDREUIL.
%HE
JOINS
US
NOW.
%SO I
KNO
W
THAT
PRESIDENT BARACK
%OBAMA
PLACED
YOU
AS
U.S.
%ATTORNEY.
%IS
THIS A
SITUATION WHERE
YOUR
%CALLS AND
THE
CALLS OF
THE
%OTHERS
FOR WILLIAM
BARR
TO
%
RESIGN, IS THIS
POLITICAL?
%>>
SPEAKING
FOR
ME,
ABSOLUTELY
%NOT.
%
I
SIGNED
BECAUSE
I
BELIEVE
WE'RE%A
NATION O
F
LAWS,
RULE
O
F
LAW
.
%AND
THE
WAY
PROSECUTORS DO
THAT
%IS BY
MAKING
DECISIONS
BASED ON
FACTS,
NOT
BASED
O
N
FAVOR,
%NOT BASED ON
FEAR,
NOT
BASED
ON
%WHO
SOMEBODY
I
S
OR
WHO
SOMEBODY
%KNOWS.
%AND I
THINK
THE
DECISIONS
IN
%THIS CASE AND
THE
PUBLIC
%STATEMENTS HAVE
DAMAGED
THAT
%TRUST
WITH
THE
PUBLIC.
%>>
NOW,
YOU
KNOW WILLIAM
BARR.
%DID THIS
SURPRISE
YOU?
%>> I
MET
HIM ONCE
AND
I
KNEW
%HIM,
I
WORKED
UNDER
HIM
WHEN HE
%WAS
THE
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
UNDER
%PRESIDENT BUSH.
%I
THOUGHT GOOD.
%HE'S A
GOOD
LAWYER.
%AND
I
MUST
ADMIT
HIS
BEHAVIOR
%SINCE
HE'S
BECOME
ATTORNEY
%GENERAL
HAS
SURPRISED M
E
%CONTINUOUSLY.%>>
WHY
DOESN'T,
THOUGH, AN
U.S.
%ATTORNEY GENERAL HAVE
THE
%AUTHORITY TO
TELL
HIS
ATTORNEYS
%WHAT
TO
DO
IN A
CASE?
%>> EXCELLENT QUESTION.
%AND
IT'S A
DIFFERENT SITUATION.
%HE
IS THE
BOSS OF
THE
U.S.
%
ATTORNEYS.
%THERE ARE
CASES
THA
T
YOU
ARE
%CONSULTING WITH
THE
ATTORNEY
%GENERAL, YOU
SEEK
APPROVAL,%TERRORISM
CASES,
HIGH-LEVEL
%CORRUPTION
CASES
LIKE
THE
STONE
%CASE.
%IT'S
DIFFERENT.
%AND THAT'S
POLICY.
%AND
THE
PRESIDENT HAS SET
%POLICY,
WHETHER
IT'S PRESIDENT
%OBAMA,
PRESIDENT
REAGAN,
%PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
%BUT
THEY
DON'T
WEIGH
IN
ON
%INDIVIDUAL
CASES
AND
PUT
THEIR
%THUMB ON THE
SCALE
OF
JUSTICE.
%FOR
THE
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
T
O
%WEIGH IN
IN A CASE
AND
DISCUSS
%IT WITH
PROSECUTORS
IS
NORMAL.
%BUT
TO DO
IT,
IF
HE
DID,
AT
THE
%DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
IS
THINK
DID DO
IT
AT
%THE DIRECTION OF
THE
PRESIDENT?
%>> HE
SAYS
HE
DIDN'T.
%I WOULD
LIKE
T
O
TAKE
PEOPLE
--
%I'M THAT
KIND
OF
PERSON
FROM
%WISCONSIN.
%I TAKE
PEOPLE
AT
THEIR
WORD.
%
THE
TIMING
OF IT
IS
SUCH
THAT
I
%THINK
PEOPLE
COULD
PRESUME
THAT
%HE
DID DO
IT
WITH
THE
%PRESIDENT'S
DIRECTION.%>> WHAT IS
YOUR
EXPECTATION
THAT
%THE
ATTORNEY
GENERAL WIL
L
HEED
%YOUR CALL
AND
RESIGN?
%>> I
THINK
VERY,
VERY
SLIM
T
O
%NONE.
%I THINK
H
E
IS
VERY
COMFORTABLE.
%HE'S
MADE
HIS
PUBLIC
STATEMENTS%
TO
THE
PRESIDENT.
%AND
PERHAPS THAT'S
ENOUGH.
%PERHAPS THAT PUTS
THE
JUSTICE
%DEPARTMENT BACK ON TRACK.
%I
THINK THEY
HAVE
DAMAGED THAT
%TRUST
WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO
BUILD
%WITH
THE
PUBLIC
AND IT WIL
L
TAKE%A LONG
TIME
TO
REBUILD
THAT
%TRUST.%>>
WHAT DO YOU
THINK
SHOULD
HE
%NOT STEP
DOWN,
WHICH
YOU
SAY
I
S
%UNLIKELY, WILL
BE
THE
RESPONSE
%OF
DOJ
EMPLOYEES
AND
U.S.
%ATTORNEYS
LIKE
YOURSELF?
%>>
I
THINK
AND
I
HOPE
-
AND
I
%KNOW A
LOT
OF
THEM.
%THESE
ARE GOOD
PEOPLE.
%AND I
THINK
IF THEY ARE
CALLED
%TO
DO
SOMETHING THE
Y
B
ELIEVE I
S
%POLITICAL, THEY
WILL
OBJECT,
%THEY
WIL
L
RESIGN
IF
NEED
BE,
%THEY
WILL
REPORT
ANY
SUCH
%CONDUCT TO
THE OFFICE
O
F
%PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND
%THEY WILL
KEEP
THE
DEPARTMENT
%THAT
THEY
LOVE
WORKING
FOR
%JUSTICE.%>>
HOW
UNPRECEDENT
IS
THIS
WHOLE
%SITUATION?
%
>> IT IS
--
I
CAN
SPEAK
FOR
THE
%40
YEARS WHEN I WAS
I
N
THE%DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
%REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTS.
%
IT IS
TOTALLY
UNPRECEDENTED.
%CERTAINLY PUBLICLY.
%I DON'T
KNOW
WHAT'S
GONE
ON
%BEHIND-THE-SCENES NOW AND
THEN.
%BUT NOTHING
HAS
EVER
LED
ME
T
O
%BELIEVE THAT WE
WERE
MAKING
%POLITICAL
DECISIONS
AND
TELLING
%THE PEOPLE WHO
YOU
ARE
AS A
%DEFENDANT MATTERS.
%BECAUSE
IT'S
NOT
SUPPOSED TO
BE
%WHO
YOU
ARE
THAT
MATTERS.
%WHO
YOU
KNOW
ISN'T
SUPPOSED TO
%MATTER.
%AND
EVERYTHING
THE
PRESIDENT
%SAID
IN
THIS
CASE
SAYS
WHO
YOU
%ARE AND
WHO
YOU
KNOW
MATTERS.%>> WHAT
WOULD YOU
HAVE
DONE
IF
%THIS
HAPPENED
WHILE YOU
WER
E
%U.S.
ATTORNEY HERE IN
WISCONSIN?
%>>
I
THINK
HAD
I
--
HAD
WE
%WORKED IT THROUGH
THE
%RECOMMENDATION JUST THE WAY
IT
%DOES, LINE
ATTORNEYS
WORK ON THE
%CASE, DISCUSS IT
WITH THE
BOSS,
%THE U.S.
ATTORNEY,
DISCUSS
IT
%WITH
DOJ
AND
THEN
MAK
E
THEIR
%RECOMMENDATION.
%AND
HAD
I
BEE
N
TOLD
TO
CHANGE
I
T
%AND HAD
I
BELIEVED IT WAS
A
T
THE
%DIRECTION OF THE
PRESIDENT,
I%WOULD
HAVE
RESIGNED.%>>
WHAT WOULD
BE
THE
REACTION,
%DO YOU
SUPPOSE, IF
THE
PRESIDENT
%PARDONS
ROGER
STONE?
%>>
I
THINK
CERTAINLY IT'S
HIS
%RIGHT
AND WE
CAN
-
W
E
CAN'T
%QUIBBLE
OVER
THINGS
THAT
THE
%PRESIDENT HAS THE
RIGHT TO
DO.
%IT'S NOT A
GAINST
THE
LAW.
%AS A
DECISION THAT
SMACKS
AT
%JUSTICE, I
THINK
THERE WILL
BE A%LARGE PORTION OF THE PUBLIC
THAT
%THINK,
SURE,
THE
FIX
WAS
IN.
%AND
THE
PROCESS
PLAYED
OUT.
%MAN WAS
SENTENCED
TO
PRISON.
%BUT HIS
FRIEND,
THE
PRESIDENT,
%COMMUTED
THAT
SENTENCE
OR
PAR
%DONS HIM.
%I
THINK A
LOT
OF
PEOPLE
IN
THIS
%
COUNTRY WILL THINK
THE
FIX
IS
I
N
%AND
THAT'S
WHAT
IS
VERY