Andy Biggs critical of Mueller investigation

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The ongoing investigation into Russia’s involvement with the 2016 presidential elections is under heavy scrutiny, particularly from Republican members of Congress.

Rep. Andy Biggs stands by his previous statement calling Special Counsel Robert Mueller “incapable in this instance” of the Russian probe. Biggs defends his statement by pointing out what he believes to be lack of due process; namely a court order and subpoena to look through thousands of private emails.

Biggs disagrees with Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon’s claim that the core of the investigation is money laundry. Money laundry may be involved, says Biggs, but it is not the core of the investigation. The main question the two-term representative wants to see answered is who exactly was involved in the election.

When asked if there is anything President Donald Trump has done regarding this investigation and the first year of his presidency he disapproves of, Biggs says no. According to him, the president “by and large has had a very successful first year.”

TED SIMONS: COMING UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON. A CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS ABOUT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CRITICISM OF SPECIAL COUNCIL ROBERT MUELLER. AND EDUCATION ADVOCATES TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE THIS SESSION. THOSE STORIES NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON.

TED SIMONS: GOOD EVENING, WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON. I'M TED SIMONS. DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN RUBEN GALLEGO WILL BE FACING A PRIMARY CHALLNGE THIS YEAR. STATE SENATOR CATHERINE MIRANDA ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT SHE WILL RUN AGAINST GALLEGO IN THE SEVENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. MIRANDA SAYS IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS A REPRESENTATIVE WHO, QUOTE, PUTS EGO AND PARTISANSHIP ASIDE TO GET THINGS DONE. GALLEGO HAS HELD THE SEAT SINCE 2014. THE WINNER OF THE PRIMARY IS EXPECTED TO WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION IN WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SAFE DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT.

TED SIMONS: CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS IS IN HIS FIRST TERM REPRESENTATING IN WHAT’S CONSIDERED A SAFE REPUBLICAN DISTRICT IN THE EAST VALLEY. CONGRESSMAN BIGGS HAS SHOWN TO BE A STRONG SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP AND A STRONG CRITIC OF THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. JOINING US NOW IS CONGRESSMAN ANDY BIGGS. GOOD TO SEE YOU.

ANDY BIGGS: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

TED SIMONS: GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, EVEN TODAY. WE GOT THIS STEVE BANNON STORY. I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THIS. CLAIMING THE PRESIDENT'S SON AND SON-IN-LAW KNEW ABOUT MEETING WITH RUSSIAN OPERATIVES. CLAIMING THE MEETING WAS TREASONOUS. HE’S CLAIMING A LOT HERE IN A BOOK THAT’S ABOUT TO BE PUBLISHED. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

ANDY BIGGS: I HAVE NOT READ THE ANY TWEETS OR ANY ARTICLES TODAY. I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS ALL DAY. I THINK SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE A ROUGH BREAKUP. WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A ROUGH BREAKUP HERE.

TED SIMONS: HE ALSO SAID THE MUELLER PROBE, AT ITS CORE, IS ABOUT MONY LAUNDERING, ABOUT RUSSIAN MONEY COMING THROUGH THE PRESIDENT. BEFORE HE WAS PRESIDENT, HIS FAMILY, THAT WHOLE OPERATION. THIS IS STEVE BANNON. I DON'T THINK PEOPLE CONSIDER HIM AN EXPERT ON TOO MANY THINGS. EXPERT ON DONALD TRUMP, THAT'S ONE THING HE KNOWS ABOUT. DOES THIS CONCERN YOU?

ANDY BIGGS: ANY TYPE YOU HAVE THOSE TYPE OF ALLEGATIONS, THEY ARE SERIOUS. WE SHOULD BE AWARE AND WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED. THAT IS NOT WHAT REALLY MUELLER INVESTIGATION WAS FORMED TO BE ABOUT. IF YOU REMEMBER, I CAME OUT EARLY SAYING THAT I HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE WAY THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER. THAT'S WHY I WANTED MUELLER TO RECUSE HIMSELF BECAUSE SYSTEM WAS MANIPULATED BY JAMES COMEY, THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR. HIS SUBORDINATE ROD ROSENSTEIN WAS THE ONE THAT APPOINTED MR. MUELLER. THERE ARE SOME CONFLICT THAT GOES THERE. THAT IS NOT WHY THE INVESTIGATION WAS PUT TOGETHER. INVESTIGATION IS TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY TIES OR -- COLLUSION IS NOT A LEGAL TERM, CONSPIRACY IS. WAS THERE CONSPIRACY TO IMPACT OUR ELECTION BY EITHER THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN OR ANYONE ELSE WITH THE RUSSIANS? THAT WHOLE INVESTIGATION HAS NOW CHANGED COURSE.

TED SIMONS: SOME COULD ARGUE THAT CHANGED COURSE BECAUSE WE ARE DEALING WITH RUSSIANS AND THAT'S THE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN MONEY LAUNDERING, OTHER ASPECTS AND CONSPIRACY WITH TRUMP CAMPAIGN, VALID?

ANDY BIGGS: NOT NECESSARILY SO BECAUSE WHAT DROVE MOST OF THIS IS THE SPYING THAT WAS DONE UNDER ILLEGALLY OBTAINED FISA WARRANTS. THEY’RE KIND OF STONE WALLING US. THEY WON’T GIVE US THE REAL RATIONALE. THE DOSSIER THAT WAS CREATED FOR AND PAID FOR BY DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN. WHAT WE KNOW IS, THEY BROUGHT THIS DOSSIER IN. CREATED IT AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE WORKING ON THAT WERE TOP LEVEL PEOPLE AT DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. SO THE QUESTION IS WHO IS REALLY INVOLVED IN THE ELECTION? AND THAT'S WHAT WE INTENDED TO FIND OUT. WE NO LONGER HEAR MY COUNTERPARTS TALKING ABOUT COLLUSION OR -- WHICH IS CONSPIRACY. NO CONSPIRACY ABOUT ELECTION IN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN ANYMORE. THEY CHANGED THE VERY NATURE OF INVESTIGATION. IF BASED ON ILLEGALLY OR INAPPROPRIATELY OBTAINED FISA WARRANTS OR 10,000 E-MAILS THAT SPECIAL COUNCIL MUELLER TOOK FROM THE PRIVATE ENTITY TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM, THEN ALMOST NOTHING THAT FLOWS FROM EITHER ONE OF THOSE IS PERMISSIBLE IN COURT OF LAW.

TED SIMONS: YOU CALLED ROBERT MUELLER INCAPABLE OF BEING IMPARTIAL. DO YOU BELIEVE SOMEONE WITH THAT EXPERIENCE, THAT BACKGROUND, THAT HISTORY, THAT KNOWLEDGE, THAT REPUTATION IS INCAPABLE OF IMPARTIALITY?

ANDY BIGGS: IN THIS INSTANCE, YES. I WILL TELL YOU WHY. BASICALLY, WE HAVE SEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT REALLY INDICATE A PROBLEM. NUMBER ONE, THE TEAM THAT HE PUT TOGETHER. HE CAN’T FARM IT OUT TO ANYBODY ELSE, BUT MORE THAN HALF OF HIS TEAM ARE NOT JUST PARTISAN. WE ARE ALL PARTISANS. WE ARE ALL BIASED. WE HAVE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME AND SET ASIDE. WE HAVE NOT JUST SIMPLE DONORS; WE HAVE MAJOR DONORS SITTING ON THAT TEAM, DONORS TO HILLARY CLINTON. WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO STRUCK AND IS PARAMORE, WHO BASICALLY TRYING TO COLLUDE WITH ANDREW MCCABE TO SEE IF THERE WAS SOME WAY TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION TO PREVENT DONALD TRUMP FROM BEING ELECTED. THAT'S A PROBLEM.

TED SIMONS: I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING THERE. AGAIN, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ROBERT MUELLER, A REPUBLICAN BY THE WAY. AND YOU’RE SAYING HE HAS A PREFERENCE FOR QUESTIONABLE TACTICS. WHY WOULD SOMEONE OF THAT STATURE AND REPUTATION WHO HAS PROSECUTED EVERYTHING FROM ORGANIZED CRIME TO MANUEL NORIEGA AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN. WHY WOULD HE PUT EVERYTHING AT STAKE OVER SOMETHING, AS FAR AS YOU CONCERN, OBVIOUS?

ANDY BIGGS: I WANT TO BE KIND HERE. I JUST WANT TO SAY VERY CLEARLY, WHAT HE HAS DONE IN ASSEMBLING HIS TEAM, THE QUESTIONABLE TACTIC I WOULD EMPHAISZE VERY STRONGLY IS THE LACK OF DUE PROCESS. NO COURT ORDER. NO SUBPOENA TO TAKE THOUSANDS OF COMMUNICATIONS FROM SOMETHING THE GSA DIRECTOR SAYS THOSE ARE PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS. YOU HAVE TO GET A COURT ORDER TO GET THEM. YOU AND I WOULD NOT WANT AN INVESTIGATION OF OUR LIVES BASED ON BEING CONDUCTED THE WAY MR. MUELLER IS CONDUCTING HIS INVESTIGATION. THAT’S A PROBLEM.

TED SIMONS: YOU SAID THE CREDIBILITY OF THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM IS AT STAKE AND THE CREDIBILITY OF REPRESENTATIVE REPUBLIC IS AT STAKE. YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT?

ANDY BIGGS: I DO. YOU BET BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ELECTION TAMPERING. THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS ALL MEANT TO BE. NOW WE HAVE GONE WAY BEYOND THE SCOPE. THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEMS TURNS IN TO, THAT QUESTION IS SO SERIOUS. WAS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THE PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THE WORLD, THE FBI, WHERE THE HIGHEST-LEVEL PEOPLE, PEOPLE LIKE PETER STRZOK, WERE THEY TRYING TO COLLUDE TO PREVENT A FAIR ELECTION FROM TAKING PLACE?

TED SIMONS: WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT? WHY WOULD THESE PEOPLE, AGAIN WITH REPUTATIONS AND HISTORIES, AND THUS FAR STELLAR RECORDS, WHY WOULD THEY PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE, WITH MANY OF THEM REPUBLICANS? WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS? I’M LOOKING FOR MOTIVE.

ANDY BIGGS: YOU NEED TO READ THE 350 E-MAILS THAT WE GOT FROM PETER STRZOK. I’VE READ THOSE EMAILS. WHAT YOU WILL SEE IS THAT THEY REALLY BELIEVED THAT DONALD TRUMP WAS NOT THE GUY THEY WANTED AS PRESIDENT. THEY WANTED HILLARY CLINTON. AND SO THEY BELIEVE DONALD TRUMP IS DANGEROUS PERHAPS. WHEN YOU START READING, I THINK THAT’S THEUR MOTIVATION. THEY MISTRUSTED DONALD TRUMP. THEY WERE TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.

TED SIMONS: AGAIN, I CAN UNDERSTAND. YOU DON'T WANT X, YOU RATHER HAVE Y. YOU DO NOT WANT X AND YOU’RE GOING TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE LAW WHEN YOU’RE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SUCH A HUGE… REALLY IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE.

ANDY BIGGS: THAT'S WHY I SAID. IT PUTS THE WHOLE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, PUTS OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM IN QUESTION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW YET. WE NEED TO GET TO BOTTOM OF IT. NOT WITH THAT TEAM THAT MR. MUELLER PUT TOGETHER.

TED SIMONS: YOU TALK ABOUT CDREDIBLITY OF THE AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE PRESIDENT SAYS THERE IS A DEEP STATE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. THAT CERTAINLY AFFECTS THE CREDIBILITY OF JUSTICE SYSTEM.

ANDY BIGGS: SURE. HE’S MAKING THE POINT AS WE GO THROUGH AND GET MORE INFORMATION AND MORE EVIDENCE STARTS COMING TO CONGRESS, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I COME AWAY WITH IS I AM CONCERNED. I THINK VAST MAJORITY OF THE RANK AND FILE OF FBI, THEY ARE JUST ABOVEBOARD DOING A GREAT JOB. THERE WERE SOME AT HIGHEST LEVELS AS WE’RE SEEING WITH STRZOK AND WITH OHR AND HIS WIFE, WHO WORKED ON THE FUSION GPS. WHO IS A DOJ TOP… TWO-DOORS DOWN --

TED SIMONS: BUT FUSION GPS JUST CAME OUT TODAY SAYING THAT THEY WERE HIRED BY BOTH SIDES.

ANDY BIGGS: YEAH, BUT --

TED SIMONS: AND THEY ARE COMING OUT RIGHT NOW SAYING THIS IS ABOUT MONEY LAUNDERING, AND WE’RE TIRED OF REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS, THEY DIDN’T NAME YOU PERSONALLY,

ANDY BIGGS: BUT THEY COULD HAVE.

TED SIMONS: THEY COULD HAVE. REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS THROWING UP ALL THIS SMOKE AROUND WHAT SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION OF BAD STUFF.

ANDY BIGGS: WHO DID BAD STUFF? FUSION GPS. THIS IS CALLED SPIN. FUSION GPS, NOW MONTHS LATER, THEY ARE SAYING, HEY, WE WERE GOOD GUYS HERE. THEY WERE NOT GOOD GUYS. THEY GOT PAID, WE KNOW NOW, BY DNC AND HILLARY CLINTON’S CAMPAIGN

TED SIMONS: AND REPUBLICANS AS WELL.

ANDY BIGGS: WHEN EARLY ON, WHO BACKED OUT. REPUBLICANS THAT WERE PAYING FOR WERE NEVER TRUMPERS AND THEN THEY PULLED OUT AND THEN IT BECAME THE DEMOCRATIC DEAL. WHEN IT BECAME A DEMOCRATIC DEAL, IT ENDED UP IN FBI AND DOJ HANDS. QUESTION IS DID THEY PAY FOR IT?

TED SIMONS: THE QUESTION IS… I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS. I ASKED DEMOCRATS WHO CAME ON UNDER THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. HAS THE PRESIDENT DONE ANYTHING THAT YOU DISAPPROVE OF OR YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT?

ANDY BIGGS: GOOD GRIEF. HE TWEETS I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A DAY. I DON’T FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER, BUT BELIEVE ME, I HEAR ABOUT IT FROM CONSTITUENTS SO I'M NOT REALLY HAPPY THERE. THERE ARE ISSUES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SEEN HANDLED A BIT DIFFERENTLY. I THINK, BY AND LARGE, HE’S HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR. HE’S DONE IT AT WHAT I WOULD SAY LONG ODDS. HE’S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT LONG ODDS.

TED SIMONS: DO YOU UNDERSTAND THOSE WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM HIS DECISION MAKING, HIS BACKGROUND TO HIS MENTAL HEALTH?

ANDY BIGGS: NO.

TED SIMONS: YOU’RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?

ANDY BIGGS: NO. I THINK THAT IS SO BOGUS. LOOK, THE FIRST DAY WE HAD A HEARING IN MY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT LAST JANUARY. A YEAR AGO. WHAT DO I HEAR? MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING, WELL, WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT IMPEACHING DONALD TRUMP. I’M LIKE THIS IS THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE. AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S BEEN. IT'S BEEN RELENTLESS. IT'S BEEN SOME PEOPLE CALL IT DERANGED A LITTLE BIT. I CALL IT UNHINGED SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES I HEAR THINGS AND I THINK IT’S A LITTLE BIT OVER THE TOP. THIS MENTAL HEALTH THING IS ONE OF THEM. I THINK ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

TED SIMONS: HAS THE PRESIDENT DONE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK IS OVER THE TOP? MY NUCLEAR BUTTON IS BIGGER THAN YOURS.

ANDY BIGGS: WELL MINE IS BIGGER THAN YOURS, TED.

TED SIMONS: WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE CONGRESSMAN?

ANDY BIGGS: LOOK, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE TWEETS BASICALLY. I GET IT. THAT IS A CONCERN FOR MANY PEOPLE. BUT HE GOT ELECTED ON THAT. WHAT HAS HE DONE? I THINK IN SOME RESPECTS HE'S BEEN A MASTER AT MANIPULATING THE MEDIA. THIS NARRATIVE OVER HERE IS OUT HERE. MY COLLEAGUES ON OTHER SIDE OF AISLE, FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, I'M NOT PAYING YOU. GO BACK AND LOOK AT TAPES. THEY COULDN’T HELP THEMSELVES. WE COULD HAVE THE MOST INNOCUOUS BILL BEFORE COMMITTEE, WHEN THEY SPOKE, FIRST TWO OR THREE MINUTES IS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP AND RUSSIAN COLLUSION. WE DON'T HEAR THAT ANYMORE. THEY ARE OFF AT SOME OTHER TANGENT. THE POINT IS HE HAS MISDIRECTED THE MEDIA. ALL THE MEDIA IS LOOKING AT THIS STUFF. IN THE MEANTIME, HE'S ABLE TO IMPACT REGULATION, TAX REFORM, YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN ABLE TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK HE OTHERWISE BEEN ABLE TO -- GORSUCH CONFIRMATION. THESE ARE BIG THINGS ACTUALLY.

TED SIMONS: LAST QUESTION HERE. AS FAR AS YOU CONCERN, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS AS FAR AND YOU ARE PROUD OF WHAT HE HAS DONE AND HOW HE'S BEHAVED?

ANDY BIGGS: I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED.

TED SIMONS: HOW YOU HANGING IN IN WASHINGTON, D.C.? GETTING USED TO THE PLACE?

ANDY BIGGS: I NEVER WANT TO GET USED TO THAT PLACE.

TED SIMONS: OKAY. I THOUGH I’LL THROW YOU SOMETHING.

ANDY BIGGS: THANKS FOR ASKING.

TED SIMONS: GOOD SEEING YOU.

ANDY BIGGS: WE ONLY GOT ONE TOPIC.

TED SIMONS: THAT'S A BIG TOPIC.

ANDY BIGGS: GOOD SEEING YOU, TED.

Andy Biggs: United States House of Representatives

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