Former FBI Director James Comey wouldn’t answer directly whether President Trump’s private comments to him amounted to an obstruction of justice or if an obstruction investigation is underway, prompting Republicans to play down the possibility of such a case against Trump.
“If the FBI director believes a crime is committed in his presence, he has to report it and do something about it. He did nothing about it, zero zip,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told reporters after the hearing, while pointing to Comey’s May 3 congressional testimony in which he denied receiving pressure from an attorney general or senior DOJ officials to stop an investigation.
Graham argued that if former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the Russia probe special counsel, was really looking into whether Trump’s remarks to Comey amounted to obstruction, Mueller wouldn’t have let him testify publicly in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday.
“If you think the special counsel believes there’s an obstruction of justice, he’s the biggest idiot in the world to let his chief witness to go through this. Mueller is not an idiot,” Graham said. “If he really believed he had an obstruction of justice case, would you let the only and best witness go through this?”
But elsewhere in his testimony, Comey didn’t shut down the possibility of an obstruction of justice investigation into Trump. Comey said that he had turned his copies of the memos he wrote about his Trump meetings over to Mueller, and said that it was “Bob Mueller’s job to sort” out whether Trump’s requests amount to obstruction.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told reporters Thursday afternoon that it wasn’t just Trump’s comments that qualified as obstruction, but rather that Trump went on to fire Comey. In his testimony, Comey cited Trump’s own public words as the basis for believing that Trump fired him due to the Russia investigation. He also said that the administration had “defame[d]” him in their justifications of his removal.
“I don’t think it’s the discussion that’s the obstruction,” Kaine said. “The discussion shows intent. I think when the special prosecutor looks at the obstruction, he’ll look at the firing.”
Dear Dumbfuck from Hell: His testimony only showed he wasn’t under investigation at that time.
I will guarantee you this: He’s got much bigger problems now. Beginning with the introduction of A-list mob prosecutor Andrew Weissmann. Tangling with a guy well-versed in RICO and FCPA statutes as well as complicated financial crimes is not going to work out well for the Cockholster clan.
Prediction: Trump emerges emboldened and very much feeling immune to penalty for all his behavior in this affair, at least so far as the fallout from the Comey testimony. So, what does someone do in his state of mind? He’s tamed Jeff Sessions, is about to have his handpicked FBI Director installed. I foresee him trying to kneecap Mueller’s investigation. Ordinarily that would be stupid, self destructive and asking for major trouble. But Trump’s actions don’t result in major trouble for him, at least personally. He’ll stay in office, much of the GOP agenda will be stymied by all these distractions, and Trump will continue to throw rocks through windows.
But watch the Mueller investigation. Trump is about to go after it, claws bared.
Remember, this is the same Senator who freaked out when Clinton made his; “What the definition of “IS” is.” statement.
Hypocrite much?
Lindsey Graham is now 100% backing Trump, were in the past he was against him. You ask just what has changed? The answer to that question is Russia. Lindsey Graham has had ties to Russia, as he let slip that he was unmasked in this Russian probe.
It’s getting really difficult for Republicans to protect their own on this. So few people coming to Trump’s defense, and all they have is drivel…