Comey memos might impair Russia inquiry, Justice Dept. says
WASHINGTON – There may be more the public doesn’t know about James Comey’s private conversations as FBI director with President Trump.
That’s the strong suggestion from the Justice Department as it argues against releasing to news media organizations the memos Comey wrote about his conversations with Trump. In court filings Wednesday, the department hinted that the documents include information that was not part of the ex-FBI chief ’s public testimony before a Senate panel this year.
Several media organizations, including USA TODAY’s parent company, Gannett, sued the government for release of the documents, including Trump’s alleged requests for Comey’s personal “loyalty” and to drop his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Justice argued that disclosure of the information “might prematurely reveal ... the nature, scope, direction and focus of its investigations” involving Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 election.
The memos outline Comey’s nine contacts with the president, parts of which the former director made public before his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June.
Trump fired Comey on May 9 over the director’s handling of the Russia inquiry, which is exploring whether the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russian government. Since then, the investigation — under the control of special counsel Robert Mueller — has been reviewing whether Trump sought to obstruct the inquiry by firing Comey.
“There remains much that is uncertain about the memos’ exact contents, including the level of detail in the memos, the extent to which they corroborate Mr. Comey’s testimony, and the extent to which they contain information that was not the subject of his testimony,” Justice lawyers stated.
The FBI and the special counsel, according to Justice lawyers, “determined that the disclosure of these records at the current time, while this sensitive and high-profile investigation remains ongoing, would be reasonably expected to adversely affect the integrity of that investigation.”
Justice officials said the fact that some details in the records have been disclosed should not open the door to full public disclosure. Among the details outlined in Comey’s testimony in June was a dinner Jan. 27 at which Trump allegedly told the FBI chief, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.”
“I didn’t move, speak or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed,” Comey later said of the incident.
Another encounter documented by Comey, a meeting Feb. 14 during which Trump allegedly asked Comey to dump the Flynn investigation, could take on significance in the wake of a recent Trump tweet.
Flynn pleaded guilty last week to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Shortly after, Trump tweeted that he knew Flynn had lied to administration officials and FBI agents when he fired the former three-star Army general Feb. 13. Trump attorney John Dowd said that he authored the tweet, not the president. Trump has denied that he asked Comey to drop the inquiry.