WEBVTT

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>>> WE HAVE THIS OTHER BREAKING 
NEWS STORY TONIGHT APART FROM   

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THE BIG BOMBSHELL REPORTING BY  
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" THAT DONALD

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TRUMP TOLD JAMES COMEY TO END   
THE FBI'S INQUIRY INTO HIS      

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FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
MIKE FLYNN.                     

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THE PRESIDENT HAS PREVIOUSLY    
ADMITTED OPENLY IN AN INTERVIEW 

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WITH NBC'S LESTER HOLT A FEW    
DAYS AGO THAT WHAT WAS ON HIS   

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MIND WHEN HE FIRED THE FBI      
DIRECTOR WAS HIS OWN DISACCESS  

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WITH THE TRUMP/RUSSIA           
INVESTIGATION.                  

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THIS NEW REPORTING FROM "THE    
TIMES" PUTS A MUCH FINER POINT  

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ON IT WITH THE DIRECTOR SAYING  
AT LEAST ON THE MIKE FLYNN PART 

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OF THE TRUMP/RUSSIA             
INVESTIGATION THE PRESSURE TO   

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END THE INVESTIGATION WAS DIRECT
AND IT WAS PERSONALLY DELIVERED 

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BY THE PRESIDENT IN THE OVAL    
OFFICE.                         

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IF THIS -- IF THIS REPORTING    
TONIGHT IS TRUE, WE JUST HOSTED 

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ERIC SCHMIDT, THE REPORTER FROM 
"THE TIMES" TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE

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CAME TO THIS STORY AND WHY "THE 
TIMES" BELIEVED IT WAS TRUE IN  

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THE LIGHT OF THE WHITE HOUSE'S  
DENIAL SINCE IT WAS PUBLISHED.  

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IF THIS WAS TRUE, THIS WOULD    
APPEAR TO BE A BLUNT EXAMPLE OF 

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OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.         
THIS WOULD BE LIKE A HAM-HANDED 

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PAGEANT DESIGNED TO CONVEY THE  
DEFINITION OF OBSTRUCTION OF    

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JUSTICE.                        
IMPORTANTLY, THOUGH, IN THIS    

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"NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTING,     
MICHAEL SCHMIDT REPORTS THAT    

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DIRECTOR COMEY SHARED THE MEMO  
WITH SENIOR FBI OFFICIALS.      

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WE JUST HEARD DESCRIPTION FROM  
MICHAEL SCHMIDT THERE THAT THESE

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MEMOS WERE CIRCULATED BY COMEY, 
CONTEMPORANEOUSLY AT THE TIME TO

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OTHER TOP STAFFERS AT THE FBI   
AND HE INITIALLED THEM WHEN HE  

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DID IT.                         
AND HE DID THAT, ACCORDING TO   

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"THE TIMES" BECAUSE COMEY AND   
HIS TOP STAFFERS PERCEIVED THAT 

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CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT 
AS AN EFFORT BY THE PRESIDENT TO

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IMPEDE THE FBI'S INVESTIGATION. 
BUT, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, AT  

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LEAST IN "THE TIMES'" TELLING,  
COMEY CIRCULATED THE STUFF AMONG

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OTHER SENIOR FBI OFFICIALS BUT  
HE AND THOSE OTHER SENIOR FBI   

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OFFICIALS DELIBERATELY DID NOT  
SHARE THE MEMO WITH THE FBI     

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AGENTS WHO WERE ACTUALLY WORKING
DAY-TO-DAY ON THE TRUMP/RUSSIA  

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INVESTIGATION.                  
AND THAT MAKES SENSE.           

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IF THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO   
PRESSURE THE FBI ON THAT        

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INQUIRY, IT MAKES SENSE THAT THE
FBI DIRECTOR MIGHT TRY TO SHIELD

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THE AGENTS DOING THAT WORK FROM 
THAT PRESSURE.                  

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BY NOT LETTING THEM KNOW THAT   
THAT PRESSURE WAS BEING EXERTED 

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BY THE PRESIDENT DIRECTLY IN THE
OVAL OFFICE ON THE AGENCY'S     

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DIRECTOR.                       
SO, ACCORDING TO "THE TIMES"    

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TONIGHT, THIS PRESSURE FROM THE 
PRESIDENT THAT HAS BEEN DENIED  

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BY THE WHITE HOUSE BUT IS       
ASSERTED BY "THE NEW YORK       

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TIMES," REPORTEDLY WITH         
CONTEMPORANEOUSLY DOCUMENTATION 

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FROM COMEY.                     
IF THAT PRESSURE HAPPENED, THAT 

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PRESSURE WAS NOT CONVEYED TO THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE WORK OF

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THE INVESTIGATION.              
NOW WE ALSO KNOW THAT DESPITE   

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THAT PRESSURE, DESPITE THAT     
REPORTED FEBRUARY 14th MEETING  

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WHERE THE PRESIDENT ALLEGEDLY   
TOLD THE DIRECTOR TO KIBOSH THE 

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FLYNN INVESTIGATION, WE ALSO    
KNOW FROM OTHER INDEPENDENT     

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SOURCES THAT THE INVESTIGATION  
INTO FLYNN WASN'T STOPPED BY    

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THAT MEETING.                   
THAT IT CONTINUED PAST THAT     

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POINT.                          
WE KNOW THAT IN PART BECAUSE OF 

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THE REPORTING JUST LAST WEEK    
THAT FEDERAL GRAND JURY         

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SUBPOENAS HAVE NOW BEEN SENT OUT
TO FLYNN'S FORMER BUSINESS      

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ASSOCIATES FROM THE U.S.        
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN ALEXANDRIA,

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VIRGINIA.                       
SNEN WAS FIRST TO BREAK THAT    

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NEWS LAST WEEK.                 
OUR NEWS ORGANIZATION HAS ALSO  

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SINCE CONFIRMED THAT REPORT.    
TONIGHT WHAT WE'RE REPORTING    

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HERE EXCLUSIVELY IS THAT ANOTHER
SUBPOENA HAS BEEN ISSUED AS PART

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OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS   
INTO PRESIDENT TRUMP'S          

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ASSOCIATES.                     
NBC NEWS REPORTING EXCLUSIVELY  

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TONIGHT THAT FEDERAL            
INVESTIGATORS HAVE SUBPOENAED   

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RECORDS RELATED TO A $3.5       
MILLION LOAN TAKEN OUT BY FORMER

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TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER PAUL     
MANAFORT LAST YEAR.             

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NOW WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS $3.5 
MILLION LOAN WAS IMPROPER OR    

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ILLEGAL.                        
WHAT WE KNOW IS IT'S PART OF A  

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FEDERAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION  
NOW.                            

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ON AUGUST 14th, LAST YEAR, "THE 
NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTED THAT   

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TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN PAUL  
MANAFORT HAD TURNED UP -- HIS   

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NAME HAD TURNED OUP A LEDGER OF 
SECRET PAYMENTS.                

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ALLEGEDLY MADE BY THE POLITICAL 
PARTY CONTROLLED BY PAUL        

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MANAFORT'S CONSULTING CLIENT IN 
UKRAINE NEPPRO-PUTIN DICTATOR   

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CALLED YANUKOVICH.              
THE FBI IS BELIEVED TO BE       

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INVOLVED IN UKRAINE IN WHAT IS A
CLEPTOCRACY INVESTIGATION.      

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THE FBI IS BELIEVED TO BE       
INVOLVED IN AN INVESTIGATION    

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INTO WHAT YANOKOVICH DID WITH   
THE MONEY HE APPEARS TO HAVE    

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STOLEN BY THE BOAT LOAD FROM THE
GOVERNMENT 69 UKRAINE.          

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PAUL MANAFORT BEING LISTED AS A 
PERSON EARMARKED TO RECEIVE     

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MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS     
SECRET LEDGER FROM YANUKOVICH'S 

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POLITICAL PARTY.                
THIS WAS THE FIRST INKLING THAT 

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FBI AGENTS MIGHT SOON BE MAKING 
PAUL MANAFORT'S ACQUAINTANCE.   

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AUGUST 18th, NBC NEWS REPORTED  
ON WIDER SCRUTINY OF PAUL       

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MANAFORT'S BUSINESS TIES        
INCLUDING HIS                   

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MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR INVOLVEMENT 
IN INTERESTING REAL ESTATE DEALS

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INVOLVING RUSSIA-CONNECTED      
BILLIONAIRES AND PEOPLE WITH    

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DONALD TRUMP REAL ESTATE        
CONNECTIONS.                    

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A DAY AFTER NBC PUBLISHED THAT, 
PAUL MANAFORT RESIGNED AS       

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CHAIRMAN OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN. 
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?              

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INTERESTINGLY, INTERESTINGLY,   
THAT DAY WAS A BUSY DAY.        

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THE EXACT SAME DAY HE RESIGNED  
FROM THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, PAUL   

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MANAFORT ALSO FOUND TIME TO     
REGISTER A HOLDING COMPANY.     

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A HOLDING COMPANY THAT TOOK OUT 
A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR CASH REAL 

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STAETS LOAN.                    
THIS PARTICULAR LOAN TAKEN OUT  

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AGAINST A HOME IN THE HAMPTONS  
WHICH IS A SWANKY PART OF LONG  

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ISLAND IN NEW YORK.             
NBC NEWS REPORTERS TOM WINTER   

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AND KENZIE ABU SABI ARE CITING A
SOURCE FAMILIAR WITH THE        

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MATTERS.                        
THEY SAY THAT LOAN, $3.5 MILLION

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CASH LOAN TAKEN OUT AGAINST THAT
HOUSE IN THE HAMPTONS, USING A  

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HOLDING COMPANY THAT PAUL       
MANAFORT REGISTERED THE DAY HE  

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RESIGNED FROM THE CAMPAIGN, THAT
LOAN HAS ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION

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OF FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS.       
THE SUBPOENA RELEASED TO THIS   

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LOAN IS PART OF A FEDERAL       
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.         

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THIS IS THE SECOND ROUND OF     
SUBPOENAS WE CAN CONFIRM THAT WE

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KNOW HAVE BEEN ISSUED CONCERNING
HIGH-RANKING MEMBERS OF THE     

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TRUMP CAMPAIGN.                 
THEY BOTH INVOLVE MONEY AND     

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INTEREST INTERESTS.             
THE FIRST ABOUT MIKE FLYNN.     

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THE SECOND ONE ABOUT PAUL       
MANAFORT.                       

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NBC REACHED OUT TO PAUL         
MANAFORT'S SPOKESMAN FOR COMMENT

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ON THIS REPORTING.              
HE RELEASED THIS STATEMENT.     

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QUOTE, MR. MANAFORT HAS NOT BEEN
CONTACTED BY ANY AUTHORITIES    

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OTHER THAN THE U.S. CONGRESS AND
OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR FARA  

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GUIDANCE WHICH IS THE FOREIGN   
AGENT REGISTRATION ACT.         

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AND HE IS COOPERATE WITH THOSE  
INQUIRIES.                      

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NOW SINCE THEY BRING IT UP,     
SINCE PAUL MANAFORT'S SPOKESMAN 

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IS BRINGING UP THE FOREIGN AGENT
REGISTRATION ACT, WHEN HE SAYS  

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THAT THEY'VE HEARD FROM         
OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR FARA  

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GUIDANCE, THAT MEANS PRESUMABLY 
THEY'VE HEARD FROM JUSTICE      

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DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ABOUT THE  
FOREIGN AGENT REGISTRATION ACT  

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AND PAUL MANAFORT POTENTIALLY   
HAVING TO REGISTER UNDER THAT   

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ACT.                            
I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE  

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REPORTED ON THIS SHOW THAT EVEN 
THOUGH IT HAS BEEN WIDELY       

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REPORTED AND IT IS WIDELY       
BELIEVED THAT PAUL MANAFORT     

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RETROACTIVELY REGISTERED AS A   
FOREIGN AGENT AFTER HE LEFT THE 

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CAMPAIGN, IN FACT HE HAS NOT    
DONE SO.                        

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WE'VE ALSO REPORTED THIS ODD    
NEWS OUT OF THE JUSTICE         

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DEPARTMENT WHICH OVERSEES THE   
FOREIGN AGENT REGISTRATION ACT. 

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WE'VE REPORTED EXCLUSIVELY THE  
NEWS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

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REFUSES TO SAY ONE WAY OR THE   
OTHER IF ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF  

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SESSIONS HAS RECUSED HIMSELF    
FROM ANY LEGAL INVESTIGATIONS   

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INVOLVING THE FORMER TRUMP      
CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN PAUL MANAFORT.

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THEY HAVE SAID THAT SESSIONS IS 
RECUSED FROM THINGS INVOLVING   

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MIKE FLYNN.                     
THEY WILL NOT SAY ONE WAY OR THE

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OTHER ABOUT WHETHER HE IS       
RECUSED FROM THINGS INVOLVING   

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PAUL MANAFORT.                  
IN TERMS OF THIS NEW SUBPOENA   

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TONIGHT, NBC NEWS REACHED OUT TO
THE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM THAT   

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LOANED MR. MANAFORT THAT $3.5   
MILLION RIGHT AFTER HE LEFT THE 

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TRUMP CAMPAIGN.                 
THE FIRM HAS DECLINED TO XHENT. 

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THAT FIRM IS CALLED SPRUCE      
CAPITAL.                        

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IT'S A SUBSIDIARY OF SPRUCE     
CAPITAL CO-FOUNDED BY SOMEONE   

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WHO HAS PARTNERED WITH DONALD   
TRUMP ON REAL ESTATE DEALS IN   

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THE PAST AND PARTLY FUNDED BY A 
UKRAINIAN AMERICAN BILLIONAIRE  

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WHO TRIED TO MAKE A DONATION TO 
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN THAT WILDLY  

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EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM DONATION   
THAT IS ALLOWED.                

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SO THIS NEW NEWS TONIGHT COMES  
AFTER "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" 

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REPORTED THIS WEEK THAT THE     
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING   

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INTO MANAFORT'S BANKING RECORDS.
THEY'VE REQUESTED BANKING       

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RECORDS FROM CITIZENS FINANCIAL 
GROUP.                          

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CITIZENS GAVE MANAFORT A $2.7   
MILLION LOAN LAST YEAR ON ONE OF

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MANAFORT'S CONDOS IN MANHATTAN. 
HIS REAL ESTATE DEALS IN NEW    

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YORK STATE ARE BEING LOOKED INTO
BY THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY        

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GENERAL'S OFFICE AND BY THE     
MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S   

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OFFICE.                         
BUT TONIGHT NBC NEWS CONFIRMS A 

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FEDERAL INVESTIGATOR -- THAT    
FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS HAVE      

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ISSUED A SUBPOENA FOR RECORDS   
RELEASED TO THIS LOAN TAKEN OUT 

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BY MANAFORT LAST YEAR.          

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RIGHT AFTER -- IMMEDIATELY AFTER
HE LEFT THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN UNDER

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A CLOUD OF SUSPICION ABOUT HIS  
TIES TO PRO-KREMLIN POLITICAL   

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FIGURES IN UKRAINE.             
WHY DID PAUL MANAFORT LEAVE THE 

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TRUMP CAMPAIGN EXACTLY WHEN HE  
DID?                            

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WHAT ARRANGEMENT DID HE MAKE    
WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN ABOUT   

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THE TERMS OF HIS LEAVING?       
WHY DID HE DO MULTIPLE,         

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MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR CASH-HEAVY  
REAL ESTATE DEALS IN AND AROUND 

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NEW YORK CITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER 
THE TIME WHEN HE LEFT THE TRUMP 

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CAMPAIGN?                       
AND IF FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS ARE

00:09:47.099 --> 00:09:52.365
NOW ONTO THAT, WHEN IT COMES TO 
PAUL MANAFORT, DOES THAT CREATE 

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PRESSURE FOR PAUL MANAFORT TO   
TALK TO INVESTIGATORS ABOUT     

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ANYTHING ELSE HE KNOWS THAT     
MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THEIR      

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BROADER