How is this significant to his testimony?
That is perjury.
“How is this significant to his testimony?”
His credibility, his memory of events. How good was his memory in recalling the meeting with President Trump? A lawyer will have a field day with this and other items.
Because when pressed why he did not notify his boss at the DOJ if he believed that he was being pressured to halt the investigation, his boss being Jeff Sessions.
HARRIS: ... OK. So was there any kind of memorandum issued from the attorney general or the Department of Justice to the FBI, outlining the parameters of his recusal?COMEY: Not that I'm aware of.
Comey, and many pothers, mischaracterize Sessions' recusal as related to Russia. The recusal does not mention Russia. The recusal is into wrondoings by the Trump campaigns (which I take as primary and general election campaigs, but the recual letter is ambiguous, and might be Trump and Clinton campaigns - although he does NOT have any conflict of interest in investigating Clinton).
Attorney General Sessions Statement on Recusal
Attorney General Jeff Sessions today issued the following statement: "During the course of the confirmation proceedings on my nomination to be Attorney General, I advised the Senate Judiciary Committee that `[i]f a specific matter arose where I believed my impartiality might reasonably be questioned, I would consult with Department ethics officials regarding the most appropriate way to proceed.'"During the course of the last several weeks, I have met with the relevant senior career Department officials to discuss whether I should recuse myself from any matters arising from the campaigns for President of the United States.
"Having concluded those meetings today, I have decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matters related in any way to the campaigns for President of the United States.
"I have taken no actions regarding any such matters, to the extent they exist.
"This announcement should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation or suggestive of the scope of any such investigation.
"Consistent with the succession order for the Department of Justice, Acting Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana Boente shall act as and perform the functions of the Attorney General with respect to any matters from which I have recused myself to the extent they exist."
“How is this significant to his testimony?”
By (i) showing he has a poor memory, and thus you cannot rely on his testimony or (ii) showing he is a liar, and thus you cannot rely on his testimony.
It’s at least as bad as Scooter Libby’s mis-remembering. Give Comey the same punishment.
I guess this would maybe change some of his supposed motivation for breaking the laws he did - in the name of “doing the right thing”...