Transcripts: Comey Drafted Conclusion in Clinton Probe Prior to Interviewing Key Witnesses

Charles E. Grassley website ^ | 08/31/2017 | Charles E. Grassley

[ForYourChildren]

Grassley, Graham seek documents linked to Hatch Act investigation of former FBI head

WASHINGTON – Transcripts reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee reveal that former FBI Director James Comey began drafting an exoneration statement in the Clinton email investigation before the FBI had interviewed key witnesses. Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, requested all records relating to the drafting of the statement as the committee continues to review the circumstances surrounding Comey’s removal from the Bureau.

“Conclusion first, fact-gathering second—that’s no way to run an investigation. The FBI should be held to a higher standard than that, especially in a matter of such great public interest and controversy,” the senators wrote in a letter today to the FBI.

Last fall, following allegations from Democrats in Congress, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) began investigating whether Comey’s actions in the Clinton email investigation violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from using their official position to influence an election. In the course of that investigation, OSC interviewed two FBI officials close to Comey: James Rybicki, Comey’s Chief of Staff, and Trisha Anderson, the Principal Deputy General Counsel of National Security and Cyberlaw. OSC provided transcripts of those interviews at Grassley’s request after it closed the investigation due to Comey’s termination.

Both transcripts are heavily redacted without explanation. However, they indicate that Comey began drafting a statement to announce the conclusion of the Clinton email investigation in April or May of 2016, before the FBI interviewed up to 17 key witnesses including former Secretary Clinton and several of her closest aides. The draft statement also came before the Department entered into immunity agreements with Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson where the Department agreed to a very limited review of Secretary Clinton’s emails and to destroy their laptops after review. In an extraordinary July announcement, Comey exonerated Clinton despite noting “there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information.”

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[bgill]

Comey needs to be waking up to the sunrise over GITMO.

[hardspunned]

And absolutely nothing will happen. The rats can do anything they want with no fear of being held accountable. It is no wonder they are so brazen about the felonies they commit. I guess Rip van Sessions figures he might as well sleep since Clinton/Obama are still running the US intelligence apparatus.

[ForYourChildren]

“Grassley a powerful senator can do something about it; let’s see what he does (don’t hold your breath).”

That is my concern. Notice this transcript release and this statement was a joint effort with Linda Graham. A boat anchor.