WEBVTT

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   DEVELOPMENTS BREAKING        
   AS WE COME ON THE AIR        
   TONIGHT RELATED TO THE       

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   RUSSIA CONTROVERSY,          
   SWIRLING AROUND THE          
   PRESIDENT T. JUSTICE         

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   DEPARTMENT HAS JUST          
   ANNOUNCED A SPECIAL          
   COUNSEL TO LEAD A NEW        

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   INVESTIGATION INTO           
   RUSSIA INFLUENCE IN          
   THE ELECTION AND             

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   WHETHER THERE WAS            
   COORDINATION WITH            
   MEMBERS OF THE TRUMP         

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   CAMPAIGN.                    
   THE DEPARTMENT NAMING        
   FORMER FBI CHIEF             

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   ROBERT MUELLER AS            
   SPECIAL COUNSEL.             
   THE DECISION TO BOW TO       

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   THE GROWING PRESSURE         
   OF CAPITOL HILL AFTER        
   THE PRESIDENT'S FIRING       

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   OF FBI DIRECTOR JAMES        
   COMEY, WHO WAS LEADING       
   HIS OWN RUSSIAN              

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   INVESTIGATION AND THE        
   CASCADE OF STUNNING          
   DEVELOPMENTS THIS WEEK       

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   THAT HAVE FOLLOWED.          
   JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT        
   PETE WILLIAMS HAS THE        

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   BREAKING DETAILS FROM        
   OUR WASHINGTON               
   NEWSROOM, PETE, WHAT         

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   DO YOU KNOW?                 
   >> Reporter: WELL,           
   LESTER, AFTER SERVING        

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   AS THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY       
   GENERAL FOR THREE            
   WEEKS, ROD ROSENSTEIN        

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   TODAY TOOK HIMSELF OUT       
   OF OVERSEEING THE            
   RUSSIA INVESTIGATION,        

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   TURNING THAT OVER TO         
   ROBERT MUELLER, SAYING       
   THE MOVE IS IN THE           

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   PUBLIC INTEREST SO THE       
   PUBLIC CAN HAVE              
   CONFIDENCE IN THE            

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   OUTCOME.                     
   MUELLER IS THE FORMER        
   FBI DIRECTOR, WHO            

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   SERVED 12 YEARS IN           
   THAT JOB, HELD OVER          
   TWO EXTRA YEARS BEFORE       

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   JAMES COMEY BECAME THE       
   FBI DIRECTOR, NEXT TO        
   J. EDGAR HOOVER              

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   MUELLER IS THE LONGEST       
   STANDING IN THAT JOB.        
   HE WILL HAVE THE FULL        

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   ATTORNEY THAT ANY U.S.       
   ATTORNEY WOULD,              
   INCLUDING THE POWER TO       

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   FILE CHARGES.                
   CONGRESSIONAL                
   DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN          

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   PUSHING FOR A SPECIAL        
   COUNSEL SINCE ROWS           
   SUBPOENA STEIN WAS           

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   CONFIRMED AND SINCE          
   ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF        
   SESSIONS TOOK HIMSELF        

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   OUT OF MAKING ANY            
   DECISIONS ABOUT THE          
   INVESTIGATION.               

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   MUELLER IS 72 NOW.           
   HE TOOK OVER AS FBI          
   DIRECTOR A WEEK BEFORE       

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   9/11.                        
   MORE RECENTLY, THE NFL       
   CHOSE HIM TO HANDLE          

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   THE RAY RICE DOMESTIC        
   VIOLENCE CASE.               
   HE IS NOW IN PRIVATE         

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   PRACTICE HERE IN             
   WASHINGTON.                  
   HE SAYS HE WILL RESIGN       

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   FROM THAT FIRM TO            
   AVOID ANY POTENTIAL          
   CONFLICTS.                   

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   NOW, LESTER, THE             
   IMMEDIATE EFFECT TO          
   THIS TO ME THE               

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   INVESTIGATION WILL           
   TAKE LONGER BECAUSE          
   MUELLER WILL HAVE TO         

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   GET UP TO SPEED ON THE       
   CASE.                        
   HE CAN USE EXISTING          

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   JUSTICE DEPARTMENT           
   PROSECUTORS TO HELP          
   HIM.                         

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   HE CAN ASK TO HAVE           
   OTHER BROUGHT IN FROM        
   THE OUTSIDE, LESTER.         

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   >> I KNOW YOU DIDN'T         
   USE THE TERM                 
   INDEPENDENT                  

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   PROSECUTEER, HOW MUCH        
   UNLESS MIGHT HE HAVE.        
   >> Reporter: WE DON'T        

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   HAVE INDEPENDENT             
   COUNSELS, HAVE HAVEN'T       
   SINCE 1999.                  

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   THIS IS THE REGEM NOW.       
   THEY ARE FREE TO MAKE        
   THE CAME I SAME KIND         

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   OF DECISIONS A IT IS         
   U.S. ATTORNEY WOULD.         
   AS A TECHNICAL MATTER,       

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   THEY ARE REVIEW AND          
   COUNTERMAN ANY OF            
   THEIR DECISIONS.             

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   I THINK THAT WILL BE         
   VERY DIFFICULT TO DO         
   WITH ROBERT MUELLER.         

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   >> WE WANT TO GO TO          
   OUR CHIEF WHITE HOUSE        
   CORRESPONDENT HALLE          

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   JACKSON AS ANOTHER           
   STORY IS BREAKING NOW        
   INVOLVING COMMENTS           

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   REPORTEDLY MADE BY A         
   POWERFUL REPUBLICAN          
   ABOUT TRUMP, PUTIN AND       

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   MONEY.                       
   FIRST, WHAT IS THE           
   REACTION TO THE              

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   SPECIAL COUNSEL NEWS?        
   >> Reporter: NO              
   REACTION COMING OUT OF       

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   THE WHITE HOUSE, AT          
   LEAST NOT YET ON THAT        
   SPECIAL COUNSEL NEWS.        

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   I CAN TELL YOU THIS.         
   A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE       
   DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE        

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   IS TELLING NBC NEWS          
   THE WHITE HOUSE              
   COUNSEL'S OFFICE WAS         

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   INFORMED ABOUT THE           
   APPOINTMENT OF A             
   SPECIAL COUNSEL AFTER        

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   THE ORDER WAS SIGNED         
   THIS AFTERNOON, NO           
   SPECIFIC TIME WAS            

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   GIVEN.                       
   >> THAT NEWS COMING          
   OUT OF THE DOJ IS            

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   DROPPING ROVLY AT THE        
   SAME TIME AS AN              
   EXPLOSIVE REPORT THAT        

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   CAN DO DAMAGE BETWEEN        
   THE RELATIONSHIP             
   BETWEEN PRESIDENT            

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   TRUMP AND REPUBLICAN         
   LEADERS.                     
   THE WASHINGTON POST IS       

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   TONIGHT REPORTING THAT       
   HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER        
   KEVIN McCARTHY TOLD          

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   REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES,       
   QUOTE, THERE'S TWO           
   PEOPLE I THINK PUTIN         

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   PAYS, TRUMP REFERRING        
   TO THE NOW PRESIDENT         
   AND A REPUBLICAN             

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   CONGRESSMAN.                 
   THE POST SAYS WHEN           
   SOME LAW MAKERS              

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   LAUGHED McCARTHY             
   QUICKLY ADDED, SWEAR         
   TO GOD.                      

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   THIS IS A RECORDING          
   LISTENED TO, ACCORDING       
   TO POST, BY IT'S             

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   REPORTERS.                   
   ON THAT TAPE HOUSE           
   SPEAKER RYAN IS WE           

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   HEARD SAYING, NO             
   LEAKS.                       
   THIS IS HOW WE KNOW WE       

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   ARE A REAL FAMILY HERE       
   A. SPOKESMAN FIRST           
   TOLD THE "POST" THE          

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   IDEA THAT McCARTHY           
   WOULD INSERT THIS IS         
   FALSE.                       

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   LATER WHEN TOLD THEY         
   LISTENED TO THE              
   RECORDING ADMITTED IT        

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   HAPPENED BY SAYING           
   THIS WAS A FAILED            
   ATTEMPT AT HUMOR A.          

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   SPOKESMAN FOR HOUSE          
   SPEAKER PAUL RYAN            
   ECHOED THAT, TELLING         

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   NBC NEWS TONIGHT THIS        
   ENTIRE YEAR-OLD              
   EXCHANGE WAS CLEARLY         

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   AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR.         
   NOBODY BELIEVE THAD          
   THEY ARE ASSERTING           

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   THAT DONALD TRUMP OR         
   ANY OF OUR MEMBERS ARE       
   PAID BY THE RUSSIANS.        

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   WHAT'S MORE, THE TEAM        
   HAVE REPEATEDLY SPOKEN       
   OUT AGAINST RUSSIA'S         

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   INTERFERENCE IN OUR          
   ELECTION THIS                
   SPOKESPERSON SAID AND        

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   ADDED THE HOUSE              
   CONTINUES TO