Comey’s Actions Don’t Show Any Trump ‘Obstruction’
Article raises good points about the real context of the conversation likely between Trump and Comey.
Quote:The leaks about the Trump White House took a dramatic new turn with The New York Times story about a conversation between the president and former FBI Director James Comey about former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn.
Flynn was fired for failing to provide an accurate account of his Dec. 30 phone conversation with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak. Thereafter the FBI began to look at Flynn’s ties to Russia.
A few days after Flynn was fired, Trump and Comey spoke about the FBI investigation. According to a memo Comey reportedly wrote shortly afterward, Trump suggested that the investigation be dropped. “I hope you can let this go,” the president told Comey. “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy.”
At first glance this brings back memories of Richard Nixon and the firing of Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox. After that happened, it was simply a matter of time before Nixon was forced to resign. Is that where we are, then?
Not so fast. The White House immediately issued a denial. “The president has never asked Mr. Comey or anyone else to end an investigation, including any investigation involving General Flynn . . . This is not a truthful or accurate portrayal of the conversation between the president and Mr. Comey.”
That’s not a denial that a conversation about Flynn took place. It’s a denial that Trump asked Comey to end the investigation, which is how the headline writers have treated the story.
Go back to Comey’s account of the conversation, and you’ll see that it’s at least as plausible to imagine a different sort of conversation, one much more benign. Something like, “I know you have to do your duty, Comey, but when you finish I hope you’ll find there’s nothing there.” That’s consistent with Comey’s account of what Comey said next. “I agree [Flynn’s] a good guy.”
The best evidence that that’s what Trump meant and how Comey understood it is what happened next: Nothing. Comey didn’t say anything about shutting down the investigation. And he didn’t resign.
Quote:HIRONO: So if the Attorney General or senior officials at the Department of Justice opposes a specific investigation, can they halt that FBI investigation?
COMEY: In theory yes.
HIRONO: Has it happened?
COMEY: Not in my experience. Because it would be a big deal to tell the FBI to stop doing something that -- without an appropriate purpose. I mean where oftentimes they give us opinions that we don't see a case there and so you ought to stop investing resources in it. But I'm talking about a situation where we were told to stop something for a political reason, that would be a very big deal. It's not happened in my experience.
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Comey’s Actions Don’t Show Any Trump ‘Obstruction’
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