doubt as to whether or not mr. dent ever had any cocaine himself actually. >> kevin dietz, great job reporting on this. thank you very much for joining us tonight. the indiana time bomb. let's play "hardball." ♪ good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. three big stories tonight. first, the time bomb started in indiana is blowing nationwide. the governor of arkansas said today he'll have no part in what many say is a gay bashing move. second, the talks will continue overnight in geneva with republicans howling. my question, do the republicans even have a foreign policy or is benghazi all they have?

and then bob menendez with enough corruption charges to put him away forever. is this payback from the right we think or good old new jersey justice? let's start with the indiana time bomb. this has forced the governor to retreat as he fixes the law and avoid the public fallout. asa hutchinson signed identical legislation and shocked everyone by announcing that he first wants the state's legislature to fix the freedom religion law before it gets to his desk. here is he. >> the issue has become divisive because the nation is split on how to deal with the traditions mixed with firmly held convictions.

it has divided families and there is clearly a generational gap on this issue. my son seth signed the petition asking me, dad, the governor, to veto the bill, the bill that is on my desk at the present time does not precisely mirror the federal law. therefore, i ask that changes be made in the legislation and i've asked that the leaders of the general assembly to recall the bill so that it can be amended to reflect the terms of the federal religious freedom and restoration act. >> but the damage to the republican party which desperately wants to win the white house in 2016 may already be done. just before indiana governor mike pence started to fall a little bit on the law, four gop candidates have come to his defense and have put themselves to the right of the indiana governor.

according to last month's nbc/"wall street journal's" poll, 59% of all americans and 74 democrats and 60% independents favor gay marriage. 40% of republicans do. the position puts the republican field out of step with a growing national consensus on gay rights handing hillary clinton and other democrats a way to portray republicans as intolerant and insensitive. as republican hopefuls are drawn into the cultural wars, dana milbank is an opinion writer with "the washington post." gregory angelo and sandy rios with the family association. let me get to a point that just came up. this is an arizona pizza owner who just put out a statement.

let's look at what this woman has to say. crystal o'connor of memory's pizza says her family would serve a gay couple or a nonchristian couple at its restaurant in walkerton, indiana, about 20 miles southwest of south bend in northern indiana. but o'connor tells wbnd that the restaurant would say no if a gay couple asked it to provide pizzas for their wedding. o'connor says this reflects the business. >> first thing i thought is this has to be an april fools' joke because there's no way a gay couple would be ordering pizza for their wedding. >> much more sophisticated than to have pizza. i thought the same thing, actually. >> but for governor pence

getting out there yesterday and saying this bill is about not allowing discrimination for -- and then the next day you have this business owner that is actually excited to use this rfra legislation specifically as a license to discriminate. something is definitely wrong with this law. this is a law that republicans have opposed because it is too broad. it's also redundant and it's the very definition of these special rights that just a few years ago republicans on the far right were accusing the lgbt community of demanding for ourselves. >> let me go to sendy on this. she says i'll serve them under 30 minutes, whatever domino's rule is but they are not going to do an advance case of a wedding ceremony because they don't believe in gay marriage. >> that law is a law that is a tool that is used in court. that law does not give her the right to do that. if she can prove that she has deeply held beliefs about gay marriage, then she could be --

if she's taken to court by whoever it is because she won't serve them at their wedding, she can use this as a defense but that doesn't mean she's going to win. >> wait a minute. if they didn't have this law, why -- >> why do we need this law? >> because a 71-year-old grandmother in the state of washington has a floral shop that she inherited from her mother. she serves gay people, she has gay friends but a gay couple came to her that she served for years and asked her to do flowers at their wedding. she said, i can't, i'm a christian. i can't do a gay wedding. and you know what, state of the washington is suing her. they want to take her house, her business. that's why these laws are stepping up, so that this woman and people like her, like the couple, melissa and aaron cline who have lost their complete business, this baking -- >> suppose your religion opposed interracial marriage. where would you be on that?

>> every single thing needs to go before the court. this law doesn't say you have to serve anyone. it gives you a reason, it gives you a foundation upon which to bring a lawsuit or defend yourself, just like hobby lobby did. that's the law that they used. >> as a value, you think it's okay for a business opened to the public to say no interracial marriage weddings will be celebrated by us. >> no, i don't think that. interracial marriage is not a moral issue. gay marriage is. >> it was years ago. >> it was a custom in the south that was abhorrent to them but that doesn't mean it's a moral issue. a moral issue opposes a god standard and that's one man, one woman. >> i think that's the point, it's no longer becoming a moral issue for most americans and if you look at where interracial marriage was, a majority of americans thought -- >> south africa called it the morality act under the law.

>> 1980s, this isn't ancient history, the majority thought an interracial marriage was immoral and that has changed fundamentally to only 4% of americans have that view today. you can see it crossing over presumably in 10, 20 years from now -- >> we do not draw our moral values from polls. people draw them from god's law and of course there are disagreements on some things. >> do you believe that it's a good -- do you oppose gay marriage personally? >> yes, i do. >> do you oppose gay rights? >> it depends on the rights. >> you tell me where the train ought to not stop. two guys go into a gas station to buy gas, it's clear that they are lovers because they are showing affection, sexual attraction, can you say no gas to you, buddy, i'm not part of this. >> absolutely not, chris. >> how about if you have a

hotel, two people of the same sex try to check in at midnight and it's clear they are lovers. do you stop them? >> if i had a hotel -- wait a second. if i had a christian business that catered to christian families and it was a retreat center. >> a hotel. >> there was a bed & breakfast that was and they were challenged and lost in court. christians who have a christian business have a right to do that. >> how about a christian gas station? >> this is why -- >> gas is not -- gasoline is not a -- >> i'm with you, chris, about -- i don't think there are christian hotels. >> should a hotel discriminate? >> no, i don't think so. because i don't think we can do that in this culture. because, listen, if we did that, we'd have to say, show me your marriage license, you know, because the -- >> so they can have the honeymoon in your hotel but not the wedding at your bakery?

>> you're asking a baker to go in and use her creativity to participate in the wedding. she doesn't want to do that. and so she's lost her business. so there. she's lost her business. >> so you're taking the position that your religious association, the beliefs of your religion should trump public accommodations? >> chris, i did not say that. i said that -- >> tell me what you said. >> when you have a personal conviction of something, you should not be required to participate in it if it goes against your conscience. let me give you an example. >> so your business is opened to the public except for anything except your religion? >> it's like that morning after pill when it was approved. christian pharmacists didn't want to give the pill to people and they said there's a pharmacist down the -- >> it's a matter of personal conscience and, chris, we have a first amendment right to take that -- >> if you're selling hot dogs but not to gay people. >> that's not what we're talking about. >> i would point out --

>> you're the arbitrar here. >> there's a story that's been underreported, in my opinion, in the media. three weeks ago you had republicans in the utah state legislature, leaders from the church of jesus christ all come to the table and essentially what they did was propose a religious freedom bill and it passed in utah. >> but it didn't pass in indiana. >> that's because they are not pairing rfra at least now with lgbt -- i think they should. >> at the time, the religious freedom restoration act came up this week in indianapolis, there was a proposal to add to it a guarantee of access to people to public accommodations. >> and the republican mayor of indianapolis signed it -- >> and the legislature opposed it overwhelmingly. >> that was before they had this

backlash that they are experiencing now and i think they are forced to recognize this. that's why they are going back to the table. >> when was the utah vote? >> about three weeks ago. it's all about compromise z more recently than that we had a problem with people voting that way. >> i think this has been something of a watershed moment and when it was passed in indiana they didn't necessarily realize what they were getting into. >> they weren't being watched. >> exactly. now that you've seen the focus on it, it's extremely difficult to explain and you're entitled to your principled position. >> i'd be happy to, yes. >> don't play the old right wing out. you had full time to debate your position. >> no, chris. i'm not saying you've been unfair to me in any way but that law can be explained. >> it can be explained but -- >> who is winning this argument? who is winning this argument? >> i think the advocates are winning this argument. >> who's winning? >> gay advocates are winning because people are not hearing the other side.

they don't know about this woman losing her home and the baking couple that's lost their business. >> please come back. please come back. sandy rios, gregory angelo, thank you. we have breaking news right now, senator bob menendez is making a statement after being indicted on federal corruption charges. let's listen to senator menendez right now. [ applause ] >> please. thank you. >> for nearly three years i have lived under a justice department cloud and today i'm outraged that this cloud has not been lifted. i'm outraged that prosecutors at the justice department were tricked into starting this investigation three years ago with false allegations by those who have a political motive to silence me.

but i will not be silenced. i am confident -- [ applause ] i am confident at the end of the day i will be vindicated and they will be exposed. [cheers and applause ] and i -- this is a press conference so i appreciate if you would just withhold. thank you. [ applause ] look, i began my political career 40 years ago fighting corruption in city government. i publicly complained about illegal financial dealings in my city until the fbi investigated and the u.s. attorney filed corruption charges against the mayor and others. i was called to testify for the prosecution.

i received death threats. i wore a bulletproof vest for a month. that's how i began my career in public service and this is not how my career is going to end. [ applause ] i have always -- i was always conducted myself in accordance with the law. i have always stood up for what i believe is right. i fight for issues i believe in, the people i represent and for the safety and security of this country every single day. that's who i am and i am proud of what i have accomplished and i am not going anywhere. i'm angry -- [ applause ] i am angry and ready to fight because today contradicts my public service career in my entire life. i'm angry because prosecutors at

the justice department don't know the difference between friendship and corruption and have chosen to twist my duties as a senator and my friendship into something that is improper. they are dead wrong and i am confident that they will be proven so. and i'm gratified to live in a country where prosecutors' mistakes can be corrected by courts and juries and i ask my friends, my colleagues and the community to hold their judgment and remember all the other times when prosecutors got it wrong. the people of this great state elected many he to serve and represent their interests in the united states senate and that is exactly what i have and will continue to do. no matter how long it takes to clear my good name. new jersey is my home and i intend to continue to fight for it. now, please excuse me as i say a few words in spanish. >> that's senator bob menendez with a strong statement.

he's responding to his federal indictment today on lots of corruption charges. msnbc's steve kornacki is with us right now. what does that say about his vulnerability here politically? >> well, he's stepping down as the ranking member. if you talk to his people, he will say that's because he didn't want to put anybody in the democratic caucus in an uncomfortable position. but beyond that, i have to tell you, talking to the menendez camp, i would say they feel very confident that this is something that they can beat in a court of law and if they can beat it in a court of law, they can survive it politically. you saw it right there, a very aggressive posture tonight. if you talk to the menendez, a couple things that will come out, first of all, it's the idea that there's been misconduct here on the department of justice. they have bungled this thing. there's been a few likes that this started a few years ago because a right-wing publication publicized a false story linking senator menendez to underaged

prostitutes. there's been a series of likes over the last two years. they are going to allow the suggestion and will encourage it and don't think they will say it themselves but that menendez is being targeted by the doj right now because of his opposition to the administration on iran. you certainly have a number of republicans out there that they want it out there. >> isn't that wrong logically? doesn't the prosecutor and certainly the investigation of this guy and the cloud around him in terms of corruption goes way back to "the new york times" endorsement of him where they've always said he has had lapses of ethical judgment. this investigation didn't start with his opposition to the president's position on iran. how can you claim -- how can you claim causality? that makes no sense. >> what this is going to ultimately rest on, if this does

get to a court and jury, it's going to be menendez saying, look, yes, the gifts we're talking about here, by the way, we're talking about a weekend at a hotel in paris, you're talking about three nights in the dominican republic, a weekend of travel, hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and menendez is saying, yes, of course i don't dispute any of that. he's my friend. we went to funerals together, weddings together and it's perfectly fine for friends to exchange gifts like this. >> did this argument, just friends giving each other presents say -- >> they say ted stevens, that's the one you're thinking of. >> this seems close to the mcdonnell case. thank you. coming up, the nuclear talks for iran are headed into double overtime tonight and still there's no deal. that's what republicans clearly seem to be hoping for, for the talks to fail.

plus, montel williams is coming here, a marine is being held right now in iran. and with the indictment laid today of senator menendez on federal corruption charges, wait until you hear the right-wing conspiracy theory. finally, let me finish with the republican mantra for 2016. gods, guns, benghazi, go back where you came from. this is "hardball," a place for politics. there's nothing more romantic than a spontaneous moment. so why pause to take a pill? and why stop what you're doing to find a bathroom? with cialis for daily use, you don't have to plan around either. it's the only daily tablet approved to treat erectile dysfunction so you can be ready anytime the moment is right. plus cialis treats the frustrating urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates

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female narrator: for over 60,000 california foster children a pair of shoes is a small but important gift. my shoes have a hole in them. i can barely fit in these anymore. i hope no one would notice. they hurt my feet. i never had new shoes before. to help, sleep train is collecting new shoes of all sizes. bring your gift to any sleep train, and they'll be given to a local foster child in need. not everyone can be a foster parent... but anyone can help a foster child. welcome back to "hardball." the world waits for word for switzerland. today, house speaker john boehner met with israeli prime minister bibi netanyahu over in israel before the meeting netanyahu blasted the deal, worked on. here he is again. >> evidently, giving you iran's regime a clear path to the bomb

is negotiable. this would ensure a bad deal that would endanger israel, the middle east and the peace of the world. now is the time for the international community to insist on a better deal. >> meanwhile, dick cheney told a group of republicans last night he doesn't see any good coming out of negotiations. what would he do? what should we do? war, he says. according to cheney, "there have been a number of times where we have been faced with the potential threat of a nuclear middle east and what's worked is military force and the willingness to go in and use military capability to strip nuclear arms from places such as iraq, such as iran, such as syria. and unfortunately, barack obama doesn't seem to understand that." "when we went into iraq in 2003 it was based in part on the

conviction that there will be another mass attack on the united states and might involve terrorists with mass destruction." it was cheney back in 2003 who recited a series of falsehoods that helped gin up the war. just to remind you, here is his worthiness of truth. >> there is no doubt that suddam hussein has weapons of mass destruction and he's using them against our friends, our allies and against us. >> he has indeed stepped up his capacity to produce and deliver biological weapons, that he has reconstituted his nuclear program to develop a nuclear weapon, that there are efforts under way inside iraq to significantly expand his capability. we know he's been absolutely devoted to try to acquire nuclear weapons and we believe he has in fact reconstituted nuclear weapons. >> well, there he is. i'm joined by david corn with

mother jones and david ignatius for "the washington post." cheney is unashamed. >> oh, yeah. >> he wanted to fight the war for other reasons and what does he want us to do now? what is the cheney alternative, try and negotiate some kind of containment here? >> i think there are two things going on on the conservative opposition to barack obama. the best interpretation for some is they are against it politically because it's barack obama. they want to make political gain with netanyahu. the fellow who is are more policy minded on the neoconservative hawkish side actually, i think, want war. they don't believe in negotiations. they don't believe in diplomacy and they want an excuse to basically try war, bombing, whatever it might be, doesn't have to be boots on the ground against iran. and they won't be satisfied

because -- in essence, when they keep blasting the deal, they keep saying iran is going to cheat and we can't do anything about this, what they are saying is, there can be no peaceful resolution because tighter sanctions is not a realistic solution given the fact that no other nation in the world will go along with that solution. >> many republicans, as i said, are openly cheering for these negotiations to fail. let's watch them. >> we've got a regime that's never quite kept their word about anything. i just don't understand why we would sign an agreement with a group of people who, in my opinion, have no intention of keeping their word. >> will this increase or decrease iran's aggression? will this make their move forward more moderate or will it make it more extreme? i think it's a no-brainer. >> the group who are here share your concerns about this potential agreement. >> would you disown an agreement that this president signs with iran that leaves iran with uranium enrichment?

would you object that deal if he took the oval office? >> absolutely. >> this is very much an intended consequence, a feature, not a bug, so to speak. >> that was tom cotton. what do you think, david? you're an expert on the middle east. you know all of the intel. what do republicans want? is there an answer? >> the republicans couldn't be clearer, they want to scuttle the negotiations. >> then what? >> they don't answer that. i think they hope that a combination of additional pressure, some form of military action perhaps covert, perhaps more cyberwarfare will undue the iranian program. we just watched dick cheney. cheney made these arguments to president george w. bush in 2007 and 2008 and he was unsuccessful. at that time, cheney argued just the same thing.

this iranian program is dangerous, we should use military action to go after it and president bush decided no. there's a real continuity between what george w. bush -- >> isn't he the real dr. strangelove here? i mean, really? he always says bomb. >> the use of military power answers these problems. for most americans, the evidence of the invasion of iraq in 2003 is a counter example. people look back at that and say this is was a mistake. >> we gained iraq, didn't we? >> essentially we did. cheney never anticipated that. but, you know, look back to the 2012 election. mitt romney made these same arguments at the beginning of the campaign. by the end of the campaign he had stopped because he knew the american people weren't there. >> you know what i saw the other day watching polls, that rand paul is beating hillary clinton by a point in pennsylvania. i don't think that will hold. but it tells you how against war a regular state like pennsylvania is. it's not iowa.

it says, we've had enough of war and that's why rand paul starts to look good. >> the neocons handled it poorly and the outcome is still a mess. >> pennsylvania, to my point, is a gun-toting country and the fact that they don't want any more wars tells me something. up next, a veteran of the united states marines held captive and tortured over in iran right now and now montel williams is working to get him out. this is a good cause which he's on the head of. and this is "hardball," a place for politics.

welcome back to "hardball." negotiations with iran come down to the wire, another diplomatic impasse with this country goes unsolved. the case of an american-born, an american, former u.s. marine who

served honorably has been held in iran for 3 1/2 years now. he's a veteran of the iraq war who was honorably discharged in 2005. he was issued an iranian passport to visit his dying grandmother. once he got there, he was accused of spying for the u.s. he was sentenced to death at first and then months later he was secretly retried and given ten years in prison over there, the prison where many americans were held during the iran hostage crisis 36 years ago. the state department has called the charges false but little else is known about the government's effort to gain this guy's freedom. some want his case to be part of the negotiations. here's what bill richardson had to say on this just yesterday. >> i'd like to see them behave a lot better in the region. they have an american marine in prison, an american journalist.

you know, iraq has to develop an international posture that is obviously more responsible the way they've been acting. maybe that can be brought in besides a nuclear agreement. >> i'm joined right now by former u.s. marine and talk show house montel williams who has been advocating for his release. i have great honor for what you have said. just tell the story i heard you tell this morning, about this fellow who served his country and is stuck over there. >> what's insane, this has been 3 1/2 years and we're just now talking about it as a nation. when i found out about this story about eight months ago -- if you recall, another marine was being held overseas. this young man has been in prison now for 3 1/2 years. he's been tortured, whipped with cords and cables on his feet, he's been starved and put in 3 by 3 cells. they even took it this far. they've addicted him to lithium

and then they take him off so he has to go through the pain of withdrawal. he's lost about 35 pounds. if it wasn't for christiane amanpour, he wouldn't have had a chance to talk to his family. this is a marine, an american citizen, 3 1/2 years in prison and the president about six months ago said unequivocally, we leave no soldiers behind, marine corps, army, air force, you know, coast guard, we leave no one behind. therefore, why are we leaving this young man behind? right now, what happened is, they originally sentenced him to death. they withdrew that and then they tried him in absentia and then found him guilty of conspireing with a foreign country and sentenced him to ten years. he is an american citizen. today he had to renounce his

iranian lineage just so the iranian government can stop using this over his head that they have some sort of control over him. the bottom line is, he served honorably, the honorable thing for us to do as a nation is to get this man home. and i'm not going to stop until we do. >> as you said, he had to renounce his iranian citizenship in an attempt to get deported. let's listen to him in his own words. here he is. >> i was falsely imprisoned and put as part of a propaganda campaign by the ministry of intelligence and for nearly 3 1/2 years have endured inhumane treatment and witnessed devastation. my iranian heritage and affinity for the iranian people will always be a part of me but i wish to have no ties to an organization that places so little value on my human rights and dignity.

>> how did he get to say that? how did he even get that message out? >> i think he was able to get it recorded through a phone call. he called. he called in. he was allowed to call in his mother and they recorded that on the phone not knowing that he was doing that. i'm glad he was able to get that out. i want to make sure i don't go away without saying, if you #freeamirnow. #freeamirnow. i want to get the white house, i want everybody to understand, right now, we keep claiming we leave no man behind. we're leaving someone behind. this is someone who served for us. the reason they are holding him is because he fought in iraq and he they know that. so this -- he just had dick cheney on. dick cheney is talking about going to war. really? how many soldiers are you going to put in the united states military when they realize that we don't have your back? you see what is going on with the v.a. right now.

i mean, how disgusting is this that we can talk about going to war and fighting a war and we can't even protect those that have done that for us? and then we turn our backs and act like -- the state department has been doing things behind the scenes. i spoke to governor richardson today. he's, working behind the scenes but so far no one has been able to crack this nut. these talks should not end without americans coming home. >> i hope this message gets to the white house and the state department. thank you, montel williams, what a great cause. up next, the latest conspiracy theory from the right wing that the top democrat in the senate foreign relations committee was indicted today on corruption charges because he disagrees with the president on iran. nonsense. they say it's payback but how come the corruption charges were all out in the air long before there was this disagreement over iran? this is nonsense. this corruption charge is not. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics.

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i'm outraged that prosecutors at the justice department were tricked into starting this investigation three years ago with false allegations by those who have a political motive to silence me. but i will not be silenced. i am confident at the end of the day i will be vindicated and they will be exposed. >> welcome back to "hardball." he is not going down without a fight. you can see at least there rhetorically. that was senator menendez responding to an indictment that federal prosecutors unveiled today. the charges include eight counts

of bribery, menendez has been under suspicion for years in his 2006 senate race, "the new york times" gave him a less than ringing endorsement although they blasted him for a history of ethical lapses. that's a ringing endorsement. but the right wing's latest conspiracy is, get this, is vendetta against menendez and seems political. to silence him for his work on iran with me. figures on the right claim a conspiracy. here he is. >> i'm not surprised. i mean, this doesn't surprise me at all. bob menendez? give me a break. this is about iran and nukes. this is pretty obvious what happened here. >> it raises a suggestion to other democrats that if you day part from the obama white house, that criminal prosecutions will be used potentially as a

political weapon against you as well. >> some of the political favorites for friends were raised a few years ago. at the time, senator menendez was not criticizing the administration on all of these key issues as he is now. do you think there is a connection? >> yes, i think there's a connection. >> he objects to obama negotiating with tehran and is a prominent supporter of israel. if menendez had been a leftist, i doubt this would be happening. but then, on the other hand, is he a sleaze ball. >> this guy says he's getting screwed by the obama team but he is a sleaze ball. the round table, editorial director and msnbc analyst howard fineman and white house correspondent april ryan and columbia professor and msnbc contributor dorian warren.

is this a chicken and egg? is this because he opposed obama on iran? >> no. even mark levin could not say that with a straight face. look, first of all, bob menendez comes from new jersey. if you can survive and be ethical out of that county, you're practically a saint. number three, this investigation has been going on for a long time before iran was on the radar screen and, on most issues, menendez has been pretty close with barack obama and the administration. he hasn't opposed them on a whole lot of things, by any means. and new jersey brought this case and is known as a professional and incorruptable pros pro. >> why does he move on to this other thing? >> pros pro?

the idea that barack obama would call up this guy and say, you know, i'm having a little trouble with negotiations. >> let's squeeze the lemon. >> i'm sorry. it's ridiculous. >> i agree with howard but i'll be devil's advocate. ted stevens got screwed by the prosecution. they screwed him and the guy died defeated for re-election because of that conviction and because of bad, bad evil crooked politics -- what do you call it -- prosecution. is there any chance that is going on here? >> no. >> just for purpose of argument. >> no. this started out -- they started looking at this in 2012, i believe. >> before this talk. >> yes. and things have to come to a conclusion. it's coincidental but the white house is not in with this because the president is not supposed to know anything about any investigation and so this

investigation is independent of anything to do with the white house. but i find it very interesting kind of going into it that the white house would say this because loretta lynch has to go for a vote and the vote is tight so now -- >> linkage. >> good point. they should have done it after loretta lynch and said, yes, they are in cahoots. >> bob mcdonnell out of virginia. the expensive watches -- >> rolex. >> you don't know that? >> he only wears a cloth coat. >> i know. i'm not claiming that. don't put words in my mouth. but the fact is, these guys always say, like he said tonight, menendez, they don't understand friendship. friendship. >> that's the -- you're not

representing the interest of new jersey residents. >> you know what i noticed? i got my first job at the white house when i was 30 and a friend of mine called me and said, notice any new friends? because you become friends in washington because you have these jobs. all of a sudden -- he's a friend. >> he did not file the disclosures for -- >> anybody gives you anything, right? every year. >> how about at no point has he ever taken responsibility or been held accountable for -- >> is that a criminal defense? >> it's a failure of ethics and there are congressional committees that can investigate him for that. but he's been through this -- you start off by saying there's a history to this. >> that reporting -- by not reporting, that caused more people to look at it more. reportable things, he could have reported it and it would have been fine. >> or apologize and -- >> the workers down there -- >> i think the governor

investigator said so. and there's a difference between saying that the iran connection is ridiculous and convicting the guy right now. he says he has an explanation for everything. let's hear what it is. and it is true that the whole call girl thing where they said he was consorting with call girls and the daily caller website published all of that. that turned out to be completely wrong. we don't know to this day what the source of that was. however, that has nothing to do with the -- with what's in the indictment, which is about trading favors of legislation in exchange for the money. >> that's the corruption -- >> is that a hunt for trouble? did they go looking for something he did wrong? >> possibly. but, hey, when you start looking and find some things that are possibly wrong, then they are going to keep looking. he has to take responsibility for -- >> you mean monica? >> you said it, not me.

>> i think the investigator said so. look, there's a difference between saying that the iran connection is ridiculous, and convicting the guy right now. he says he has an explanation for everything. let's hear what it is. it is true that the whole call girl thing where they said he was consorting with call girls, and the daily caller website published all that, that turned out to be wrong. it turned out to be completely wrong. we don't know to this day what the source of that was. however, that has nothing to do with the -- with what's in the indictment. which is about trading favors of legislation in exchange for the money. >> did they go looking for something he did wrong? >> possibly. but hey, when you start looking and you find some things that possibly were wrong, they're going to keep looking. he has to take responsibility. >> the 14-count indictment. >> if they can find a fire. we'll be right back after this. the republicans mantra for 2016. god, guns and go back to where you came from. that's their immigration policy.

61,000, that's the number of bridges across this country that are structurally deficient, according to the american transportation builders association. who knows, you could have driven over one of those bridges on your way to work today. while that doesn't mean those bridges are on the verge of actually collapsing, it does mean that they're in need of serious repair for safety reasons. the states with the highest number of structurally deficient bridges are in pennsylvania, iowa, oklahoma and missouri. federal highway and transit funding it said to expire the end of next month if congress does not act. it's obviously a workable way for the congress to step up and fix those bridges. and also put americans to work in the process. when we return, let me finish with the republican mantra shaping up for 2016.

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let me finish tonight with the republican mantra that seems to be shaping up for 2016. god, guns, benghazi, and go back where you came from. it's barely april, the year before the election, and the republican candidates are getting into lock step if you will of the right wing of the party. to qualify for the run, it's clear all candidates must do the following. stand with governor pence in his religious restoration freedom act.

and stand opposed to any safety restrictions on firearms. oppose any legislation that grants a road to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally. these are the rules for being a republican presidential hopeful the next time. and allow businesses to refuse service to people based on sexual identity or orientation. and with netanyahu on a two-state solution to resolve the israeli's palestinian dispute. rand paul refuses to get in lock step or even step foot on the republican war path. next, they must be opposed to any measure that might be called gun control, including the requirement that anyone who sells a gun must at least check out the criminal or mental record of the buyer. they must oppose a comprehensive immigration bill that allows for a path to citizenship no matter how tough the bill is on illegal hiring, which everyone knows is the chief magnet for immigration in this country.

this promises to yield a pack of candidates with those in line with the hard right. god, guns, and go back where you came from, i forgot benghazi. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight, on "all in" -- >> my son, seth, signed the petition asking me, dad, the governor, to veto this bill. >> a republican governor tries a new tact in the religious freedom fight. he may have learned something from republican failures in indiana. then, california's water crisis. >> we're standing on dry grass. we should be standing in five feet of snow. >> for the first time in history, the golden state gets mandatory water restrictions. and today federal prosecutors indict a sitting u.s. senator.