FOX NEWS: Ratcliffe discusses special counsel investigation

The federal judge today in the Paul Manafort case saying of the special counsel's office, and this was, he was saying, this is how you guys are behaving. We said this invest, we said what this investigation was about, but we're not bound by it. And we were lying. That's the federal judge saying that the special counsel was lying about their intention with, with the special, I mean, with their investigation. Those are very strong words coming from a judge. Yes. Yeah, they are. Um, and I think it, uh, captures the sentiment of a lot of folks out there that again, have, have seen this go from, uh, a discussion about how Russia tried to interfere and meddle into our election into, you know, again, discussions, uh, to payments to a, to a porn star, uh, and what that has to do with the original mandate under which, uh, Bob Mueller was appointed. And I think it goes back to, again, the fact that, uh, there has to be leadership at the department of justice. Um, Bob Mueller doesn't run the department of justice. Um, uh, he reports to the deputy attorney general, uh, not the other way around. So do you think that anything's going to happen to curb the investigation? I mean, I, I don't think it matters how much probably any judge admonishes, um, Bob Mueller or what the public thinks or what the president says. It seems like he's focused on going down the road that he's on. Um, you know, that the only recourse that you're talking about is who, who has the oversight over him to stop him if they wanted to. And would that really happen? What are your thoughts? Well, again, I think, uh, the appropriate boundaries or bumpers were not placed on this investigation and that's why it's gotten a bit far afield from, uh, what Bob Mueller was charged with doing. But I do think it, it does have to come to a, a conclusion sooner or later. The special counsel's, uh, asking to, to interview, uh, Donald Trump and, uh, he'll make a decision with, uh, in consultation with his lawyers about that. But that'll really, um, dictate how long and whether or not this special counsel investigation can continue, uh, with respect to, uh, Donald Trump. What do you think is the best strategy? Um, you know, as, as somebody who is close and familiar to the matter and, um, you know, given your position and, and, you know, also being, um, how, you know, judiciary committee member, what do you think is the best road to go down for the president at this point in terms of a strategy? Well, I think it depends on if you're talking about a legal strategy or a political strategy, the president said that he'd love to sit down with Bob Mueller. I think what the president would really love to do is, uh, bring an expedited, uh, conclusion to an investigation that he thinks is tremendously, uh, unfair. Uh, his lawyers are probably appropriately counseling that, uh, uh, he shouldn't sit down with Bob Mueller because innocent people assert the fifth amendment right all the time. Um, because the government has the burden of proof in a criminal case to an incredibly high standard proving beyond a reasonable doubt and that Bob Mueller, uh, likely can't prove any charges relating to collusion, which isn't a crime, um, or obstruction or anything else. And that, uh, Donald Trump shouldn't, uh, do anything to help, uh, Bob Mueller, uh, make a case that isn't there. Um, so I think that's, I think that's part of the calculation from a legal standpoint, but Donald Trump is probably making a political calculation as well. I think if he's considering reelection and what his political adversaries may say about him, if he doesn't sit down with the special counsel, uh, is why I think he wants to, uh, have the opportunity to do that. And I think there's a, there's a path for, uh, at least having a discussion with the special counsel about the issue of Russian collusion. Congressman Radcliffe, thank you for your time. You bet.