Trump Campaign Officials Encouraged Papadopoulos To Meet With Foreign Contacts
LEMON: New development tonight in the Russia investigation. Remember George Papadopoulos, remember how team Trump tried to dismiss him as a coffee boy? Well, there is a new report tonight that the campaign actually encouraged Papadopoulos to talk to Russians. I want to bring in now CNN legal analyst, Michael Zeldin, a former special assistant to Robert Mueller at the Justice Department, and CNN legal commentator Ken Cuccinelli. Gentlemen, good evening. Thank you for joining us. Michael, "The Washington Post" is reporting that document show that the Trump campaign urged George Papadopoulos to do an interview with the Russian news agency as foreign outreach. Trump campaign deputy communications director, his name is Bryan Lanza told Papadopoulos, you should do it. So, does this contradict the picture that the Trump campaign had originally painted to Papadopoulos who is now cooperating by the way with Robert Mueller.</s>MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It does in the sense that after the Papadopoulos plea was revealed, and remember, Papadopoulos' plea sort of surprise all of us. No one really knew who he was or what role he played in the campaign. And then all of a sudden, there's this one count lying to agent's information. And so everyone said what's this all about and the campaign, the Trump surrogates and the campaign said, he was a coffee boy, and had the meanest role and wouldn't recognize him. He elevated by storm sort of stuff. Now what is coming out is that the role that Papadopoulos played was more significant than the campaign has let on. And that Papadopoulos had more communications than perhaps even blessings of the campaign to meet with Russians and others affiliated with Russians during this March, April, May, June, July period. So, I'm not sure that it makes anything more criminally actionable but it sure does create a picture of the campaign, sort of directing Papadopoulos on his way rather than being accidental.</s>LEMON: OK. Well, Ken , what do you -- what's -- the face for?</s>KEN CUCCINELLI, CNN LEGAL COMMENTATOR: You know, if you read the Washington Post article. It minimizes the guy even more. You guys are talking Russia and people -- it's a reporter. A reporter who e- mailed numerous people in the Trump campaign and only one of them responded, George Papadopoulos. And here he is, the Bryan Lanza, sure go talk to her comment was about going and speaking to this Russian reporter and look, the foreign press covered the U.S. elections, and they're frankly kind of annoying, not personally annoying, but they're of no use to the campaign. So, you know, they're not a high priority like say CNN would be or CBS would be, and so forth. People who talk to Americans. And so the only one who responded was Papadopoulos, and we're really making a mountain out of something that isn't even a mole hill of Bryan Lanza, Deputy Town's guy, saying, yes, you go talk to this reporter. This is nothing. The Washington Post article to their credit goes through and person after person. The reporter was interviewed by -- the Russian reporter was interviewed by The Post via e-mail. The Greek Defense Minister, who is referenced in the article, who he had contact with, who is referenced and calls him. Yes, young man, he is a real dreamer, but I didn't really talk to him, because he was of no relevance.</s>LEMON: So, just because someone works -- go ahead, Michael.</s>ZELDIN: I was going to say, I can -- I think you're not taking this in the broader context. If you look at the Papadopoulos statement of defense, what it shows is that Papadopoulos was trying to minimize his relationship to the campaign when he spoke to Mueller about his contacts with the Russian professor with the woman that he brought with him and others ongoing. Also, what was minimized was Papadopoulos' dealings with Sam Clovis, who was co-chair of the campaign and others. And this Bryan Lanza piece, a lot is saying Brian didn't did anything wrong at all, I'm just saying, it is another element in this mosaic of the campaign whether it be Lanza or Clovis or others, understanding that this fellow and probably others, Carter Page, and others were out in the world meeting with Russians with the knowledge and perhaps even the support of the campaign. So you can't take this one talking to the reporter and pretend that that's all this is about. It's a broader context of what Papadopoulos and Carter Page and others where doing -- doing this critical period of April, May, June, July.</s>LEMON: By the way, I have to say, we invited Bryan Lanza, he's from the campaign -- now he is a contributor of CNN. He was not available tonight. But I got to ask you, sources are telling CNN the role of the new -- this is from Michael Rohde, the new attorney brought on to Trump's legal team is in flux. The President met with long time Washington attorney, Joe DiGenova along with his wife and law partner Victoria Toensing yesterday. Sources tell CNN the President liked their message, but doesn't think they are right for the job. No one has officially been hired yet. Is the DiGenova the right person for this role, Michael and Ken I will bring you in?</s>ZELDIN: Well, so, I worked with Joe as Deputy Independent Counsel when he was an Independent Counsel he's been -- and Vicky, I worked for the Justice Department. They've been friends a long time. I think they're terrific people and terrific lawyers, and I think they could help drive a media strategy for the President. My biggest problem is that they have been reported in the paper as representing Mark Corallo and Sam Clovis, and I don't understand how you overcome the conflict between the representation of those individual's -- irrespective of whether they sign a waiver and the representation of the president. Especially Corallo, who quit the campaign or quit the -- the job in the White House, because he thought they were engaged in obstructionist behavior on that Air Force One memo thing. So how do you represent someone who's essentially said the White House has engaged in obstruction behavior and at the same time represent the White House?</s>LEMON: OK.</s>ZELDIN: So, I think on a complex matter, they probably won't pass the test.</s>LEMON: Ken, I know you want to respond. Go ahead.</s>CUCCINELLI: Yes, no, no, no, I agree with Michael. I think that for those reasons, it's a bad fit. And you don't really have to go any further than that. And you can say there's no conflict now, but there's no telling where things will go and particularly as it relates to each individuals, Sam Clovis, Corallo, so what or President Trump and putting yourself as a lawyer in that position would be very unwise, and again, I don't think it serves any of those clients well for a lawyer to put themselves in that position. Much like -- last night.</s>LEMON: All you have to do is say no, I wouldn't that's' not -- but anyway. Thank you, I appreciate both of you. Have a great weekend.</s>ZELDIN: You too.</s>LEMON: When we comeback, Playboy playmate and a porn star, both coming out with blockbuster interviews about their alleged affairs with the President and their stories are pretty similar. Plus, Stormy Daniels attorney firing, what he calls, a warning shot. Where are going to tell you, what he is threatening.