investigation going. maybe spark an actual investigation. ukraine was close to doing that when the money was finally unfrozen. giuliani tries to add more smoke, innuendo to the bidens which did, of course, draw them out on defense. you have to see how this works to innoculate the situation. we know the phrase shoot first, ask questions later. this is how the plot worked smear first, ask questions later, gin up a process to delegitimize that original smear, doj investigating the original investigators or trying to get a foreign country to investigate the case. the later action tries to trick you into thinking that the original outlandish theory has become more substantiated by external events, by the smoke. that s why i m about to show you something really interesting, it s vital to trump and giuliani that solomon ultimately be taken seriously, which is why you have giuliani s ridiculous calls for
we didn t hold up the funds. i ask you, is that a valid, factual defense? absolutely not. an attempted bribery is the same as bribery. in fact, what the facts do show is that but for the fact that certain people in congress, both republicans and democrats, prevailed on the white house to release those funds, not knowing what was going on behind the scenes with rudy giuliani and the rest of the crowd that was trying to get this quid pro quo for investigating the bidens, that money was released. it was only by coincidence. had they waited a couple of more days, it would have been effective. this was a classic attempt at bribery, no matter how you define it. you are a watergate special prosecutor. you have the unique experience of what it means to investigate a president. before i turn to heather, where do you view chairman schiff s strategy tonight focusing on bribery? i give it an a plus.
what went down ult amtally the money was released. and the u.s. money flowed to ukraine september 19th and republicans say ukraine never formally investigated the bidens. again, part of a new factual defense which you note is different from the more sweeping defenses we ve had from the white house. let s get more into it now. how are you doing? i m good. this is a more specific and more factual defense from house republicans than what we ve heard from donald trump s team himself. that s right. so they are trying to figure out how to lay out before things go on what they re supposed to say, which is that the call wasn t b bad. the aid was suspended but nobody knew the aid was suspended. nothing happened, no harm, nfoe foul, it s ridiculous.
considering firing the inspector general who initially deemed the whistle-blower complaint urgent and credible. more officials lining up, providing the facts and the evidence to support the allegation that there was quid pro quo bribery. consider state department official laura cooper, added to the list we ve been keeping here of people who have alleged facts to support bribery. meanwhile two other officials have confirmed the plot, offici. they are expected to lay it out in the public hearings tomorrow. that will be new. republicans? well, here is their response with hours to go. selection of basically a lengthy memo. a new talking point that the money that ultimately went to ukraine means maybe there was no plot. if they got the money they wanted. donald trump basically saying, well, if there was an attempted plot but they ultimately got the money, maybe no harm, no foul.
about that we just showed where fox and trump and everyone wants to build this person up as if they re an award-winning journalist when what you re arguing is they re associated with indicted individuals and foreign money, to some degree. and the hill has previously gotten caught publishing material that was secretly funded to the degree that mueller was investigating it as breaking foreign lobbying laws, where does it all land from here? we need to get to you know, unpack each of the dolls and john solomon, when we look at his work, we see giuliani with whom he had a business deal, was trying to develop one, and with whom he is working hand in glove. and giuliani sent his bogus articles to secretary of state mike pompeo. right. in order to fire u.s.