7:49 AM PT -- Alec Baldwin is speaking for himself amid new mixed findings about his potential culpability in the fatal 'Rust' shooting -- and while it seems he did so before any of it came out ... it's interesting, nonetheless.
AB recently did an interview with none other than Chris Cuomo -- who's got his own little network now -- and the sit-down aired Tuesday. In the video, Chris asks Alec about all the fallout and how he deals with it ... and Alec says definitively, he's not the victim here.
He emphasizes Halyna is the victim, and he'll likely recover from this saga ... sooner or later. But with that said, he does again defend himself -- saying he knows what happened, as do the people who were on set that day. Alec suggests all the speculation and armchair analysis from the media and others is meaningless ... and he's certain his name will be cleared.
Again, this interview seems to have been done before the FBI issued its report ... which says he must've pulled the trigger. In his chat with Cuomo, Alec says that did not happen -- so he's sticking to his story here, and seems content letting the chips fall where they may.
The FBI is wrong about Alec Baldwin pulling the trigger on the set of 'Rust' -- so says the actor's attorney, who thinks the Bureau's report is flawed.
Luke Nikas, AB's lawyer, gave his take to Fox News Monday -- this as Halyna Hutchins' death was officially deemed an accident the same day -- saying the feds are incorrect to conclude Alec pulled the trigger ... because the testing they did doesn't show that.
Nikas says, "The FBI report is being misconstrued." He adds, "The gun fired in testing only one time -- without having to pull the trigger -- when the hammer was pulled back and the gun broke in two different places. The FBI was unable to fire the gun in any prior test, even when pulling the trigger, because it was in such poor condition."
Essentially, Nikas seems to be suggesting either the report's findings are misrepresented -- seeing how they've only been reviewed/reported on by ABC -- or the FBI simply misstated what they actually did in the lab to get to the bottom of this. Either way, he claims it's bunk.
Alec Baldwin Must Have Pulled Trigger in 'Rust' Shooting, FBI Concludes
You'll recall ... the FBI, per ABC, said there was no way the gun Alec used went off without him pulling the trigger, as they tried firing it by just manipulating the hammer -- which is what Alec said he did. They insisted ... when the gun's working properly, that's impossible.
While it was unclear from ABC's report (and the language cited from the report) whether the FBI had actually tested the old revolver in question, Nikas appears to be implying they did.
Here's another thing ... Nikas says the FBI's report on the gun doesn't even matter, big picture, because the Santa Fe Medical Investigator's Office came back with its own pivotal finding over Halyna's death ... and they've officially deemed it an accident.
Nikas says, "The critical report is the one from the medical examiner, who concluded that this was a tragic accident. This is the third time the New Mexico authorities have found that Alec Baldwin had no authority or knowledge of the allegedly unsafe conditions on the set, that he was told by the person in charge of safety on the set that the gun was ‘cold,’ and believed the gun was safe."
All of these findings -- the FBI's and the medical investigator's -- have been sent off to New Mexico officials for further consideration. The D.A. has yet to make a decision on criminal charges.
Alec, of course, has already been dragged into court civilly ... but denied any responsibility.
Originally Published -- 6:31 AM PT