bob bennett thinks the u.s. attorney should stop his investigation. bruce johnson talked to him. >> you all have questions about this continuing investigation, talk to bob bennett. >> d.c. mayor, vincent gray, surrounded by cameras in southeast today, he refuses to confirm that he turned down a felony plea deal from federal prosecutors who are investigating the illegal campaign contributions from convicted businessman, jeffrey thompson. and this is mayor gray's lawyer. in an interview with wusa9 back in march -- >> i think based on the merits, he should not be charged. i think the u.s. attorney should walk away. >> by phone today, robert bennett told wusa9 that after looking at all the evidence in this case, u.s. attorney, ron, should not go forward. bennett added that if the mayor is charged, they are prepared to fight for his vindication. >> our information is don't expect an indictment from the u.s. attorney in the next few days, but the question remains, if the u.s. attorney is determined to indict the mayor, will he do it now or wait until mayor

bob bennett was out of town and did not return nbc 4's phone call. sources tell news4 that gray has burned possible plea bargain talks, and ronald machin has begun winding up the case by reinterviewing mor a half dozen witnesses. they all have pleaded guilty and could testify against gray. sources tell witnesses including close friends of gray could provide damaging testimony against the mayor if he is indicted and goes to trial. last march, businessman jeffrey thompson pleaded guilty to financing the $668,000 shadow campaign for gra prosecutors said in court, gray knew about it. gray told news4 back then, it was all lies. >> i maintain these are lies. these are absolute lies, tom. >> repor today gray was brushing aside reporters. >> come on, man. no plea deal, will gray be indicted and go to trial? if so, when. prosecutors say their investigation is continuing. doreen, he only has six more weeks in office, so a lot of speculation about will there be a charge if there is a charge before he leaves office. we are told it's still possible. >> all right.

bob bennett. >> did you turn down a deal, sir? >> if you want to talk about -- if you want to talk about this continuing investigation, which has gone on for almost four years, talk to bob bennett, my attorney. bob bennett, his lawyer since the probe began three years ago, was out of town and did not return nbc's phone call. sources tell news4 that gray has spurned possible plea bargain talks and they say u.s. attorney ronald machin has reinterviewed more than a half dozen witnesses. they all have pleaded guilty in the probe and could testify against gray. last march, businessman jeffrey thompson pleaded guilty to financing the $668,000 shadow campaign for gray. prosecutors said in court, gray knew about it. gray told news4 back then, it was all lies. >> these are lies. >> reporter: but today gray was brushing aside reporters. >> come on, man! come on, please! please. please, please, please. >> reporter: a spokesman declined comment, but said the investigation is continuing. and jim, one of the big questions is, if they don't do a

gray's attorney, bob bennett, has said if it comes to that, his client will fight these charges and he will seek a spee. >>> new tonight, a teenager hurt in a high school brawl says she warned administrators before the fight that a classmate was thre now a 16-year-old who came to her defense at suitland high school on fr. he had to have surgery o news 4's jackie bensen is at the hospital with the latest on this. >> rep the video i note the pink balloons in the le. friday was the 5'0"90-pound b the girl with the pink purse is th she tells us that the girl had been in an administrator's office hours earlier expressing fear for her safety saying she was being bullied. >> at thatl said, we promise, nothing is going to happen to you can leave her here. >> reporter: she says her daughter is an excellent student who is good at art who recently drew this pictur he rushed to her a. this is what happe. his relatives gathered as he underwent three hours of surgery joyce conyers said please show that video, not only because students participated in the beating but because others seemingly uncaring

if you all have questions about this continuing investigation talk to bob bennett. >> okay. ayor. rry, m did you turn down a deal, sir? >> if you want to talk about g investigation, which is going on for almost bept.ears talk to bob he's my attorney. uld have taken ho the plea deal. you know? >> why? everybody else has taken the deal. so he's the only one left out holding out. >> d.c. council chairman phil lindelson said today he is glad if this had to happen it r ago ed now and not a yea because the city will have a and new council in a matter of weeks. ry on ve more on the sto 6:00. ews at reporting live in northwest washington, sam ford. abc 7 news. >> thank you, sam. maryland's attorney general on to a he's moving d.c. law firm when his term is up in january. that he will oday join buckley sandler and will play a leading role in its government enforcement and litigation practices. attorney general since 2007. earlier this year he ran for nomination for governor of maryland but lost. >> well, the cost of feeding s depending on ie here you live. apparently region highest price fo

. >> while grey not talking, his attorney is, and as bruc johnson tells us, bob bennett thinks it's time the u.s. attorney to put a stop to all this. >> if you want to talk about this continuing investigation, which has gone on almost four years, talk to bennett. >> reporter: vincent grey surrounded by cameras today refuses to confirm that he turned down a felony plea deal from federal prosecutors who are investigating illegal campaign contributions from convicted businessman jeffrey thompson. >> i know who i am. i am focused. i have stayed focused on my job. >> reporter: this is his lawyer. in an interview with wusa 9 back in march. >> i think based on the merits, he should not be charged. i think the u.s. attorney should walk away. >> reporter: by phone today, robert bennett told wusa 9 that after looking at all the evidence in this case u.s. attorneys should not forward. he added if the mayor is charged, they are prepared to fight. >> as the next mayor of the district of columbia. >> reporter: it's a four-year investigation that has seen other operatives in the grey campaign accept gu

features include former senators olympia snowe and bob bennett and former congressman stephen f and martin frost. this is almost 45 minutes. >> thanks, everyone, for being here. i appreciate all these former members coming here right and early. it's the first thing we want to discuss is the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one, given what we saw last night. the 113th congress has been historically unproductive, has gotten very little done. after last night i think the big question is, with the republican majority in the house and a new republican majority in the senate, is this congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them, or less likely? >> i think most certainly the message should have been heard in this election. it was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation of the status quo, of the dysfunction in the senate and the presidential leadership and policies. across the country people are fearful of the political paralysis in washington. i think it is abundantly clear that congress is

speakers include former senators olimpa snowe and bob bennett and former congressmen martin frost. this is about 45 minutes. >> thanks, everyone for being here. the first thing we want to discuss, the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one. the 113th congress has been historically unproductive, has gotten very little done. both smaller things that have to get done and bigger, more ambitious things. the big question after last night, will this new congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them or less likely than the current asflimet senator snowe i'd be curious to get your thoughts. >> thank you. i think most certainly the message should have been heard in this election because it was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation to have status quo of the dysfunction in the senate, of the presidential leadership and policies. and showed across the country, people are fearful of the political paralysis that exists in washington. so i think it's abundantly clear that congress is going to

this panel features former senators pane panel features for senators olympia snowe and bob bennett andformer congressman steve latourette, martin frost and bud cramer. >> thanks to avoid for being here. -- thanks, everyone, for being here. .. i think that it's abundantly clear that the congress is going to have to move forward and learn how to legislate and govern. it's a move from legislating to governing and the the comes of concept that has to be the operative language. to be critical i believe that senator mitch mcconnell_douglas knight in his own speech and in a speech that he delivered earlier in the senate this year where he outlined how they wanted to restore the senate to what it was intended to do to govern and deliberate and the legislative initiative to have the robust debate on the policies we have the committees considering the legislation marking it up and reporting it to the floor. on the broad issues that face this country it's returning to the senate to its original purpose in founding and i believe that that is going to be the underlying objective moving forward. >>

we will hear from former senators olympia snowe and bob bennett. >> thanks, everyone, for being here. i appreciate all these former members coming here right and early. it's the first thing we want to discuss is the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one, given what we saw last night. the 113th congress has been historically unproductive, has gotten very little done. after last night i think the big question is, with the republican majority in the house and a new republican majority in the senate, is this congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them, or less likely? west congress is going to have to move forward. the move to legislative it is going to be critical. mitch mcconnell underscores that in his speech. engaging the rank and file. returning to the senate to its original purpose. beelieve that is going to the final objective. >> even house and senate republicans, seeing what he will do, and preagreed with the white house and work things out? >> beginning this week with the pres

we'll hear from former members of congress, including former senators, bob bennett of utah, olympia snow of maine, plus former house members. >> after last night i think the big question is with this new alignment with the bigger republican vort, with a new republican vort in the senate, is this congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them, or less likely? senator snow, i'd be curious to get your thoughts. >> i think most certainly the message should have been heard in this election. because it was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation of the status quote of the dysfunction in the senate and presidential leadership and policies. it's true across the country. people are fearful of the political paralysis that exists in washington. so i think it's abundantly clear that congress is going to have to move forward and learn how to legislate and to govern. so move from messaging to legislating and governing compromise and consensus has to be the operative language. i believe that senator mcconnell underscored that last night in his own speech

former hear from senators olympia snowe and bob bennett. this is 45 minutes. thanks, everyone, for being here. i appreciate all these former members coming here right and early. it's the first thing we want to discuss is the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one, given what we saw last night. the hundreds of trinh congress has been historically unproductive, has gotten very the 100 13th- congress. after last night i think the big question is, with the bigger men -- republican majority in the house and a new republican majority in the senate, is this congress more likely to come together and agree on things and get the president to sign them, or less likely? >> i think most certainly the message should have been heard in this election. it was certainly a broad and sweeping repudiation of the status quo, of the dysfunction in the senate and the presidential leadership and policies. across the country people are fearful of the political paralysis in washington. i think it is abundantly clear that congress is

bob bennett, former senator, you tie a senior policy advisor on fox, but kramer, former u.s. representative, alabama and managing director of f t i consulting. martians off, former u.s. representative and texas senior partner for -- the hon. olympia snow, former senator, a senior fellow at the bipartisan policy center and the hon. steve lat r latourenne of mcdonald hopkins and president and ceo of the main street partnership. this will be moderated by been perishing, editor of washington journal. i will turn it over to you. >> thanks for being here. appreciate all these former members coming bright and early. i assume everyone had enough coffee that we will get going. the first thing we want to discuss, the question of whether the next congress will be able to govern any better than the current one given what we saw last night. the 113th congress has been historically and productive, has gotten very little done. smaller things that have to get done and bigger more ambitious things. after last night the big question is with this new alignment with the big republican majority i

there are 11 democrats on the bill and over the past few days, senator bob casey from pennsylvania, and bennett from colorado all plan to vote for the bill this evening. >> what's her pitch to her colleagues. >> she's saying keystone champion, sort of for a long time now. she and center hogan, back in the spring, it's been a long-time priority for her. she comes from louisiana with a strong gas and oil industry. she says this pipeline will, you know, create jobs along the route, provide an outlet for some u.s. oil will flow along it. most of its capacity will be coming from the canadian oil sands up in alberta. you know, she says this is about jobs, energy independence, the typical arguments that we hear around efforts to promote the oil and gas industry and the structure they need. >> what about the environmental groups, how are they responding? >> they have not been too pleased with senator landrieu more or less throughout the year. there was a protest in front of her house yesterday. a few climate activists were protesting outside her capitol hill home. you know, they've been lobbying, you k

. >>> michael bennett, and, delaware, and, bob casey, and joe don netly, and, hagan, who lost her bid, and, joe, from west virginia, and, claire, from missouri, and, mark prior, and johnes iter from montana, and, john walsh from montana. so, in you say, mark prior's vote, and kay's, and mark vote are yes, in this next congress, that does put them over 59. but, excuse me, these are yes votes. republicans are confident they can get to 60. we'll have to wait and see if that happens, but, they're still short of the 67 to overcome a veto. getting your thoughts on vote, as we said, mary thought she can get to 60,. >>> this is what she had to say. >>> where i come, from we never talk about quitting, and after the game is over, this was very serious, when i play ball, you just shook the opponents hand, and you went to fight another day. so there will be no blame. and the reason that i was fairly confident is, because i had 14 votes and felt certain that the coalition was strong enough to find the extra one and, i say we have to work on our little muscle a little bit more. >>> after the senate

bobs wildly, the men hang on for their lives. just then a chopper from the west pack helicopter rescue service arrives. eddie bennett is the crew chief for the organization in 2012. >> on the day, the conditions were far from ideal. we had six to seven meter waves breaking on shallow sand banks. must have been absolutely horrendous for them. >> eddie's mentor tom ward is piloting the west pack chopper. another news station has hired tom to fly a cameraman out to get some shots of the rescue. when he takes off, tom isn't planning to get involved and doesn't have a winch or trained rescue personnel on board. but when he gets to the scene, tom has a tough choice to make. >> they would have had to make some decisions about whether they were going to try and save these people or not. they were in a terrible position there. breaking water, huge seas still very, very dangerous, dangerous conditions for the crew of the boat. >> with no time to waste, tom lowers his chopper. >> we thought this is crazy. we didn't expect it. this boat is moving up and down at least 15 feet. and this chopper is coming in to basically try to pi

bobs wildly, the men hang on for their lives. just then a chopper from the west pack helicopter rescue service arrives. eddie bennett is the crew chief for the organization in 2012. >> the conditions were far from ideal. we had six to seven meter waves breaking on shallow sand banks. must have been horrendous for them. >> eddie's mentor tom ward is piloting the west pack chopper. another news station has hired tom to fly a cameraman out to get shots of the rescue. when he takes off, tom isn't planning to get involved and doesn't have a winch or trained rescue personnel on board. but when he gets to the scene, tom has a tough choice to make. >> they would have had to make some decisions about whether they were going to try and save these people or not. they were in a terrible position there. breaking water, huge seas still very, very dangerous conditions for the crew of the boat. >> with no time to waste, tom lowers his chopper. >> we thought this is crazy. we didn't expect it. this boat is moving up and down at least 15 feet. and this chopper is coming in to basically try to pick us up. >> it's an extremely risky mo