Ex-FBI chief Comey to testify next week in Russia probe

[webfact]

Ex-FBI chief Comey to testify next week in Russia probe

By Susan Heavey

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: James Comey (R), a Republican who served in the Bush Justice Department, speaks alongside outgoing FBI Director Robert Mueller after being nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama (not pictured) to replace Mueller, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, June 21, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former FBI Director James Comey will testify next Thursday before a U.S. Senate panel investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, in a hearing that could be difficult for President Donald Trump.

 

In his first public appearance since Trump fired him on May 9, Comey will address the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8. He will speak at both an open session and behind closed doors, which would allow him to discuss classified information, the committee said.

 

Allegations that Russia may have helped Trump win the 2016 presidential election and questions about possible collusion by members of his campaign are being investigated by several U.S. congressional committees as well as by the Justice Department.

 

Comey is expected to be asked about conversations in which Trump reportedly pressured him to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, one of several Trump associates who are drawing scrutiny about Russia and last year's U.S. election.

 

Russia has repeatedly denied any effort to interfere in the U.S. election, and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said some Russians might have acted on their own without their government's involvement.

 

Trump has denied any collusion between Russia and his campaign and has repeatedly questioned the U.S. intelligence finding that Putin led an operation that included computer hacking, fake news and propaganda intended to swing the election in Trump's favor over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

 

Comey was leading the FBI's probe into the allegations, and his firing sparked a political uproar. Facing rising pressure, the Justice Department earlier this month named another former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief, Robert Mueller, as a special counsel to investigate the allegations.

 

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, which is also looking into the allegations, approved subpoenas for Flynn and Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, in connection with its probe.

 

The committee's Republican chairman, Representative Devin Nunes, who had recused himself from the panel's Russia probe, also approved subpoenas to the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency for information relating to the "unmasking" of the names of Trump campaign advisers inadvertently picked up in top-secret foreign communications intercepts.

 

Committee aides complained he had acted unilaterally, and the top Democrat on the panel, Representative Adam Schiff, said Nunes' actions violated his recusal decision.

 

"Commitments to recuse himself have not been fully honored," Schiff told MSNBC.

 

He also said the U.S. intelligence agencies were cooperating with the House panel and that it was therefore unclear why Nunes would issue the subpoenas, which constitute a formal demand for information.

 

In a further sign of strain between the two, Schiff told the network it was up to Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan to stop such conduct and he believed Nunes should delegate his subpoena power to demand such information.

 

Schiff also rejected Putin's suggestion that patriotic Russians, rather than the Russian state itself, could have staged cyber attacks to influence the U.S. election.

 

Trump on Thursday backed Nunes' efforts to investigate actions by U.S. security and other officials who had served under previous President Barack Obama.

 

"The big story is the 'unmasking and surveillance' of people that took place during the Obama Administration," Trump said in a tweet.

 

(Additional reporting by David Alexander; Writing by Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Alistair Bell)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-02

 

[darksidedog]

Tick Tock Donald. The truth is about to come out, and the words "You're fired." are surely getting closer.

[mtls2005]

Interesting to see Devin Nunes crawling out from under his rock, and reasserting himself. Of course he was reprimanded for leaking, and he'll be investigating leaks and unmasking. No clue why they're pulling on that thread when it will likely expose serious wrong-doing.

 

 

Trump probably needs to launch some more missiles next Thursday, targets TBD.

 

[maoro2013]

Well there doesn't seem to be any evidence whatsoever of Russian meddling, which Comey has recently stated. Seems to be a Dem plot.

[kamahele]

This may be the most exciting television programming on all week...

[jb61]

just a tiny glimpse of Comey's level of corruption:

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/05/roger-stone/deep-statist/

[pegman]

20 minutes ago, jb61 said:

just a tiny glimpse of Comey's level of corruption:

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/05/roger-stone/deep-statist/

A Roger Stone written article? You have got to be kidding?

 

LOCK HIM UP!!!

[jb61]

if you can refute the facts and information presented, please provide your proof or evidence.

I would love to see it and perhaps change my opinion of Comey.

[sweatalot]

8 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Tick Tock Donald. The truth is about to come out, and the words "You're fired." are surely getting closer.

may be it is Tick Tock Comey?

 

After about a year as HSBC director, despite his lack of any law enforcement experience, no DOJ leadership experience, and no qualifications for the job, Comey was appointed FBI director by Obama. The only qualification Comey had was that the Clinton’s and their cronies knew Comey was in bed with them, was compromised and was willing to do their dirty work. Comey was appointed to the FBI right when Hillary was leaving the State Department, and was vulnerable to the FBI

 

http://www.israpundit.org/archives/63624058

[YetAnother]

it will just be never-ending series of answers" "my counsel has advised me not to answer based on...."

[iReason]

1 hour ago, sweatalot said:

After about a year as HSBC director, despite his lack of any law enforcement experience, no DOJ leadership experience, and no qualifications for the job, Comey was appointed FBI director by Obama.

 

You are just making stuff up.

 

"Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from January 2002 to December 2003, and subsequently the United States Deputy Attorney General from December 2003 to August 2005."

 

"In August 2005, Comey left the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)"

 

"In 2010, he became general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, based in Westport, Connecticut. In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become a Senior Research Scholar and Hertog Fellow on National Security Law at Columbia Law School."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey

 

 

Nice caveat by the blogger of your link:

 

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMEY SCAM.

"Taken from credible public sources (readily available if you want to look or want me to sent them to you),

with a few reasonable “fill in the blank” conclusions of my own." 

 

So "readily available" they aren't even on the blog page...

 

"All views expressed here are those of the author."

[jb61]

Many will also be unaware that before Comey was installed by the Obama Administration as FBI Director in 2013, he was on the board of Director at HSBC Bank – a bank implicated in international money laundering, including the laundering of billions on behalf of international drugs and narcotics trafficking cartels.

https://geopolitics.co/2017/03/21/fbi-dir-james-comey-board-member-of-hsbc-clinton-foundation-drug-cartel-launderer/

[Redline]

9 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

Well there doesn't seem to be any evidence whatsoever of Russian meddling, which Comey has recently stated. Seems to be a Dem plot.

These investigations sometimes take years.  Anyway, it's a fact Russia meddled in the elections, the question remains, to what degree did Trump and/or his associates coordinate with the Russians.  The facts don't go public until all of the investigations are over Doh!  Smoke another one, and have a beer on me

Edited June 2, 2017 by Redline

[Redline]

5 hours ago, jb61 said:

just a tiny glimpse of Comey's level of corruption:

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/05/roger-stone/deep-statist/

Who is Lewy? Where did he come from?  We should know that first.  Lew Rockwell

[mtls2005]

 

[Redline]

2 hours ago, sweatalot said:

may be it is Tick Tock Comey?

 

After about a year as HSBC director, despite his lack of any law enforcement experience, no DOJ leadership experience, and no qualifications for the job, Comey was appointed FBI director by Obama. The only qualification Comey had was that the Clinton’s and their cronies knew Comey was in bed with them, was compromised and was willing to do their dirty work. Comey was appointed to the FBI right when Hillary was leaving the State Department, and was vulnerable to the FBI

 

http://www.israpundit.org/archives/63624058

OK, go back to your hole, have some drink and some smoke, and start your own fictitious blog.  Where are your fake news ambitions!?

[sweatalot]

1 hour ago, iReason said:

 

You are just making stuff up.

 

"Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from January 2002 to December 2003, and subsequently the United States Deputy Attorney General from December 2003 to August 2005."

 

"In August 2005, Comey left the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)"

 

"In 2010, he became general counsel at Bridgewater Associates, based in Westport, Connecticut. In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become a Senior Research Scholar and Hertog Fellow on National Security Law at Columbia Law School."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey

 

 

Nice caveat by the blogger of your link:

 

THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COMEY SCAM.

"Taken from credible public sources (readily available if you want to look or want me to sent them to you),

with a few reasonable “fill in the blank” conclusions of my own." 

 

So "readily available" they aren't even on the blog page...

 

"All views expressed here are those of the author."

Comey was a minor assistant US attorney in the late 90’s. He only gained power and money by being the DOJ official who “investigated” and cleared Bill Clinton of any wrong-doing in Clinton’s totally corrupt pardon (for huge payoffs) of criminal financier Marc Rich as Clinton was leaving the Presidency. 

http://www.israpundit.org/archives/6

 

"All views expressed here are those of the author."

Yes, and all views expressed in the media are the view of ... (fill in the blanks)

I'm not saying everything in the above mentioned  blog is true - but check it as you check everything that is in the (main stream) media... oh, I forgot most people just believe them

and I am  saying  not everything in the media is true - people just trust their stories 

Edited June 2, 2017 by sweatalot

[iReason]

40 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Comey was a minor assistant US attorney in the late 90’s. He only gained power and money by being the DOJ official who “investigated” and cleared Bill Clinton of any wrong-doing in Clinton’s totally corrupt pardon (for huge payoffs) of criminal financier Marc Rich as Clinton was leaving the Presidency.

 

I'm not saying everything in the above mentioned  blog is true -

 

If you think I'm going to wade through that unhinged gibberish from that alt-right blogger again, you gotta another think comin'...

 

And no, that's not all you are saying:

 

"The only qualification Comey had was that the Clinton’s and their cronies knew Comey was in bed with them, was compromised and was willing to do their dirty work."

"and cleared Bill Clinton of any wrong-doing in Clinton’s totally corrupt pardon (for huge payoffs) of criminal financier Marc Rich as Clinton was leaving the Presidency."

 

Simply, making stuff up to fit the narrative in your head.

Which is unsubstantiated nonsense.

While baselessly attempting to spread disinformation.

Edited June 2, 2017 by iReason

[sweatalot]

52 minutes ago, iReason said:

 

If you think I'm going to wade through that unhinged gibberish from that alt-right blogger again, you gotta another think comin'...

 

And no, that's not all you are saying:

 

"The only qualification Comey had was that the Clinton’s and their cronies knew Comey was in bed with them, was compromised and was willing to do their dirty work."

"and cleared Bill Clinton of any wrong-doing in Clinton’s totally corrupt pardon (for huge payoffs) of criminal financier Marc Rich as Clinton was leaving the Presidency."

 

Simply, making stuff up to fit the narrative in your head.

Which is unsubstantiated nonsense.

While baselessly attempting to spread disinformation.

I see. Just easier to believe the media than to "wade" thru stuff that says different things. I' ll leave it with this.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, sweatalot said:

Comey was a minor assistant US attorney in the late 90’s. He only gained power and money by being the DOJ official who “investigated” and cleared Bill Clinton of any wrong-doing in Clinton’s totally corrupt pardon (for huge payoffs) of criminal financier Marc Rich as Clinton was leaving the Presidency. 

http://www.israpundit.org/archives/6

 

"All views expressed here are those of the author."

Yes, and all views expressed in the media are the view of ... (fill in the blanks)

I'm not saying everything in the above mentioned  blog is true - but check it as you check everything that is in the (main stream) media... oh, I forgot most people just believe them

and I am  saying  not everything in the media is true - people just trust their stories 

You'd be wise to change your sources. So this advice will probably fall on deaf ears.

[boomerangutang]

12 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

Well there doesn't seem to be any evidence whatsoever of Russian meddling, which Comey has recently stated. Seems to be a Dem plot.

                            Are you trying to be funny?  There are reams of evidence of Russia meddling, and nearly as much evidence of Trump and his people clandestinely (or so they hoped) colluding. You can sit on a beach and look at the ocean and say the water doesn't move, but that doesn't make it true.

 

4 hours ago, YetAnother said:

it will just be never-ending series of answers" "my counsel has advised me not to answer based on...."

                        I agree.  Probably the main bit of 'news' from the Comey statements will be what we already know:  that he took notes contemporaneously about 'obstruction of justice' antics he heard from Trump.   Republicans, in their limitless partisanship, will try to corner Comey on why he didn't report Trump's law-breaking at that time.  Comey will probably reply that he's not a tattle-tale, and simply allowed the prez to express his inner thoughts.  Brain-dead Republicans on the panel will also rail about LEAKS!

 

                       When Rep politicians incessantly bellyache about leaks, it harkens to little boys caught peeking in the girls' bathroom, and when caught..... all they can do is keep shouting, "who told you?!?!"

 

If I was in the room, I'd shout out:  "Shooting the messenger is not what's most important. What's most important is finding law-breakers and making them pay consequences for their law breaking - particularly if it involves treason!"

[maoro2013]

On 02/06/2017 at 10:07 PM, boomerangutang said:

                            Are you trying to be funny?  There are reams of evidence of Russia meddling, and nearly as much evidence of Trump and his people clandestinely (or so they hoped) colluding. You can sit on a beach and look at the ocean and say the water doesn't move, but that doesn't make it true.

 

                        I agree.  Probably the main bit of 'news' from the Comey statements will be what we already know:  that he took notes contemporaneously about 'obstruction of justice' antics he heard from Trump.   Republicans, in their limitless partisanship, will try to corner Comey on why he didn't report Trump's law-breaking at that time.  Comey will probably reply that he's not a tattle-tale, and simply allowed the prez to express his inner thoughts.  Brain-dead Republicans on the panel will also rail about LEAKS!

 

                       When Rep politicians incessantly bellyache about leaks, it harkens to little boys caught peeking in the girls' bathroom, and when caught..... all they can do is keep shouting, "who told you?!?!"

 

If I was in the room, I'd shout out:  "Shooting the messenger is not what's most important. What's most important is finding law-breakers and making them pay consequences for their law breaking - particularly if it involves treason!"

Can you point to some of the evidence of this. Comey testified under oath to a congressional committee recently that the FBI had no evidence at all.

 

Please provide me some links.

[iReason]

3 hours ago, maoro2013 said:

Comey testified under oath to a congressional committee recently that the FBI had no evidence at all.

 

Please provide me some links.

"Comey testified under oath to a congressional committee recently that the FBI had no evidence at all."

 

B.S.

 

Below is the full transcript. Show me where he says that:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/20/full-transcript-fbi-director-james-comey-testifies-on-russian-interference-in-2016-election/?utm_term=.4bdd6ff0f163