When Will Corey Lewandowski Testimony Resume Again
Key Moments From Corey Lewandowski's Testimony Before Congress
Mr. Lewandowski, President Trump's former campaign manager, testified earlier lawmakers conducting an impeachment inquiry.
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Lewandowski Grilled by Democrats in Impeachment Inquiry
President Trump'south one-time entrada managing director, Corey Lewandowski, answered questions before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
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"Could y'all read the verbal language of the report, sir? I don't have information technology available to me." "I don't retrieve I need to do that, and I have express time." "Yes or no? Read the screen." "You're welcome to read it, congresswoman." "You're welcome to be stalling." "Can you lot read what you wrote down?" "I'm happy to take you read information technology, congressman." "Are yous aback of the words that you wrote down?" "President Swalwell, I'm very happy of what I've written. But you're welcome to read it if y'all'd like." "I can't discuss a individual conversation." "I can't speak to private conversations." "I couldn't disclose a private conversation." "The White House has directed not to disclose the substance of whatever discussions with the president or his advisers to protect the executive co-operative confidentiality." "We've projected on the screen the message that the president dictated to you that he wanted you to deliver to the chaser full general. It says, 'I know that I recused myself from certain things having to do with specific areas. Simply our POTUS is being treated very unfairly ... He shouldn't have a special prosecutor, counsel considering he hasn't done annihilation wrong.' That's what he wanted you to deliver to Chaser General Jeff Sessions, right?" "I believe that'southward an accurate representation." "Let me evidence you an interview that you lot did." "I don't e'er recall the president ever request me to get involved with Jeff Sessions or the Section of Justice in any way, shape or class, ever." "And that was non true, was it?" "I accept no obligation to exist honest with the media, because they're just every bit dishonest as anybody else." "Didn't you remember it was a footling strange that the president would sit downward with yous one on ane and enquire you lot to practise something that you knew was against the law? Did that strike yous as strange?" "I disagree with the premise of your question, congressman." "You weren't a policeman?" "I didn't, I didn't remember the president asked me to practise annihilation illegal."
Corey Lewandowski confirmed Mr. Trump asked him to pressure the attorney general, but says the president never asked him to exercise anything illegal.
Mr. Lewandowski, under sharp questioning by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, confirmed that Mr. Trump had once asked him to assist pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to curtail the scope of the Russia investigation, just said he did non believe he had been asked to practice anything illegal.
Afterwards initially stonewalling Democrats' questions, Mr. Lewandowski appeared to abruptly change strategies, confirming the details of a key episode from the Mueller investigation — and even providing new information that wasn't in the special counsel's report. Under questioning past Representative Hank Johnson, Democrat of Georgia, Mr. Lewandowski said he never relayed the message to Mr. Sessions because he went on a beach vacation with his children.
The episode, which occurred in June 2017, is 1 of several instances of possible obstruction of justice documented past the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.
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Lewandowski Denies Trump Asked Him to Exercise 'Annihilation Illegal'
Corey Lewandowski, President Trump'due south former campaign managing director, said he didn't call up a request from Mr. Trump request him to speak with Attorney General Jeff Sessions about limiting the special counsel'south investigation was against the law.
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"Didn't you think was a petty strange that the president would sit downwardly with you lot i on one and ask you lot to do something that you knew was against the police force? Did that strike you equally strange?" "I disagree with the premise of your question, Congressman." "Y'all weren't a policeman?" "I didn't — I didn't think the president asked me, to practise anything illegal." "You lot didn't think it would take been illegal for you lot to ask Mr. Sessions to driblet the investigation and to but become on to future presidents — and omit everything with this president — and go 'olly olly in costless,' we're going to kickoff with the next one about colluding with Russian federation. You didn't think that was illegal to obstruct justice?" "Congressman, the president has asked me nothing illegal."
As Mr. Mueller recounts in Volume II of his report, Mr. Trump met with Mr. Lewandowski in the Oval Role two days after he directed Donald F. McGahn Two, the White Firm counsel at the time, to burn the special counsel. This fourth dimension, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the Russia investigation. He then dictated a message for Mr. Lewandowski to deliver to Mr. Sessions.
It said that Mr. Sessions should give a speech announcing that Mr. Trump had been treated unfairly and that he would limit the scope of the special counsel investigation.
"Didn't you think it was a fiddling foreign the president would sit downwards with yous 1-on-one and ask you to practise something that you knew was against the law?" asked Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee. "Did that strike you every bit strange?"
Mr. Lewandowski curtly disagreed: "I didn't remember the president asked me to do anything illegal."
A Democratic committee lawyer got Mr. Lewandowski to acknowledge to having lied publicly almost his conversations with Mr. Trump.
At the tail-end of the hearing, Barry H. Berke, a well-regarded white-collar defence attorney who has taken a leave from his New York law firm to consult for the committee, unleashed a rapid-fire cross-examination in which he quickly established that Mr. Lewandowski had lied in an interview before this yr when he said he couldn't think any conversation he had with Mr. Trump about Mr. Sessions.
"That wasn't truthful, was it, sir?" Mr. Berke asked.
Mr. Lewandowski struggled to answer, ultimately telling the lawyer, "You can interpret it whatsoever way you like."
But when pressed, Mr. Lewandowski said: "I have no obligation to have a candid chat with the media whatever, simply like they accept no obligation to cover me honestly, and they do information technology inaccurately all the time."
"You are admitting that on national television you were lying there?" Mr. Berke asked.
"They have been inaccurate on many occasions," Mr. Lewandowski replied, "and perhaps I was inaccurate that fourth dimension.
It was but one of several moments in which Mr. Berke plain got nether the skin of Mr. Lewandowski, who mentioned repeatedly that he did non have a law caste from Harvard, as Mr. Berke does.
Republicans had tried mightily to prevent him from participating in the questioning. Hours into the hearing, a nasty argument broke out between Democrats and Republicans over whether Mr. Berke, who is an outside consultant to the Judiciary console, should be allowed to question Mr. Lewandowski in the hour allotted to staff lawyers for each side.
Republicans balked, using parliamentary maneuvers to endeavor to derail the move, just majority Democrats easily dispensed with their objections, and that of Mr. Lewandowski'south lawyer, who commandeered a microphone at the witness table to register his opposition.
The episode enraged Republicans, who called it a blatant violation of committee rules. Representative Doug Collins of Georgia, the panel's ranking fellow member, at 1 bespeak stormed out of the hearing in protestation. When he returned, he said his side would non have a staff lawyer question Mr. Lewandowski, and the session was adjourned.
Lewandowski: Somebody in the Trump entrada (besides me) should take called the F.B.I. about Russians.
Every bit the manager of the Trump campaign in 2016, Mr. Lewandowski received numerous messages from campaign staff most attempts by Russians to make contact with the campaign.
At 1 betoken during the hearing, he was asked why he didn't contact the F.B.I. near those overtures. Mr. Lewandowski conceded that someone should have done so, just not him. He suggested it should have been Sam Clovis, a superlative campaign official in charge of pulling together Mr. Trump's showtime team of foreign policy advisers. Some of those advisers, including Carter Page and George Papadopoulos, were the recipients of the Russian advances.
"In hindsight," Mr. Lewandowski said, "that's something Mr. Clovis should probably have done."
At the same time, Mr. Lewandowski and Republicans on the commission made misleading statements suggesting that the F.B.I. had deliberately refused to brief Mr. Trump and his aides about what information technology knew about Russian federation'south attempts to interfere in the 2016 election.
Mr. Lewandowski said it was "unfathomable to me that they didn't contact a major political nominee for president of the United states of america and inform them of potential threats against election process in 2016."
Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, piled on, saying that the F.B.I. was "trying to trap the president."
But their assertions misrepresented the facts. Mr. Lewandowski was fired every bit campaign chairman in June 2016, a month before Mr. Trump officially became the Republican presidential nominee. The F.B.I. gave a "defensive conference" to Mr. Trump in August 2016, later on Mr. Lewandowski had been fired.
A Justice Section letter in 2017 said the briefings were meant to raise "awareness of the indicators and warnings of foreign intelligence threats" so individuals were "better postured to defend themselves and their organizations from foreign intelligence collection."
Mr. Lewandowski's political ambitions suffused his testimony.
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Lewandowski Delivers Opening Remarks Earlier Testimony
Corey Lewandowski, President Trump's former campaign manager, called his service to Mr. Trump a "privilege" during his opening statement earlier the Business firm Judiciary Committee.
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I had the privilege — and information technology was a privilege — of helping transform the Trump entrada from a dedicated simply small makeshift organization to a historical and unprecedented political juggernaut. We every bit a nation would exist ameliorate served if elected officials similar yourself concentrated your efforts to combat the truthful crises facing our country, as opposed to going down rabbit holes like this hearing.
Mr. Lewandowski began his appearance before the Business firm Judiciary Committee with remarks that sounded more than like a campaign spoken communication than testimony in a congressional investigation, signaling that he plans to use the hearing to brighten his ain political brand while fiercely defending the president.
"I had the privilege — and it was a privilege — of helping transform the Trump entrada from a dedicated but minor, makeshift organization to a historically and unprecedented political juggernaut," Mr. Lewandowski said in his comments, which began by branding Democrats' inquiry into whether to impeach Mr. Trump "very unfair."
Mr. Lewandowski's remarks could have doubled every bit a campaign address from a carbon re-create of the president himself. They were punctuated with references to the scourge of illegal immigration, knocks on Hillary Clinton, and vicious takedowns of Democrats.
[ Read his full opening statement. ]
Kiven that he has been considering a run for the Senate from New Hampshire for several weeks, Mr. Lewandowski and his allies saw the hearing as an opportunity to promote his allegiance to Mr. Trump in a style that could benefit him politically. Mr. Lewandowski fabricated no underground that he was using the proceedings to further his own political ambitions. During a interruption that he requested, he tweeted out a link to a website for a new super PAC that was created today, "Stand With Corey."
Democrats were just as cantankerous every bit they pushed for answers from an oft uncooperative Mr. Lewandowski.
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'Refresh My Retentivity': Lewandowski and Nadler Have Sharp Exchange
When Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Business firm Judiciary Committee chairman, asked Corey Lewandowski well-nigh an Oval Office meeting with President Trump, the president's former campaign chairman stalled the proceedings.
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"Could you read the exact language of the study, sir? I don't have it available to me." Rep. Nadler: "I don't call back I need to do that and I have limited fourth dimension. Did you lot meet alone with the president on that engagement?" "Congressman, I'd like you to refresh my retentivity by providing a copy of the study so I can follow forth." Rep. Nadler: "Folio — you don't have a copy with you?" "I don't have a re-create of the study, Congressman." Off-camera: "Mr. Chairman I request that the clock be stopped while this charade is sorted out." "I'm sorry Congressman, what page was it?" Rep. Nadler: "The clock should have been stopped and should remain stopped — Page 90, Volume 2." "O.K. and which paragraph, sir? Rep. Nadler: "I don't take it in front of me." "I'd like a reference sir, so I can follow forth with what y'all're asking." Rep. Nadler: "Do you not have an contained recollection of whether you met with the president on that date?" "Congressman, I'1000 just trying to detect in the Mueller written report where information technology states that?" Rep. Nadler: "Well, you lot take it in front of you. I gave yous the — the page number." "Where on Page 90 is it, sir?" Off-camera: "Mr. Chairman, y'all've got to start the clock." Rep. Nadler: "No, I don't accept to start the clock when he's filibustering. Bottom of Folio 90 —" Rep. Collins: Filibustering is a different issue. That'southward beyond the hall in the Senate. This is actual questions being done at present." Off-camera: "Mr. Chairman, indicate of Parliamentary inquiry Mr. Chairman."
Democrats' questioning of Mr. Lewandowski was never going to be amicable. But information technology took no more than a minute of questioning for the hearing to begin to interruption downward entirely.
Most immediately, Mr. Lewandowski fabricated clear he intended to practise whatever he could to slow down the proceedings, including enervating that Democrats read him the section of the Mueller report about which they were questioning him.
When Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the commission's chairman, asked Mr. Lewandowski if it was correct, as stated in the Mueller study, that he had met solitary with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office in the summertime of 2017, Mr. Lewandowski balked.
"Could yous repeat the exact language of the report, sir?" he said. "Congressman, I would like you to refresh my memory of the report and so I could read forth," he said, noting that he had non brought along a copy of the more than 400-page document.
An exasperated Mr. Nadler had staff give Mr. Lewandowski a impress copy of the written report.
"Mr. Chairman, where on page ninety is information technology?" Mr. Lewandowski said.
"Exercise you non take an independent recollection?" Mr. Nadler shot back.
Afterward, things got testier still as Representative Eric Swalwell tried repeatedly to go Mr. Lewandowski to read aloud the bulletin Mr. Trump dictated to him in the Oval Office, and Mr. Lewandowski refused.
"Are you ashamed of the words you wrote down?" Mr. Swalwell, Democrat of California, asked.
Mr. Lewandowski sneeringly referred to the congressman, who recently ended his presidential entrada, as "President Swalwell," and told him to read the passage himself.
Mr. Trump watched the hearing from Air Forcefulness Ane, cheering on Mr. Lewandowski every bit he spoke.
As Mr. Trump traveled from New Mexico to California on Tuesday afternoon, he had the televisions aboard Air Force One tuned into the hearing, according to people familiar with what was taking place.
The president and the staff traveling with him loved Mr. Lewandowski's combativeness.
And inside moments of Mr. Lewandowski'due south first refusal to answer Mr. Nadler'south questions near his conversations with the president, Mr. Trump tweeted his appreciation for "such a cute opening statement."
The White Firm had intervened to make sure that Mr. Lewandowski would limit his testimony to what was in the Mueller report, and also to prevent two other officials who worked in the Westward Fly, Rick A. Dearborn and Rob Porter, from appearing alongside him.
On Mon, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, told the commission that Mr. Trump had directed both men not to show up because they were "absolutely immune" from congressional subpoenas as former senior presidential directorate. Mr. Nadler chosen the White House'southward position "a shocking and dangerous assertion of executive privilege and absolute immunity."
Marker Mazzetti contributed reporting.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/us/politics/corey-lewandowski-testimony-trump.html
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