‘Not an extremist bone in my body,' Exclusive interview with Interim U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Sigal Chattah, Interim U.S Attorney for the District of Nevada, satdown with the 8 News Now Investigators for her first interview with a Nevada news outlet.
Chattah, the former Republican National Committee woman who made an unsuccessful run for Nevada Attorney General, discussed her priorities as she leads the U.S. Attorney's Office in Las Vegas, which includes mirroring the Trump administration's priorities. Chattah also addressed past controversies, immigration, and the recent presidential pardon of Michele Fiore.
Chattah: We truly, truly have every type of crime. Whether it comes to public corruption, whether it comes to human trafficking, whether it comes to narco trafficking. We do have gangs here. We do have MS13 and TDA and immigration issues.
8NN: As far as immigration, there are different interpretations about how the Trump administration is or isn't violating court orders. What is your interpretation?
Chattah: I view the immigration laws, first of all, the immigrationcode is fundamentally a legislation. It is law, and the minute youinfuse politics with the law, that's when things become tricky. So youknow, coupled with the fact that the president of the United Stateshas plenary power, okay, under Article Two. So one of the issues thatwe've got is you're infusing politics. You're taking out Article Twopowers and you're destroying the law that's on the books. You know, there's no discretion in these types of laws. It's not like, you know, discretion in sentencing, okay? When you have alaw that is clear, that law needs to be applied, and I think whatyou've seen through the prior administration is that you've had thelaw eroded based on politics, and that's how I look at it.
8NN: Are you talking, so are you referring to perhaps, the judges'politics who are making the decisions? Is that…am I understandingthat correctly?
Chattah: Yeah, absolutely.
8NN: How closely are you working with I.C.E.?
Chattah: Oh, I mean I don't have coffee with them every day. Howclosely are we working with I.C.E.? They are no different than anyother agency we work with, whether it's H.S.I., the F.B.I., they'reall part of law enforcement.
8NN: What has surprised you about how this office runs, and are youmaking any significant staffing changes?
Chattah: I haven't fired one person, not at all.
8NN: Should President Trump have pardoned Michele Fiore?
Chattah: You know, again, President Trump has plenary Article Twopowers. I don't have an opinion on that. I have not talked to Michelefor months. I wish her all the best of luck, and you know, may Godprotect her.
8NN: Is she a friend?
Chattah: She used to be my friend, yes.
8NN: Not anymore…
Chattah: We haven't talked.
8NN: Do you believe she misused that money?
Chattah: Well, the jury thought so. My belief in that doesn't matter. There was a beyond a reasonable doubt decision.
8NN: You could be considered a controversial figure in Nevada.
Chattah: Absolutely yes.
8NN: You came under fire for a text message about Aaron Ford,saying something like he should be hanged from a crane. It was apersonal conversation. You had also tweeted last year, you referred toJamaal Bowman. You referred to him as an anti-Semitic ghetto rat. Whatwould you say to individuals who hear this rhetoric and may thinkyou're racist?
Chattah: Okay, well, the comment from the personal conversation that I hadabout Aaron Ford, that's a quote from the movie Red Sea Diving Resort. I just don't know why everybody has taken it to the level they did. You know, saying that I'm racist, is, you know, look, my mother is Yemenite. I mean, I don't know what to say about that. I'm just, there's nothing to say. I mean, I'm not. I'm not racist.
8NN: You've used the word trannies, which some people findoffensive. Do you feel like in this position, you might use morepolitically correct language and tone language like that down?
Chattah: In the context of this office, you know, there's decorum thatexists in federal government that does not exist in myprivate life, okay. In my personal life, if you and I are out fordrinks, I'm going to have a little bit of a different tone than if youand I are here in the office.
8NN: What is your status as Republican National Committeewoman?
Chattah: I am on leave as Republican National Committeewoman, completely.
8NN: Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen said they'll fight yourpermanent appointment. They referred to you as an extremist. Are youan extremist?
Chattah: I don't think I'm an extremist. There's no, you know, there'snot an extremist bone in my body.
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