On Trump-Russia: “when I was fired as director, I still didn’t know whether there was anything to it.”
Source: Full Transcript And Video Of James Comey’s Capitol Hill Testimony | Zero Hedge
Former FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee on Friday to answer questions concerning bias with the FBI, as well as the ongoing Russia probe.
GOP lawmakers were largely frustrated with the session, as DOJ attorneys prevented Comey from answering questions central to ongoing Congressional investigations.
Comey largely avoided discussing the Russia probe, citing the ongoing investigation and classified information.
In an exchange with Gowdy, Comey quibbled with the idea that the FBI’s investigation, dubbed Crossfire Hurricane, initially focused on the Trump campaign.
“We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort. And those four Americans did not include the candidate,” Comey said.
But pressed by Gowdy, Comey acknowledged that he did not review the FBI document that authorized Crossfire Hurricane to open.
Gowdy suggested in his questioning that the initiation document, which was written by Peter Strzok, who then served as deputy chief of the FBI’s –Daily Caller
Comey also admitted that when he was fired on May 9 that he didn’t know if the Trump campaign had colluded with Russians, saying “We opened them in late July, didn’t know whether we had anything. In fact, when I was fired as director, I still didn’t know whether there was anything to it.”
James Comey:
“I don’t recall”—8 times
“I don’t remember”—71 times
“I don’t know”—166 timesAND he said he didn’t know that
Christopher Steele was passing information to Bruce Ohr, who was giving it to the FBI.— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) December 8, 2018