00:00You had an opportunity to go down and talk to Jocelyn Maxwell and then a few days later she
00:08was transferred from a high security prison to a very comfortable, very comfortable. It's just not
00:16true. She was not in a high security prison. She was transferred from a low security prison to a
00:21low security prison. She had access to a private shower. She could have pet therapy and I don't
00:29know if any of that is true. I'm not disagreeing with you. It is true and you should know it
00:32Mr.
00:33I should know that. Why did he send you down to talk to her? He didn't send me. I went.
00:40What do you
00:40mean? Do you think President Trump called and asked me to go interview a witness in federal prison?
00:44Yes I do frankly because you know why? Because the deal was in. He needed somebody to rely upon
00:51to talk to her and say what would she say if she was asked about Jeffrey Epstein. The president did
00:56not have anything to do with my choice to go interview Ms. Maxwell. If I wouldn't have went
01:01and a career would have went you would have said why didn't you go yourself just like you expect me
01:04to know whether she has access to her own shower. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Mr. Blanche, how many
01:10taxpayers returns were leaked by the IRS contractor in the 2020 breach? How many taxpayers, excuse me?
01:17How many taxpayers returns were leaked by the IRS contractor in the 2020 breach?
01:22I don't know the exact amount but a lot.
01:28405,427. One of them was Donald Trump, correct? One of them was Donald Trump, correct?
01:35It was Donald Trump and his family were others, correct.
01:38Right. And Donald Trump was president at the time?
01:41Correct. So it was his IRS department that allowed this breach of privacy, correct?
01:48It was a criminal who worked in the IRS, yes.
01:52Well, he was hired under Trump's... This is one of the Trump...
01:56Well, there was a criminal breach that led to this, yes.
01:59Very good. How many of these 400,000 people have received monetary reimbursement for the breach?
02:06I don't think any have, including the president.
02:08No, they haven't. But you've authorized the president.
02:12Do you agree the president should have reimbursement, correct?
02:16No, he settled the case. No, there's no reimbursement to president Trump.
02:22Well, that's interesting. So president Trump, you're going to assure us,
02:26president Trump and his family will get no proceeds from this?
02:29Correct. He will not.
02:31He will not get. His family will not get.
02:34Correct.
02:35And who will direct the disposition of these? Who gets the money?
02:39From the, from the victims fund. Well, there'll be a commission of five individuals that will be set
02:45up and they will take in requests and claims and decide whether to do anything from issue an apology.
02:51Who will name the commissioners?
02:52I will. The attorney general, whoever the attorney general is.
02:55The attorney general. Okay.
02:57Sorry, just to correct. And one of them will be done in consultation with leadership of this body.
03:03Consultation. Well, that's good. But, um, when he first announced this, uh, suit on January 30th,
03:10he said, I think what we'll do is something for charity where I'll give the money to charity.
03:16I'm talking about the American Cancer Society. I would say established and respected charities.
03:22Will you fulfill the president's wish that it goes to respected charities?
03:27I'm aware that he put that in or said that, but that's not ultimately what the settlement calls for.
03:32Well, the settlement was negotiated between his lawyers and the Department of Justice, correct?
03:38Correct.
03:38So his lawyers did not urge that they adopt the president's vision of giving it to a respectable charity?
03:45I am confident his lawyers urged the president's desires. Obviously, there's not a charity.
03:51Uh, the order that you signed yesterday states that the government would pay their settlement
04:00if the secretary of treasury has certified the payment. Is that correct?
04:05Correct.
04:06Uh, is it a coincidence that the general counsel of the department of treasury resigned yesterday?
04:12I don't know if it's a coincidence.
04:14Have you looked or checked?
04:16Have I checked?
04:17Yeah.
04:17I have not. As to why he resigned?
04:20It just seems to be very coincidental that the high-ranking member of the department of treasury,
04:26Senate confirmed, would resign the day that the treasury department was required to, required
04:31essentially to certify these payments.
04:35Well, I believe the IRS signed the settlement agreement as well. Um, but yes. But I, I don't,
04:41I can't speak to why he resigned, Senator.
04:42Well, uh, this all seems, uh, to be an obvious, uh, abuse of power by the department of justice,
04:56by the president. He negotiated essentially himself. You're his appointee. The IRS are his appointees.
05:03He's the plaintiff. And the American people, I don't think, are surprised that suddenly all this money
05:10is going to his friends or people that he, in his orbit. Uh, will you ensure that none of this
05:17money
05:17goes to anyone convicted on the January 6th attack on the Congress?
05:22Well, the commissioners will determine who is eligible to receive the money.
05:26And who, who are the commissioners? They're not named yet.
05:30Who will name them? I will. Or the attorney general will. It's not me.
05:34So, uh, with the suggestion of the president of the United States.
05:37Excuse me? With the suggestion of the American, of the president of the United States, your boss.
05:41I do not make suggestions. I will. No, no. He won't make suggestions to you.
05:45I, I, I have no idea if he will or not. I, I really don't. I have no idea if
05:50he will or not.
05:52Uh, I, I would be shocked if he didn't tell you exactly who to put on,
05:57and I'd be more shocked if you did not put them on. This is, uh, a travesty of the law
06:05in the United
06:06States and the Constitution. Uh, you had an opportunity to go down and talk to
06:11I would agree to that. I am glad that she was elected to
06:12Jocelyn Maxwell. And then a few days later, she was transferred from a high
06:17security prison to a very comfortable. I mean, that's, uh, very comfortable.
06:24That's just not true. She was not in a high security prison.
06:27She was transferred from a low security prison to a low security prison.
06:30I mean, you're looking at me like that's, that's verifiable.
06:34Well, uh, I don't think at the other prison
06:37she had her own room. She had access to a private shower. She could have pet therapy.
06:45And I don't know if any of that is true. I'm not disagreeing with you. It is true. And you
06:49should
06:49know it, Mr. Mr. I should know that you should know whether an inmate has access to her own
06:53shower. No, no. This is a person of extra special interest to the president of the United States.
07:00He's known her. Why did he send you down to talk to her? He didn't send me. I went.
07:07What do you mean? Do you think President Trump called and asked me to go interview a witness
07:11in federal prison? Honestly? Yes, I do, frankly. Because you know why? Because the deal was
07:16in. He needed somebody he could rely upon to talk to her and say, what would she say if
07:22she was asked about Jeffrey Epstein? And you were the perfect choice. And you went down
07:26there and suddenly, shazam, she's out of what is a more confining situation into a much more
07:36relaxed federal prison. Every word that I asked her is recorded
07:41and available to you to review. If there's criticisms of the question that I asked her, go ahead
07:46and make them. But the president did not have anything to do with my choice to go interview
07:50Ms. Maxwell. If I wouldn't have went and a career would have went, you would have said,
07:54why didn't you go yourself? Just like you expect me to know whether she has access to her own
07:58shower. So I did go. You should. Everyone in the United
08:01States who reads the newspapers know that. I guess you don't, you know, read things like
08:06that. You know, this whole hearing, I think, is exposing something, which is, to me, very
08:11frightening. You're a very gifted lawyer. But from my perspective, you have very little
08:19faith to the constitution and the people of America. And you're the president's consigliore.
08:24Your perspective is completely wrong, Senator. Respectfully.
08:28Well, I think the facts will prove me right. Thank you.
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