Transcript

(drum beating)

I'm Keith Olbermann, and this is The Resistance.

I call for a federal grand jury to be empaneled.

to determine if crimes have been committed by

the Trump presidential campaign,

the Trump presidential transition team,

and now, the Trump presidential administration

involving Russian attempts to influence American democracy

specifically the presidential election of 2016.

I call for that grand jury to look specifically

to the actions of Trump attorney Michael Cohen,

Trump business associate Felix Sater,

Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort,

and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Specifically in regards to contacts with agents

of the Russian government in 2016 and 2017.

I call on that grand jury to hear evidence

as to whether or not indictments should be returned

against White House officials

Chief of Staff Reince Priebus,

or Press Secretary Sean Spicer, or others.

I call on that grand jury to ascertain

specifically whether Priebus, or others,

violating the 2009 Department of Justice procedure memo

requiring that White House contact with the FBI

about investigations be made only by the president,

vice president, White House Counsel,

or principal deputy White House Counsel,

is evidence of prohibited criminal behavior

such as aiding and abetting,

conspiracy or misprision of a felony.

I call on that grand jury to determine

whether an indictment should be returned against

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Chairman Devin Nunes,

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman

Richard Burr,

and officials at the FBI and CIA.

I call on that grand jury to ascertain specifically

whether Nunes and Burr, and the others,

mishandled classified information about

investigations by the intelligence services

of the Trump-Russian connection.

When Nuness and Burr had conversations with reporters

on behalf of the White House.

I urge that grand jury to carefully review the actions

already publicly acknowledged or reported.

Such as, the contact between General Flynn

and the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Such as, the meeting between Ambassador Kislyak

and the president's son-in-law.

Such as, the involvement of Trump attorney Cohen,

and the four or five different stories about

that involvement Mr. Cohen has told in delivering a plan

to General Flynn to destabilize the government of Ukraine.

Such as, the efforts by Mr. Priebus to influence

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe,

and FBI Director James Comey to quote,

knock down, unquote,

the Trump-Russia story by leaks

or announcements to the media.

I urge that grand jury to ascertain

if these confessed actions already constitute

evidence of illegal actions by the Trump campaign,

Trump transition team, and Trump administration,

and representatives of the Russian government

possibly rising to the level of misprision,

conspiracy, or espionage,

and additionally to ascertain if they already

constitute an overarching attempt to cover up

these actions, and to obstruct justice.

Trump's alleged involvement with Russia obscures,

perhaps dictates every other aspect of this

existentially dangerous presidency.

We have to have answers.

The answer we should've gotten from Trump,

and his gang, was simple.

It should have been we have done nothing wrong,

we will give the FBI full license to interview

anybody, and read anything we have.

The answer we have gotten from them

was instead Trump telling us he quote,

hasn't called Russia in 10 years,

and to get on with our lives.

And branding as sore losers, those who believe

he is either a Russian operative,

or has been compromised by Russian intelligence.

And by declaring war on the FBI,

and on news organizations who

publish stories about this topic

using leaks from anonymous sources.

While we now have Mr. Priebus trying

to get the FBI, and other intelligence committee figures,

and elected officials, like Congressman Nunes,

and Senator Burr, to act as leakers to news organizations

to get the news organizations to publish

favorable stories about this topic.

The answer we should've gotten from Nunes

in his role as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee

with access to classified intelligence,

and Burr in his role as

Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee

with access to classified intelligence was simple.

We will immediately begin open and full investigations.

Preferably a select joint committee,

to determine to what degree Donald Trump knew of,

or colluded with the Russian government

to influence the last presidential election.

The answer that we instead have gotten

from Mr. Nunes was that there is no evidence

of Russian contacts but quote,

major crimes were committed by those

who leaked about Russian contacts.

Which is an impossibility if there were no contacts.

The answer that we have instead gotten

from Mr. Nunes and Mr. Burr constitutes

the two of them violating their oaths of office,

and compromising their personal ethics,

and the codes of honor required of every

public service in this nation.

And completely compromising any congressional investigation.

They began to actively serve as press agents

to try to influence media coverage in order

to suppress investigation,

and to suppress truth,

and to suppress our ability to know

if our foreign policy, if our domestic policy,

if our school policy, if our self defense policy,

if our government is being run by Americans

or is being run by Russians.

We have to have answers.

In short,

Senator Burr, Representative Nunes, Mr. Priebus,

Mr. Manafort, Director Pompeo, Director Comey,

Director McCabe, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Sater,

General Flynn, Mr. Kushner, Mr. Trump,

we need to know from you if we are still Americans,

or if we are now merely living in a colony of Russia!

Tell it to the grand jury!

Resist.

Peace.