Former FBI Director James Comey is testifying remotely before the Senate Judiciary Committee today:
COMEY sworn in for his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. pic.twitter.com/zKecv0ZSEF
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 30, 2020
Here’s the short version of what Sen. Lindsey Graham’s opening round of questioning unearthed from Comey:
@Comey. Jim Comey: The Russia-Trump collusion investigation was "very important" and I knew absolutely nothing about it. Nothing. Nada. Nil. Not one thing.
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) September 30, 2020
Here's how the hearing is going.
Lindsey Graham: "Here's something everyone knows"
Comey: "I don't know that"
— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) September 30, 2020
Mollie Hemingway and Sean Davis also spotted several times where Comey claimed to have been unaware of things you’d think the director of the FBI should have known:
Graham now pointing out that Carter Page made truthful statements that should have affected the FBI's decision to investigate. Comey pretty much saying he can't remember anything and didn't know anything.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
Graham asks if the FISC should have been told that Carter Page had a working relationship with CIA. Comey refuses to answer. Graham finally asks why Clinesmith was fired. Comey says he only knows what he read in papers. Graham losing patience with Comey's approach today.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
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Graham asked if Comey had any responsibility for the flawed applications to spy on Carter Page. Comey says, not really, but officially, sure.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
Graham asks Comey if he was aware that the primary subsource was investigated as a Russian agent. Comey says he didn't learn anything about anything. Says he doesn't know why he didn't know.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
Comey won't agree that court should have been told the primary source was a suspected Russian spy but does agree it should have been discussed by the powers-that-be.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
Graham doesn't seem to find it plausible that Comey was unaware of the mountains of exculpatory evidence for Carter Page. "How could all that happen and not get up to you, the director of the FBI, on one of the most important investigations in the history of the FBI?"
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) September 30, 2020
James Comey just said the FBI director has no responsibility, before signing a FISA application, to determine whether the allegations within it are true.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 30, 2020
Comey just said he has no idea if the FBI did anything to verify the Steele dossier before the FBI used it to spy on Carter Page in October of 2017.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 30, 2020
Comey is now claiming he doesn't know anything about the source of the Steele dossier claims he briefed to Trump and then had leaked to CNN, and that he definitely doesn't know anything about the sub-source telling the FBI in early 2017 that claims sourced to him were false.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) September 30, 2020
“I can’t recall”-a-palooza!
.@LindseyGrahamSC: "Do you recall getting an inquiry from the Intelligence Community in September 2016 about a concern the Clinton campaign was going to create a scandal regarding Trump and #Russia?"
Comey: "I do not"
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) September 30, 2020
.@LindseyGrahamSC: "You don't recall getting an investigatory lead from the intelligence community?…September the 7th…"
Comey: "That doesn't ring a bell with me"
Graham: "That's a pretty stunning thing, it didn't ring a bell but it did come to you"
— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) September 30, 2020
Graham reads into the record a letter from the DOJ Office of Intelligence attorney who put together the Carter Page FISA saying that he/she would not sign it today knowing then what they know now.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) September 30, 2020
Comey says he doesn't know how much time FBI spent trying to validate the dossier.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) September 30, 2020
Comey says he doesn't remember hearing anything about the interview with the Steele source, Igor Danchenko.
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) September 30, 2020
Graham ended up blasting Comey for all his “I don’t know” and “I can’t recall” responses:
"How does the FBI director not know any of this…How can all that happen and not get up to YOU?"
Comey: "I can only speculate, because it didn't."
He's not cooperating. Enough of the soap box, let the evidence convict. https://t.co/94WQaC1Kpy
— Natalie Buske Thomas (@buske_natalie) September 30, 2020
Wow.
I've been listening 10 minutes, and Comey does not seem to know anything. hmmmm….I call BS.
— J. Hester (@JHester1531) September 30, 2020
And the hearing is far from over.
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