Expected to tell all after getting fired by 70-year-old President Donald Trump May 9, 56-year-old former FBI Director James Comey faces the Senate Intelligence Committee June 8. Comey’s been fuming since he was unceremoniously dismissed while speaking to new FBI recruits in Los Angeles. Both he and his wife Patrice learned of his firing watching TV on both sides of the coast. Comey testified May 3 before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was “mildly nauseous” at the prospects to tilting the presidential election to Trump Nov. 8, 2016. Comey confessed to the Judiciary Committee he’d do things exactly the same way, reopening Hillary’s email investigation Oct. 28, 2916 only 11 days before Election Day. Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee want to Comey to talk only about how Trump tried to stop his investigation of former National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.
Comey’s clear purpose in testifying is not to tell his story or set the record straight but to retaliate against Trump for firing him. Disappointing the media, Trump decided to not invoke executive privilege to stop Comey from distorting any private conversations with the former FBI director. If Trump invoked executive privilege, he would be slammed by the media for a cover-up, despite the fact that Comey plans to discredit Trump in every way possible. Letting Comey tell his side of the story gives Trump the opportunity to refute Comey’s spin on events. Comey plans to tell the committee that Trump tried to persuade him to drop the Flynn investigation. Democrats on the committee seek to catch Trump in obstruction of justice. Committee members want to see Comey’s detailed notes of conversation with Trump. Democrats insist that Trump fired Comey to cover-up the FBI’s investigation into Russian collusion in the 2016 election
Republicans on the committee will want to ask Comey if Trump engaged in obstruction of justice dissuading him from investigating Flynn back in February, why didn’t he report it to senior FBI, Justice Department or Congressional officials. But more than his memos on Trump, Republicans on the committee will want to know why Comey testified May 3 that he could no longer trust Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch. Comey told the committee May 3 that he lost confidence with Lynch June 29, 2016, after she met with former President Bill Clinton on the tarmac of Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport. When Asst. Atty. Gen Rod Rosenstein wrote May 10 that Comey breached his duties as FBI Director, not referring former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s email case the Justice Department July 5, 2005. Comey justified his decision because he lost faith with Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch.
Instead of requesting that Lynch recuse herself in the Hillary email investigation, Comey usurped the Justice Department, deciding July 5, 2016 not to charge Hillary with mishandling classified information. Comey’s going to be hard-pressed to continue excusing himself, knowing he didn’t take appropriate steps to resolve concerns over the Hillary email investigation. Testifying again before the Senate Judiciary Committee June 8, Comey wants to shift attention away from his mistake and onto Trump’s alleged attempts to obstruct justice. If Trump really had something to hide, he’d invoke executive privilege, preventing Comey from talking about private conversations with the president. Comey was furious May 13 when Trump called him a “grandstander” and “showboat,” fueling wild speculation by Democrats and the media about why Trump really fired Comey May.9.
Once Trump said Comey was a “grandstander” and “showboat,” the media discounted Rosenstein’s detailed three-page letter explaining how Comey breached his duty as FBI director usurping the Justice Department in the Hillary email investigation. Not only did Comey show no contrition before Congress May 3, he said he do everything exactly the same way again. Rosenstein said in his letter that it was clear the FBI needed new leadership. Democrats and the media were extremely critical of Comey up until the day Trump fired him May. 3. After that, they praised Comey for standing up to what they see as nothing less than obstruction of justice. Now Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee want to know everything Comey knows about possible ties between Trump and the Kremlin. Letting Comey testify exacerbates Washington’s already bitter partisan divide.
Trump won’t exert executive privilege because he knows Comey’s got nothing on him, either about Russian collusion or trying to obstruct justice. Comey’s testimony should reveal a different person from the towering 6 foot, 8 inch frame and equally animated presentation. With Trump letting the air out of Comey’s balloon, the Intelligence Committee should hear that no one from the Justice Department complained directly to Comey about his handling of the Hillary email investigation. Unless Comey went to Siberia in July 2016, he surely knew about the torrent of complaints from the Justice Department about his handling of the Hillary email investigation When Comey reopened the case 11 days before the election, no one could believe it. Trump received a lot of flack calling Comey a “nut-job” May 19 for his outrageous handling of Hillary’s email investigation.
