CNN Newsroom: Interview With Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
Interview
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Well, obviously the leak is very damaging to Ukraine and to the United States. And we do need to get to the bottom of it. That he was posting some of this material online and it was not promptly discovered is of concern. On the other hand, the world wide Web is a big place, and this was an obscure part of the Web, so we do need to take a look at how we might better become alert to such items while maintaining a free society.
I don't know. Obviously, there's a presumption of innocence for anyone who is accused of a crime. But it looks like this young man did some very severe damage to our country. Really anyone who would do this is engaged in trader's activity.
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Well, that's something we have to look at. But you'll recall after 9/11 we did realize that we had insufficient sharing of information that also made us vulnerable. So there has to be a balance between disclosing information. But in this case, you know this was a guy apparently who was skilled technologically, who was a part of a very important activity, which is to prevent cyber security breaches ironically. The fact that he was 21 I'm not sure is material. It was his lack of character that was at stake, and we have many young Americans serving with technological skills that make us strong, so saying that, you know, he's 21, I don't think is the issue. How do we provide cybersecurity with a technologically skilled members of our military and maintain a defensive posture against espionage of this sort?
That's something that I know the Department of Defense will be looking at very closely, as will the Congress.
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Well, we had testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson to that effect. Obviously it was her testimony, but I imagine the Department of Justice is looking at that. It's not illegal to assist another party with a legal defense. But in the case of the ex-president, given his record of distortion and frankly bullying others, it does raise concerns and I think it's proper for the Department of Justice to be thoroughly investigating this.
The money he raised from his small contributors has been used. I think in some ways just to keep people in line. You know a million dollars to Mark Meadows, money to the America First Policy Institute that retained many of his officials. Ways to keep people in line not to cross the ex-president. One has to wonder whether paying the lawyers of the accused is another way of keeping people in line.
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Well, I don't think there's any doubt that he was scamming his supporters. He solicited funds for defense fund that didn't exist. He accumulated, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars and did not use it for the purposes that he told his supporters. So obviously he was -- he did take their money and solicit their money under false pretenses. Whether that constitutes criminal conduct at something the Department of Justice will have to decide.
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They have to be thorough. I do understand that. But I think the sooner they conclude their investigation the better off America will be. That doesn't mean they will find a need to indict. That's a decision they have to make. But the sooner they make that decision, the better off everyone will be.
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Well, I am not running for that seat. Let me just say this. You know, there have been plenty of senators over the years who have been ill and who have been away from the Senate to recover. And so that is not different than many, many others, including most recently the minority leader in the Senate.
The question really is for Dianne whether she is, you know, really unable to return. I've not heard that and I hope that she recovers promptly and returns to the Senate. She has a lifetime of excellent public service to our country. I haven't always agreed with her. But her life has been committed to our country into public service. And I respect that.
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Well, as I say, you know, there have been many senators who because of illness or I can recall a senator who had a stroke who was away from the Senate for many, many months. This is not different and two single her out I think is not reasonable. However, if she concludes with her family and physicians that she is unable to return, that would be a different matter.
I don't know the answer to that. But I know she will be evaluating that with her physicians and because her whole life has been committed to our country I'm sure she'll make a decision in the best interests of America.
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Thank you.
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