MARTHA MACCALLUM (CO-HOST): This report, as I said, from the Wall Street Journal, what do you think of it?

REP. JOYCE BEATTY (D-OH): Well, first of all, thank you for having me on. I think what's key is “later played a difference.” I think we're making a lot about nothing. Certainly as a governor, someone who has had the background that the governor of Virginia has in raising money and helping Democrats win, it's what we do. But I think when you think about when those donations were made, well before, and then -- you even use the word, that “later” the investigation began. So I think that's just another issue.

MACCALLUM: But we spoke to Peter Schweizer a little while ago, and I put that same question to him, and he's investigated the matter quite extensively. And he said actually this person had a very high-ranking job at the FBI before that donation was made, and Hillary Clinton was already in the middle of this investigation, so the fact that he later became more prominent in it, may or may not have any bearing on the money that was transferred to this state senate. It's a lot of money to give a state senate campaign. Half a million dollars. So I guess the question becomes when you look at all of these different instances, doesn't it raise a lot of issues in terms of Hillary Clinton, the people around her, and whether or not she has been influencing the FBI's investigation? 

BEATTY: Absolutely not. I think what we're seeing is taking small segments of something and blowing it into a bigger picture. I also think we don't state the part that he checked with the ethics rules before doing this. I think everything's relative. Here is a state where we're wanting to make sure that we have a Democratic senator and giving money. So if you look on both sides of the aisle, I think we'll see a lot of money going into senate campaigns. Now, maybe the question is, that we should look at campaign finance, but I don't think you can penalize someone for giving a large amount of money when they're playing within the rules that we have. 

[…]

MACCALLUM: So, let me just play for you a sound bite. We just interviewed the other candidate, Donald Trump, a few moments ago and asked him about this McAuliffe issue. And let's play what he said and ask you to respond to that. Here it is.

[BEGIN AUDIO]

DONALD TRUMP: Terry McAuliffe is the single closest person to Bill and Hillary Clinton. There is nobody closer. Terry McAuliffe, they gave to the FBI person at the high level, who was doing the investigation, who was in charge of the investigation. They gave his wife $675,000. Now you think of that. Now, that's Clinton giving the money because that's how close they are. So Clinton gave the FBI agent, who was top person, who was the top person in charge of her email case, which is disgrace that she got off with that. She lied to the FBI. She lied to congress. She lied to everybody. And look what they did to General James Cartwright, a great man, a four-star general. They destroyed his life. He will perhaps go to jail for five years. She gave money at a huge clip, $675,000, to the wife of the FBI agent who was in charge of her investigation. Let me tell you something, that's a criminal act.

[END AUDIO]

MACCALLUM: How concerned are you that if she does win the election that these issues will sort of impinge her ability to have a mandate? That these things are going to hang around for quite some time. 

BEATTY: I'm not concerned at all. First of all, the clip as I listened to it is another way of how things are distorted when it's Donald Trump. First of all, Terry McAuliffe has never denied being a friend. There is no rule or law. Donald Trump gave money to Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump talked about his relationship and her being at the wedding. So there's not an indictment. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have never denied their friendship. It's not illegal for Terry to have given $467,000 to a Democratic candidate that is running for the senate. So I think when you listen to Donald Trump --

MACCALLUM: Right. You know, it's all about the appearance of impropriety, and that is something that needs to be avoided at all costs for the FBI and the government at a state and federal level. So when you have these transactions taking place it does make people wonder --

BEATTY: And I think you can distort it and make that --

MACCALLUM: And I think that all politicians need to avoid the appearance of impropriety. It's very, very important. 

BEATTY: Well, it's the appearance of, is the glass half empty or is the glass half full? And I think you can make anything out of anything, if you are anti-a candidate. I think we have to get it straight, that there was nothing that was illegal here. She did not, not go before congressional committees, the FBI. If you don't like the ruling at the end, I think you can take the glass half empty.

Previously:

WSJ Botches Its Latest Attempt At Scandalized Clinton Coverage

Conservative Media Run With Wall Street Journal's Nothingburger Of A Clinton Pseudo-Scandal

How The Media's Obsession With “Optics” Is Ruining Campaign Journalism