Former FBI Director James Comey is testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee this morning.
Pop corn, feet up, watch below!
Comey Testifies Before Senate Intelligence Committee
James Comey’s Opening Statement Before Senate Intelligence Released To Public
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| James Comey |
This is fascinating.
The Senate Intelligence Committee has released seven pages of prepared opening testimony penned by former FBI Director James Comey (at Comey’s request) about his interactions with President Trump.
Basically, Comey offers a timeline of his conversations with Trump.
Among many exchanges, according to Comey at a dinner, Trump stated, “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.”
Some reactions from Twitter:
Comey’s statement establishes obstruction of justice by Trump. Period.— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) June 7, 2017
The just released Comey statement confirms much of what has been reported by investigative journalists, and derided as Fake News.— Michael Smerconish (@smerconish) June 7, 2017
See below. Click the images to enlarge.
Report: Comey Plans To Dispute Trump Claims But Won’t Accuse Him Of Obstruction Of Justice
According to ABC News, former FBI Director James Comey does not plan to accuse President Trump of obstructing justice during his upcoming testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.
Although Comey has told associates he will not accuse the President of obstructing justice, he will dispute the president’s contention that Comey told him three times he is not under investigation.
The president allegedly said he hoped Comey would drop the Flynn investigation, a request that concerned Comey enough that he documented the conversation in a memo shortly after speaking with the president. In the memo, according to sources close to Comey who reviewed it, Trump said: “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go,” during a February meeting.
The request made Comey uncomfortable, but the source tells ABC News that Comey has told associates he will not accuse the President of obstructing justice.
“He is not going to Congress to make accusations about the President’s intent, instead he’s there to share his concerns,” the source said, and tell the committee “what made him uneasy” and why he felt a need to write the memo documenting the conversation.
White House: Trump Will Not Assert Executive Privilege To Block James Comey Testimony
JUST IN: White House says Trump will not invoke executive privilege and try to block James Comey from testifying. https://t.co/BUCuiPnHuX— CNN (@CNN) June 5, 2017
Former FBI Director Comey To Testify Before Senate Committee Next Thursday
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| James Comey |
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence committee next Thursday where he is widely expected to confirm rumors that President Trump asked him to drop an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
From Politico:
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, June 8, regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election, committee leaders announced on Thursday.
The hearing will be one of the most highly anticipated events on Capitol Hill in years, after President Donald Trump suddenly fired Comey in May and a flood of news reports followed suggesting that the president tried to get Comey to squash an investigation into former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.
After an open session in the morning, the committee will then be further briefed by Comey behind closed doors, said Sens. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
In addition to Russia’s efforts to influence the presidential election, much of the questioning is likely to center around Comey’s termination, which shocked senators in both parties.
Trump has said that the Russia investigation was on his mind when he fired Comey, though administration officials have also said that Trump fired Comey based on the guidance of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, however, told senators in a closed briefing that it was clear Trump had already decided to fire the former director before asking for Rosenstein’s guidance.
Comey’s appearance will be the first since his firing. The former director agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee several weeks ago, but the committee first had to “deconflict” any of his testimony with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia.
White House: All Questions Regarding Obstruction Of Justice “Will Be Referred To Outside Counsel”
During an off-camera press gaggle today at the White House, Press Secretary Sean Spicer was quick to respond to a question about James Comey’s upcoming testimony in Congress thusly:
“Going forward all questions on these matters will be referred to outside counsel.”
Lawyered up and ready to go. Listen below.
Q: Did the POTUS obstruct justice in his conversations with James Comey?SPICER: Talk to his outside counsel pic.twitter.com/emQYYuDc7f
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 31, 2017
Former FBI Director James Comey To Testify On Pressures From Trump To End Russia Investigation
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| Former FBI Director James Comey |
CNN reports fired FBI Director James Comey will definitely be testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, possibly as soon as next week.
He is expected to confirm the dramatic accounts that have surfaced since his dismissal, including the accusations that Donald Trump asked him to drop the current investigation into ties with Russia.
Final details are still being worked out and no official date for his testimony has been set. Comey is expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year’s presidential election.
Comey has spoken privately with Special Counsel Robert Mueller III to work out the parameters for his testimony to ensure there are no legal entanglements as a result of his public account, a source said. Comey will likely sit down with Mueller, a longtime colleague at the Justice Department, for a formal interview only after his public testimony.
When he testifies, Comey is unlikely to be willing to discuss in any detail the FBI’s investigation into the charges of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign — the centerpiece of the probe, this source said. But he appears eager to discuss his tense interactions with Trump before his firing, which have now spurred allegations that the president may have tried to obstruct the investigation.
If it happens, Comey’s public testimony promises to be a dramatic chapter in the months-long controversy, and it will likely bring even more intense scrutiny to an investigation that Trump has repeatedly denounced as a “witch hunt.”
The Simpsons: The Ghost Of Richard Nixon Visits Donald Trump
In this delicious new short from The Simpsons, President Trump makes one more desperate plea to patch things up with now-fired FBI Director James Comey.
I don’t know what’s more on the nose: Mike Pence erasing the “Vice” from his name plate or the ghost of Richard Nixon thanking Trump for helping him move up to being “the 44th best president.”
Watch below.
Liberal Redneck: “Where’s the Smoke, Comey’s Fired”
Liberal redneck Trae Crowder is all fired up over President Trump firing FBI Director James Comey.
“Are yall seein this shit man?!”
James Comey Agrees To Testify In Open Session Before Senate Intelligence Committee
Fasten your seatbelts, kids.
Former FBI Director James Comey (Trump nickname “Crazy nutjob”) has agreed to testify in open session before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
JUST IN: Former FBI Director James Comey agrees to testify in open session before Senate Intelligence Committee pic.twitter.com/ZzbHB4CiH6— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 19, 2017
