Former (and fired) FBI Director James Comey is narcissism on steroids. When the Department of Justice IG report broke, Comey claimed complete vindication of any FBI wrongdoing while he was in charge.
Not so fast, the IG’s report didn’t come within a country mile of vindicating Comey and his minions. The report didn’t positively state that there was no political bias or politically motivated wrong doing on the part of the FBI’s Russian collusion investigation—only that no one admitted any and there was no documentary evidence of it.
Curiously, the report failed to find that the anti-Trump texts between the FBI agent Peter Strzok and his secret FBI lawyer Lisa Page were no evidence of political bias. IG Michael Horowitz said no one would admit to being biased and he couldn’t read minds to tell him if they were lying to him. Nevertheless, when Senator Graham read a few of the preserved texts aloud during the hearings on the IG findings, the bias was unmistakable.
Then there was the shameful foundation to the whole mess: the Steele Dossier. James Comey signed off on this specious piece of crap. He and his high-ranking cronies knew that it was uncorroborated and written by an unreliable, biased hack.
Probably hoping to salvage what was left of his reputation, Comey appeared on the Fox Sunday interview with Chris Wallace. Wallace came armed with some tough questions, hard facts, and video evidence of Comey’s previous statements, many of which were contradicted by the IG report.
For example, Comey told MSNBC’s left-wing softball tosser Rachel Maddow back in April 2018 that the FISA process was “incredibly rigorous.” In fact, the Republican’s criticism of the FISA warrant to investigate Carter Page was “a political deal.” It was not, according to Comey, “based in substance of law.”
Nope. The IG found the FISA process tainted by the Christopher Steele dossier (and the Carter Page targeting) was primed with willful lies and omissions. The big lie was the Steele dossier; the main omission was that the FBI didn’t trust Steele, and neither did any of Steele’s resources.
The FISA target was Carter Page, who was actually a CIA asset. Revealing that fact would have stopped the FISA finding in its tracks. However, attorney Kevin Clinesmith changed the wording of a verification email that would have removed Page as a FISA target. (Clinesmith has been referred for criminal investigation.)
OK, said Comey, “I was wrong.” He was “overconfident” as director in the FBI procedures. What happened, he admitted “was not acceptable.”
What about falsifying the information about Carter Page. Well, harrumphed Comey, “That’s not been resolved.”
Everything happened under Comey’s watch, Wallace reminded him. Didn’t he know what was going on?
Comey replied sanctimoniously that he was not aware of “the particulars of the investigation.” Wallace probably couldn’t believe his ears. Wasn’t this the investigation of the President of the United States? How could the FBI director not stay on top of this one?
OK, admitted Comey. I was the Director. I have to take the blame.
Blame for what? Mistakes or political malfeasance? If it was sloppiness, under Comey’s leadership, the FBI botched one of the most important investigations ever. However, given that the FBI isn’t that incompetent, what are the odds that the 17 mistakes reported by the IG all could have been without exception to the detriment of President Trump?
Odds are that President Trump was totally justified in firing Comey. What remains to be seen is if Comey’s acceptance of blame will eventually be accompanied by a well-deserved legacy as the most corrupt FBI Director since J. Edgar Hoover.
Check out the best moment from Chris Wallace’s interview with James Comey.
