THE IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS THAT
BEGAN THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON.
DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE PRESENTED
THEIR FIRST WITNESSES INTO
DONALD TRUMP'S REQUEST THAT THE
UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT OPEN UP AN
INVESTIGATION INTO JOE BIDEN IN
EXCHANGE FOR MILITARY AID.
THE QUESTION FOR MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS IS WHETHER THOSE
ACTIONS QUALIFY AS HIGH CRIMES
AND MISDEMEANOR AND THEREFORE
JUSTIFY IMPEACHMENT.
WE HEWE BEGIN WITH CONGRESSWOMAN GWEN
MOORE.
WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU SO FAR IN
THE TESTIMONY THAT WE'VE HEARD?
>> WHAT HAS STOOD OUT TO ME MOST
OF ALL, ZAC, IS THE INTEGRITY OF
THESE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS
WHO HAVE COME FORWARD.
THEIR EXCELLENT CREDENTIALS, THE
FACT THAT THEY'VE SERVED OUR
COUNTRY OVER THIS REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENT, BUT DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENTS IN THE PAST.
THEY'RE FACT WITNESSES.
THEY'RE NOT THERE WITH A DOG IN
THE FIGHT, BUT SIMPLY TO GIVE
THE FACTS.
>> YESTERDAY HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY
PELOSI STARTED USING THE TERM
BRIBERY TO DESCRIBE DONALD
TRUMP'S ACTIONS.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT TERM?
>> ACTUALLY, THAT WORD IS TAKEN
FROM THE CONSTITUTION.
WHAT OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE
VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WAS
BRIBERY.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE WHOLE CODE
OF -- THE CRIMINAL CODE THAT HAS
EVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES
SINCE THEY FOUNDED THE COUNTRY.
BUT THEY WERE VERY CLEAR THAT
THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
ABUSE OF POWER AND BRIBERY OF OR
FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE FOUNDING
FATHERS ANTICIPATED THIS
PRESIDENT.
>> NOW, SOME OF THESE WITNESSES
HAVE ALREADY TESTIFIED BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS.
WHAT'S THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING
THEM TESTIFY IN PUBLIC?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED
A GREAT DEAL THROUGH THIS
PROCESS.
AND THIS WAS -- THE BEHIND THE
CLOSED DOORS PHASE WAS THE
INDICTMENT PHASE.
AND WHEN SUBJECTS ARE BEING
INDICTED, THOSE TESTIMONIES ARE
OFTEN TAKEN BEFORE A GRAND JURY
OR BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
AND THIS WOULD BE SORT OF THE
PUBLIC PART OF THE INDICTMENT.
SO BEFORE THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES MAKES THE
INDICTMENT AND IMPEACHES -- AND
PUTS FORWARD ARTICLES OF
IMPEACHMENT, WE WANT THE PUBLIC
TO KNOW AND SEE WHAT THE
REASONING IS BEHIND THESE
CHARGES.
AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC WILL
HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE
FOR THEMSELVES WHETHER OR NOT
THERE WAS AN ABUSE OF POWER,
WHETHER OR NOT BRIBERY OF A
FOREIGN COUNTRY WAS INVOLVED AND
WHETHER OR NOT THE PRESIDENT
USED THE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENCY FOR CORRUPT PURPOSES.
>> THE VOTES TO IMPEACH IN THE
HOUSE AND A POTENTIAL VOTE TO
CONVICT IN THE SENATE COME WITH
POLITICAL BAGGAGE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS SHIFTING PUBLIC
OPINION BEFORE THOSE VOTES
OCCUR?
>> I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT TO HAVE PUBLIC
SENTIMENT.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT IS EVERYTHING.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, ZAC, WE ALL
TOOK AN OATH OF OFFICE TO
SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
AND IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AND IF THE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE DETERMINES
THAT THERE ARE LEGITIMATE
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT, TO MOVE
FORWARD AND TO DO OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD
WORRY ABOUT THE POLITICAL
FALLOUT, WILL THIS MEAN THAT WE
WILL OR WILL NOT BE BE
REELECTED, AND I THINK THAT THAT
IS WHAT I FIND SO DISAPPOINTING,
THAT WE ARE NOT FINDING OUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES STEPPING
UP TO MEET THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL
OBLIGATIONS TO ASK LEGITIMATE
QUESTIONS, BUT PREDETERMINING
THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ON
THE WRONG SIDE OF THIS
PRESIDENT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT IN THE FINAL
ANALYSIS MAY INURE TO CERTAINLY
A A DOWNGRADING OF THE GOP, THE
GRAND OLD PARTY.
>> NOW, WE'VE READ A LOT OF
REPORTS ABOUT HOW REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS ARE SUPPORTING TRUMP
PUBLICLY BUT ARE SAYING
DIFFERENT THINGS BEHIND CLOSED
DOORS.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?
ARE YOU SPEAKING TO ANY OF YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES?
>> I ACTUALLY AM.
I HAVE HAVE QUIET CONVERSATIONS
WITH REPUBLICANS AND I HAVE NOT
ASKED THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY
REALLY THOUGHT.
I'VE ONLY ADMONISHED THEM TO
THINK ABOUT THEIR CAREERS BEYOND
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP WILL NOT ALWAYS BE
THE PRESIDENT.
AND FOR THOSE REPUBLICANS THAT I
CARE FOR -- AND THERE ARE MANY
THAT I PERSONALLY CARE FOR --
I'M ASKING THEM TO THINK ABOUT
THEIR PERSONAL REPUTATIONS,
THEIR OWN INTEGRITY, THEIR
CONSCIENCE, THEIR SOULS AND
CERTAINLY THE OATH THAT THEY
TOOK.
AND IF THEY CAN'T STAND UP AND
BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO LOOK AT THE
FACTS -- SOME REPUBLICANS HAVE
SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOOK AT
THE FACTS.
IF THEY CAN'T REALLY LOOK AT THE
FACTS, THEY OUGHT TO REEXAMINE
WHY THEY RAN FOR OFFICE.
@>> HOW MANY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
IN EITHER PARTY DO YOU THINK ARE
STILL UNDECIDED ON IMPEACHMENT
AND WANT TO HEAR ALL THE
TESTIMONY TO MAKE UP THEIR
MINDS?
>> YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT
THERE ARE MANY AMERICANS AND
THERE ARE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
WHO REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DO
WANT TO HEAR THE FACTS.
AND I DO THINK THAT WITHIN THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS FOR SURE I
KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO
REALLY DO WANT TO HEAR THE
FACTS.
THEY WANT TO THREAD THAT NEEDLE.
BECAUSE IT IS VERY CONSEQUENTAL
WHAT THEY DO.
WE HAVE SO MANY BRAVE DEMOCRATS,
PARTICULARLY THE WOMEN WHO HAVE
BACKGROUNDS IN INTELLIGENCE,
BACKGROUNDS, AGAIN, WITH THE CIA
AND SPECIAL FORCES, WHO ARE
PUTTING THEMSELVES AT POTENTIAL
ELECTION RISK TO DO THE RIGHT
THING.
AND I ADMIRE THESE WOMEN SO MUCH
BECAUSE THEY ARE STANDING ON
PRINCIPLE AND NOT JUST STANDING
ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS WILL
AFFECT THEIR ELECTION OUTCOMES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
CONGRESSWOMAN MOORE, TH