the way out, but it also raises this prospect that the white house has been through its contacts at the justice department, through its appointees at the justice department th department, that they have been trying to get information or trying to put pressure on what the justice department is doing. do you know that they have done that one way or the other? and do you think it has had an effect on what the justice department or even the special counsel has been able to pursue? i don t know the answer. you know, he will say this, though. this is someone who has refused to follow the advice of ethics lawyers. so, you know, you start out with a great skepticism about whether you re getting the full story from someone like that. this is someone who obviously auditioned for the part by showing his hostility to the investigation. and i think that the judiciary committee needs to demand answer, and if there is credible reason to believe he has not been truthful, they need to do everything n
going to be reviewed, you know, either through the various means we have but right now the investigation is, i think, close to being completed and i hope that we can get the report from director mueller as soon as possible. a few hours later house intelligence committee chairman democrat adam schiff responded to that comment saying. quote an acting attorney general who refuses follow the advice of ethics lawyers and recuse himself from an investigation in which he has shown a clear bias is the last person who should speak for the special counsel while the probe is ongoing. mueller can speak for himself. since the first of really since the first couple of months of the special counsel s appointment the president s allies assured him of a quick to end the investigation. back in august of 2017 then white house special counsel you may recall told reuters i would be embarrassed if this is still
about it as early as mid-february. that was according to government officials and other individuals who were familiar with the investigation. and other series of signals that give us indications this could be wrapping up right now. the fact that michael flynn is being moved towards the sentencing phase. the indictment of roger stone. and rod rosenstein. the fact he s leaving the justice department after william barr is confirmed. it had previously been signaled rosenstein would only leave when he felt strongly the investigation was nearing its conclusion. here s what we heard from the head of the house intelligence committee. now in the hands of democrats. adam schiff had this to say. an acting attorney general who refuses to follow the advice of ethics lawyers and recuse himself from an investigation in which he has shown a clear bias is the last person who should speak for the special counsel. while the probe is ongoing, mueller can speak for himself. obviously, robert mueller s team
themselves, we now have michael cohen testifying not in public anymore, but in private. and that s not a way that we are going to ever really feel comfortable that we know. if there is no action taken against the president, it could be because they don t want to indict a sitting president or it could be because there s nothing there, and we need to know that. we should note you just mentioned this, that michael cohen has agreed to closed door testimony before the house intelligence committee. but the february 7th public testimony he was going to give to the oversight committee, that remains in limbo. we ll see if they come to an arrangement or he ends up being subpoenaed for that. i want to read you what adam schiff had to say about whitaker s comments and get your response. an acting attorney general who refuses to follow the advise of ethics lawyers and recuse himself from an investigation in which he has shown a clear bias is the last person who should speak for the special counse
mr. whitaker doesn t need to speak for him, shouldn t speak for him, given that he has refused to follow the advice of ethics lawyers, he s just compounding the mistake he made in that decision. not a lot of trust for matthew whitaker. and as for the man who might replace him as attorney general and oversee the special counsel today, the senate judiciary committee delayed their vote on william barr s nomination until next week over democrats concerns that barr wouldn t let mueller finish his work and publicize his findings. so the big question we re asking today is, after roger stone, where does the mueller investigation go? joining me, nbc news national security and justice reporter, julia ainsley, washington post white house bureau chief, phil r rutger, and jonathan lamir. you know, i m in d.c., guys, and none of you are sitting here on set with me. i feel a bit unloved, but i will let that pass. julia, roger stone in court pleaded not guilty.