Transcript - Interview: Sean Hannity Questions Devin Nunes on Fox's Hannity - February 5, 2018 | Factba.se

Sean Hannity

00:00:00 - 00:00:10 (10 sec)

All right. That was Michael Isikoff late last week revealing his shock that than Yahoo News report was used as evidence to justify a FISA warrant against Carter Page.

Sean Hannity

00:00:10 - 00:00:23 (13 sec)

Tonight, the House Intelligence Committee as we mentioned earlier, voted to release the Democrats memo, it now goes to the president. Here with a reaction to all of this, the man himself, he's the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Devin Nunes.

Sean Hannity

00:00:23 - 00:00:42 (19 sec)

You got a great -- well, vote of support from the president, and, frankly, from me, and anybody that believes in government transparency. In the lead up to your memo, oh, of sources and methods, and this is dangerous and unprecedented. There was nothing given here that would hurt our intelligence in any way, correct, sir?

Devin Nunes

00:00:42 - 00:00:58 (16 sec)

That's right, Sean. And I think the -- I think that was Isikoff, who the tape you just ran. And that is very illuminating, but that is absolute confirmation that we know that Steele was put in front of reporters. You have the reporter himself admitting it.

Devin Nunes

00:00:58 - 00:01:17 (18 sec)

This is big news. I actually caught some of this last week and tweeted it out. But this is what the FBI used to corroborate the dossier, which is very, very dangerous, to take political dirt that was paid for by the Hillary campaign and use it against your political opponent. So, the FBI used it to open up an investigation.

Sean Hannity

00:01:17 - 00:01:38 (21 sec)

At the beginning of the memo, you actually go through, this raises concerns to the legitimacy and the legality of certain DOJ/FBI interactions with the FISA court, and represent a troubling breakdown of the legal process that was established to protect the American people. So, this is what is serious about it.

Sean Hannity

00:01:38 - 00:01:55 (17 sec)

Now, in your memo, you went through great detail to say that in the FISA application and subsequent renewals, four times, they never informed the FISA court that, in fact, this money really came from the Clinton campaign and the DNC. In others --

Devin Nunes

00:01:55 - 00:02:02 (7 sec)

That's right. And more so, they never informed the court that Christopher Steele was meeting with journalists. I think the court could have known that.

Devin Nunes

00:02:02 - 00:02:22 (20 sec)

One of the things that we're going to do this week is we are going to send a letter to the court. We don't know if we'll be successful or not, but we're going to ask the court whether or not they will provide the transcripts of the court proceedings. It will be very interesting if we could get those transcripts to know exactly what was presented verbally to the court and to see if that was transcribed.

Sean Hannity

00:02:22 - 00:02:47 (25 sec)

OK. This is really important here, because if they knew -- we know it was not verified. As a matter of fact, you even put in your memo that the FBI themselves, they said they were only in the initial stages of verification. So they would present something that was unverified that we know was paid for by one political party to create a warrant against another party during an election and a president-elect.

Devin Nunes

00:02:47 - 00:03:28 (41 sec)

Yes, and I think the bigger problem, challenge here is that the mainstream media is totally uninterested in this. Can you imagine if that the shoe was on the other foot, and Donald Trump, or George Bush, or Karl Rove have paid for information, and then George w. Bush's FBI had opened an investigation into the Obama campaign because they were talking to Russians -- which, by the way, really did happen -- the Obama campaign was talking to Russians back in 2008 -- and opened up a counterintelligence investigation using dirt and dug up and paid for by the RNC and George W. Bush supporters? This town would be on fire. Every reporter would be following around Karl Rove and George W. Bush all over town. Yet, its crickets from the media.

Devin Nunes

00:03:28 - 00:03:39 (11 sec)

I mean, it's embarrassing. It's absolutely embarrassing. I mean, I'm almost flabbergasted because I thought, at least, there would be some ounce of credibility left. But there really isn't any.

Sean Hannity

00:03:39 - 00:03:55 (16 sec)

And, ultimately, Steele, unverified. If we look at the memo that came out of Chuck Grassley's committee earlier today, it actually goes on to say that Steele gathered much of his information from Russian government sources inside of Russia.

Sean Hannity

00:03:55 - 00:04:16 (21 sec)

So, if I put the two memos together, the new one tonight, yours from Friday, Hillary paid for Russian propaganda, turned out to be lies, not unverified, then used for a FISA warrant, and I'm like, not only was it paid for to manipulate and lie to the American people, but then to spy on an opposition party candidate. Sir, are there crimes committed here?

Devin Nunes

00:04:16 - 00:04:42 (26 sec)

Well, you can't really make this up. I hope the listeners understood what you just said. You have -- we have a clear link to Russia. You have a campaign who hired a law firm, who hired Fusion GPS, who hired a foreign agent, who got information from the Russians on another campaign. It seems like the counterintelligence investigation should have been opened up against the Hillary campaign when they got a hold of the dossier. But that didn't happen either.

Devin Nunes

00:04:42 - 00:05:01 (19 sec)

So -- and you mentioned senator Grassley. I have to tell you that Senator Grassley has done a phenomenal job here, Sean. I mean, a lot of people have given, myself and my committee, a lot of credit for the work that we've dug up. But I can tell you that Senator Grassley has been phenomenal through this whole process. And he -- I think he deserves a lot of credit.

Sean Hannity

00:05:01 - 00:05:16 (16 sec)

And this guy, Christopher Steele, is a guy who has a desperate -- was desperate that Donald Trump not get elected and was passionate about him not being the President. So he has his own political motivation in all of this.

Devin Nunes

00:05:16 - 00:05:22 (6 sec)

And, Sean that also was not presented to the court.

Sean Hannity

00:05:22 - 00:05:50 (28 sec)

Well, I mean... I know the Democrats are putting it out. My sources are telling me tonight that they don't even question this in the Democratic side, that all they are saying is, well, on the FISA application, there might have been a footnote to say that there is some political painting, and that is it? They told nothing about Christopher Steele, nothing about being paid for by Clinton, none of this came out to the court? Is in that deliberately deceiving the court, Congressman?

Devin Nunes

00:05:50 - 00:06:15 (26 sec)

Not only that, they continue obfuscation that the Democrats have continued to do throughout this investigation is leak something out to a press that is basically part of their own team, they run a story that is based on something partially true, then they say they come back and accuse us of doctoring the evidence. I just go by the rule for whatever they accuse you of doing, they are actually doing.

Sean Hannity

00:06:15 - 00:06:19 (3 sec)

I'm sorry. So I --

Devin Nunes

00:06:19 - 00:06:50 (31 sec)

Part of the reason we know we are right, because the relentless attacks on me, Trey Gowdy. They go as far as me, they attack Trey Gowdy and myself in their memo. They come to the conclusion. What did they say for ten days, they said argument came all sorts of conclusions our memo didn't come to any conclusions. Our memo is just listed on the facts. Our memo, people will see, they actually come to conclusions. They have personal attacks on myself and Chairman Gowdy.

Sean Hannity

00:06:50 - 00:07:16 (26 sec)

It is sort of like, saying well, you never saw the underlying documents, but only one Republican was allowed to see it. You sent a lawyer Trey Gowdy that is where the information came from. I'm very interested. At the heart of this, you have Nellie Ohr, Bruce Ohr's wife, she is being paid by the Clinton campaign because she is working for fusion GPS that is building the dossier against Donald Trump, but I want to ask you this.

Sean Hannity

00:07:16 - 00:07:40 (24 sec)

Deputy Director McCabe, he is testifying before the committee in December 2017, there would be no warrant without the dossier. Now, my sources have told me that he was asked the question numerous times in varying ways and Democrats have questioned the authenticity of that, our correctness of that. I was told his answer is even worse.

Devin Nunes

00:07:40 - 00:08:06 (26 sec)

I would say it is more spin. This is what they do. They tell a half-truth. We put in a summation of eight hours of testimony, Trey Gowdy actually interviewed him for 15 hours. We did a short summation in one sentence. What is the major revelation we discovered with Mr. McCain? That is without the dossier, they would have never been able to go to the FISA court and get a warrant.

Devin Nunes

00:08:06 - 00:08:23 (17 sec)

That is the point. We are not going to release executive session transcripts in this. There was no need for it. We surmised eight hours, trying to keep this very, very small so we don't get in any sources or nothing. But anyway --

Sean Hannity

00:08:23 - 00:08:25 (2 sec)

Let me ask you this --

Devin Nunes

00:08:25 - 00:08:35 (10 sec)

We just have to continue to play the game with them, unfortunately, they will continue to drop out little pieces of phony information. We have to try to correct the record.

Sean Hannity

00:08:35 - 00:08:38 (3 sec)

When you say there's about four more memos coming, a lot is coming, sir?

Devin Nunes

00:08:38 - 00:08:52 (14 sec)

Yes. More on that. I think there's a little confusion. We have a broad investigation going into the DOJ and FBI for FISA and other matters. This is a very broad investigation looking at a number of different areas.

Devin Nunes

00:08:52 - 00:09:13 (21 sec)

People should not get confused that we are going to do more memos in the sense of the 11g process to be followed here in the house, but we do have an ongoing investigation will remain public on Friday into the State Department and some of those abuses. There is several other state department investigations. But the state department one is coming closer to a conclusion.

Sean Hannity

00:09:13 - 00:09:24 (11 sec)

When we come back, we will have more with Congressman Devin Nunes right after the break. Later, the great one Mark Levin ways and all of this. That is straight ahead. [Commercial Break]

Sean Hannity

00:09:24 - 00:09:46 (21 sec)

All right. As we continue with Congressman Devin Nunes, he is the chairman of the House Intel Committee. Let me ask you this. I am looking again at the memo that was sent out by Chuck Grassley today, in other words the second memo here. Again, I want to reiterate for our audience, it literally says, Steele gathered his information from Russian government sources inside of Russia.

Sean Hannity

00:09:46 - 00:10:13 (27 sec)

It goes on to say, Mr. Steele in litigation it appears he either lied to the FBI or to the British courts or the classified documents reviewed by the committee containing materially false statements. Then it says this, the timeline here is important about James Comey. It says former FBI Director in June of 2017 James Comey publicly before the senate select committee on intelligence had said he briefed President-Elect Trump, this is at Trump tower.

Sean Hannity

00:10:13 - 00:10:39 (27 sec)

And he told him, describe the dossier salacious and unverified. That is long after Comey signed off on that information being used as a foundation to get the FISA warrant. He either handed to the court something he believed was unverified and salacious. Or he gave the credibility when they got the initial FSIA warrant. Which is it? Do you see a conflict there like I do?

Devin Nunes

00:10:39 - 00:10:58 (18 sec)

Well I think the conflict you are describing, which no one on the left seems to care about or the mainstream media, is that political dirt was used by the FBI, and they knew it was political dirt to open a counterintelligence investigation into the other campaign.

Devin Nunes

00:10:58 - 00:11:21 (23 sec)

I just can't believe that people on the other side are not furious about this. But look. I have faith in the American people. I think a majority of Americans will ultimately make the determination that using political dirt by the FBI on the opposing campaign is a place where we want to go. I will tell you. I think my colleagues here in the house, they are furious about this as they should be.

Sean Hannity

00:11:21 - 00:11:30 (9 sec)

Let me ask. You said that you believe your colleagues at the other side of the aisle have leaked intelligence at least 100 times? Is that true?

Devin Nunes

00:11:30 - 00:11:36 (6 sec)

Yes we have hundreds of examples of leaks from our committee that we feel could only come from the other side.

Sean Hannity

00:11:36 - 00:12:12 (35 sec)

Let's talk a little bit about Sara Carter's article tonight, because I think it is very interesting. She has two of them. As you look at this new memo that came out tonight, the criminal referral confirms that allies of the Clinton and Obama administration were providing Steele with what they deem damaging information on then candidate-elect Trump and that is what we get into for example Sidney Blumenthal and some other Clinton associates. Let me see if I'm understanding this correctly. Is it possible, sir that Clinton associates where feeding information to Christopher Steele.

Sean Hannity

00:12:12 - 00:12:50 (38 sec)

I refer black to one other part of the redacted memo in the senate were it says there is substantial evidence that Mr. Steele materially misled the FBI about the key aspects of his dossier's efforts. Is it possible that Clinton associates gave information to Christopher Steele that was then used for salacious dossier on Hilary's opponent that was then used to lie to the American people, or mislead the American people, because Steele leaked all over to the mainstream media, and was used as the basis for a FISA? Is that possible? Some of the information came from Clinton's own people? To Steele?

Devin Nunes

00:12:50 - 00:13:00 (11 sec)

You're not going to like this answer, Sean, partially why that is redacted. Whatever is there is classified and we can get into --

Sean Hannity

00:13:00 - 00:13:03 (2 sec)

Can they redo the un-redacted part?

Devin Nunes

00:13:03 - 00:13:17 (14 sec)

What I can tell you is this. We have an active investigation into the state department. That has been ongoing for a while now. As soon as we can get that information out, we will as the investigation unfolds.

Sean Hannity

00:13:17 - 00:13:48 (31 sec)

I haven't been wrong yet, Congressman, in all of this this. How is it possible -- and this is my final question. Look, I can keep you on the air for the full hour. How is it possible that this is happening in the United States of America? That all of this combined, that you have Russian information from apparently a known liar who has Russian paid sources, then it's paid for by one campaign, that is bad enough.

Sean Hannity

00:13:48 - 00:14:13 (25 sec)

That takes it up to another notch. So you have Russian lies, propaganda paid for by one candidate. Then that paid propaganda is used for a FISA court. The top people at the FBI and DOJ don't inform the court about the underlying dossier being bought and paid for by that other candidate for the very person they are trying to get a FISA memo on.

Devin Nunes

00:14:13 - 00:14:36 (23 sec)

It's what happens in banana republics. It's very scary. We found about this last week in March. Not all of it, but we knew the dossier was used in some degree and it took us as you well know, subpoena Department of Justice and the FBI, having to move close to going to contempt. It took Speaker Ryan telling them that they were basically going to be held in contempt.

Devin Nunes

00:14:36 - 00:14:55 (19 sec)

Finally, we are to break lose all the documentation. And then we are able to get it out to the American people in the form of the memo that is now out and available for people to read. I think people should go out and read the memo. I really do. If your viewers have not read the memo, it is worth your time. I think it will be very illuminating.

Sean Hannity

00:14:55 - 00:15:13 (18 sec)

All right. Chairman Nunes, I believe you've done a great service. I believe it is the right thing to do. The American people need to know about all of this, because fundamentally we had an effort to undermine our election and undermine the incoming president. Is that a fair statement? Last question?

Devin Nunes

00:15:13 - 00:15:29 (16 sec)

yes, I mean look, there is clear evidence of collusion that the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton campaign colluded with the Russians. You don't get to hire lawyers and pretend like that didn't happen. It goes to what they accuse you of is what they actually were doing.

Sean Hannity

00:15:29 - 00:15:32 (2 sec)

Unbelievable. All right sir thank you so much, we appreciate it.