Comey continues to display a stunning lack of credibility
Fired former FBI Director James Comey is at it again.
Last week, Comey testified before members of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. In a single appearance, Comey, on 245 separate occasions, while under oath, stonewalled questions with “I don’t know,” “I don’t remember” or “I don’t recall,” according to a congressional interrogator, Rep. Jim Jordan, R- Ohio.
If any private citizen tried Comey’s gambit with federal IRS auditors or FBI investigators, he would likely be indicted for perjury or obstruction.
Why did Comey, the nation’s former top-ranking federal investigator, avoid telling “the whole truth and nothing but the truth” while under oath?
The answer is, unfortunately, obvious. Comey has been called to testify before members of Congress on numerous occasions. He has written a long book and gone on an extensive book tour and his paper trail is long.
He tweets almost daily and is often on television — and in those venues never seems to admit to any memory lapse.
In other words, Comey is realizing that almost anything he might say will likely be at odds with something he has said, done or written prior — and could potentially subject him to perjury charges. So, Comey dodges and hedges. Oddly, Comey has long posed as a modern-day Jeremiah. He thunders almost daily about the moral lapses of his perceived antagonists — mostly Donald Trump, the Trump administration and the Republican Party that Comey left.
Comey has tweeted under the pseudonym “Reinhold Niebuhr” — the celebrated 20th- century German-American theologian and ethicist. Comey apparently wishes to remind us of their similar moral insight.
Comey’s memoir is grandly enti- tled “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.” He writes to remind readers of his sterling character, which has always guided his career.
What is odd about the professed ethics of the sanctimonious Comey is that his assertions are belied by his own often-unethical conduct.
The Justice Department’s inspector general criticized Comey in a report for acting unprofessionally in his investigation of Hillary Clinton’s illicit private email server, improperly assuming the role of both investigator and prosecutor. Comey concluded, then opened, and then again concluded the Clinton email case at public press conferences in the midst of a presidential campaign. He drafted an exoneration of Clinton before he had even interviewed her or her top aides.
Comey’s testimony about FBI leaks to the press is at odds with his sworn statements from his former deputy, Andrew McCabe.
Speaking of leaks, Comey made sure that his memos about his meetings with President Trump were leaked to the press.
Comey said his bizarre behavior was designed to force the appointment of a special counsel, which resulted in the selection of Robert Mueller, a former FBI director and a longtime Comey acquaintance.
A number of high-ranking FBI officials during Comey’s tenure have either been fired, forced to resign, retired or were reassigned — in some cases resulting from accusations of improper conduct or bias.
Comey’s FBI is largely responsible for the prominence — and the leaking — of the notorious dossier compiled by Christopher Steele.
Comey’s sanctimoniousness and misdeeds pose lots of questions. Is Comey a mere hypocrite? Or in guilt does he project his sins onto others? Or does he by design pose as a moralist to help insulate himself from future legal jeopardy?
Or all of the above?