Comey testimony transcript

[essentialsaltes]

I confess it's TL;DR for me. But people have hunted down some of the choice bits.

Mr. Nadler. And it's still accurate that you're not particularly close to Robert Mueller?

Mr. Comey. It is accurate.

Mr. Nadler. On October 17th, the FBI responded to a Freedom of Information Act request for, quote, "photographs of former FBI Director James Comey and Robert Mueller hugging and kissing each other," by saying "no responsive records were located." I assume you're not aware of any such photographs?

Mr. Comey. I'm not aware of any such photograph. I have never hugged or kissed the man. Again, I'm an admirer but not that kind of admirer.

-----

Mr. Gowdy. Do you recall who drafted the FBI's initiation document for that late July 2016 Russia investigation?
Mr. Comey. I do not.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Do you know who approved that draft of an initial plan for the Russia investigation in late July 2016?
Mr. Comey. I don't.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. That Peter Strzok approved? I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Drafted and approved it.
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Have you read that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. I don't think so. I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Comey. Do you recall seeing the phrase "Trump campaign" in that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. Well, I don't remember seeing it, ever seeing it, so certainly don't remember any portion of it, because I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Gowdy. If it said Trump campaign, do you still have the same answer you had when I asked you whether or not it involved
the Trump campaign?
Mr. Comey. That's a question, Mr. Gowdy, I can't answer without having seen the document. So I'd be speculating about a document I don't think I've ever seen.

KEEP AT IT TREY! COMEY WAS ABOUT TO CRACK!

 

[Brightmoon]

Oh wow

 

[DaisyDay]

I read that Comey seemed bored and annoyed, that no questions were asked this time that were not asked before. Does that mean that Gowdy did those before like that?

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

Mr. Gowdy: sir, do you know your name?
Mr. Comey: (turns to his legal representative for advice) I don't think so.

Mr. Comey has been and continues to stonewall and it should not be allowed (laws?), but not many seem to care about answers or justice or good old fashioned honesty. When honesty is not the best policy for potential jail time, play dumb or give uncertain answers...sounds like lawyer advice.

 

[USincognito]

Mr. Gowdy: sir, do you know your name?
Mr. Comey: (turns to his legal representative for advice) I don't think so.

Yeah. Why bother with the actual transcript when you can just make stuff up?

 

[essentialsaltes]

but not many seem to care about answers or justice or good old fashioned honesty.

That's why certain people are pleading guilty to lying to Congress.

Even if you're convinced that Comey is as forgetful as your average Trump appointee on their disclosure forms, that's still different from lying to Congress.

 

[LostMarbels]

I confess it's TL;DR for me. But people have hunted down some of the choice bits.

Mr. Nadler. And it's still accurate that you're not particularly close to Robert Mueller?

Mr. Comey. It is accurate.

Mr. Nadler. On October 17th, the FBI responded to a Freedom of Information Act request for, quote, "photographs of former FBI Director James Comey and Robert Mueller hugging and kissing each other," by saying "no responsive records were located." I assume you're not aware of any such photographs?

Mr. Comey. I'm not aware of any such photograph. I have never hugged or kissed the man. Again, I'm an admirer but not that kind of admirer.

-----

Mr. Gowdy. Do you recall who drafted the FBI's initiation document for that late July 2016 Russia investigation?
Mr. Comey. I do not.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Do you know who approved that draft of an initial plan for the Russia investigation in late July 2016?
Mr. Comey. I don't.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. That Peter Strzok approved? I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Drafted and approved it.
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Have you read that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. I don't think so. I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Comey. Do you recall seeing the phrase "Trump campaign" in that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. Well, I don't remember seeing it, ever seeing it, so certainly don't remember any portion of it, because I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Gowdy. If it said Trump campaign, do you still have the same answer you had when I asked you whether or not it involved
the Trump campaign?
Mr. Comey. That's a question, Mr. Gowdy, I can't answer without having seen the document. So I'd be speculating about a document I don't think I've ever seen.

KEEP AT IT TREY! COMEY WAS ABOUT TO CRACK!

Mr. Gowdy. You can't tell us, or you won't tell us?

Mr. Comey. Probably a combination of both; that is, as I said in response to your earlier question, I don't remember seeing the opening memos on counterintelligence cases opened in late July, so I can't recall exactly what the predication was. But, to the extent I recall facts developed during our investigation of Russian interference and the potential connection of Americans, I think that's a question that the FBI doesn't want me answering. So it's both a can't and a won't. Mr. Gowdy.

 

[DaisyDay]

Mr. Gowdy: sir, do you know your name?
Mr. Comey: (turns to his legal representative for advice) I don't think so.
Mr. Comey has been and continues to stonewall and it should not be allowed (laws?), but not many seem to care about answers or justice or good old fashioned honesty. When honesty is not the best policy for potential jail time, play dumb or give uncertain answers...sounds like lawyer advice.

Yeah. Why bother with the actual transcript when you can just make stuff up?

It's not as though we can't just check the transcript:

Would the witness please state his name and the last position he held at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the record?
Mr. Comey. Certainly, Mr. Chairman. My name is James Brien Comey, Jr., and my last position was Director until May 9th of 2017.

 

[DaisyDay]

Mr. Gowdy. You can't tell us, or you won't tell us?

Mr. Comey. Probably a combination of both; that is, as I said in response to your earlier question, I don't remember seeing the opening memos on counterintelligence cases opened in late July, so I can't recall exactly what the predication was. But, to the extent I recall facts developed during our investigation of Russian interference and the potential connection of Americans, I think that's a question that the FBI doesn't want me answering. So it's both a can't and a won't. Mr. Gowdy.

That's right - the lawyers for the government don't want him answering questions if doing so will or might compromise the ongoing Russia investigation.

The challenge in answering that is -- and please don't take this nonanswer to imply that there is such information. I just -- I don't think that the FBI and special counsel want me answering questions that may relate to their investigation of Russian interference during 2016. And I worry that that would cross that line, Mr. Gowdy
​

 

[LostMarbels]

That's right - the lawyers for the government don't want him answering questions if doing so will or might compromise the ongoing Russia investigation.

The challenge in answering that is -- and please don't take this nonanswer to imply that there is such information. I just -- I don't think that the FBI and special counsel want me answering questions that may relate to their investigation of Russian interference during 2016. And I worry that that would cross that line, Mr. Gowdy
​

I agree with your sentiment. However it is not a failing of Gowdy's questioning as implied. It is an outright refusal to answer straight, or at all. Comey... the former Director of the FBI does not know what collusion means? He has never, heard that word, ever, in his entire career?

Ok...

 

[USincognito]

It's not as though we can't just check the transcript:

 

[Apologetic_Warrior]

It's not as though we can't just check the transcript:

But it is as though some people do not want to acknowledge the lack of transparency, honesty, and stonewalling tactics of Mr. Comey. Scary to think of the positions the man held for so many years.

 

[Hank77]

I confess it's TL;DR for me. But people have hunted down some of the choice bits.

Mr. Nadler. And it's still accurate that you're not particularly close to Robert Mueller?

Mr. Comey. It is accurate.

Mr. Nadler. On October 17th, the FBI responded to a Freedom of Information Act request for, quote, "photographs of former FBI Director James Comey and Robert Mueller hugging and kissing each other," by saying "no responsive records were located." I assume you're not aware of any such photographs?

Mr. Comey. I'm not aware of any such photograph. I have never hugged or kissed the man. Again, I'm an admirer but not that kind of admirer.

-----

Mr. Gowdy. Do you recall who drafted the FBI's initiation document for that late July 2016 Russia investigation?
Mr. Comey. I do not.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Do you know who approved that draft of an initial plan for the Russia investigation in late July 2016?
Mr. Comey. I don't.
Mr. Gowdy. Would you disagree that it was Peter Strzok?
Mr. Comey. That Peter Strzok approved? I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Drafted and approved it.
Mr. Comey. I don't know one way or the other.
Mr. Gowdy. Have you read that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. I don't think so. I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Comey. Do you recall seeing the phrase "Trump campaign" in that initiation document?
Mr. Comey. Well, I don't remember seeing it, ever seeing it, so certainly don't remember any portion of it, because I don't remember ever seeing it.
Mr. Gowdy. If it said Trump campaign, do you still have the same answer you had when I asked you whether or not it involved
the Trump campaign?
Mr. Comey. That's a question, Mr. Gowdy, I can't answer without having seen the document. So I'd be speculating about a document I don't think I've ever seen.

KEEP AT IT TREY! COMEY WAS ABOUT TO CRACK!

Sorry, I know that this is really serious stuff but where Gowdy went with this one was just funny.
Here Comey is answering a question from Jackson about when he was alone with Pres. Trump and he, the Pres., wanted Comey to agree to let Flynn go.

Mr. Comey. I felt that he was asking me, directing me to drop a criminal investigation, which I thought was improper, so I went back, wrote a memo about it, briefed the leadership of the FBI so we could figure out what to do about it.

Later in testimony.....


Mr.Gowdy. So, if it doesn't rise to the level of obstruction, how would you characterize the Chief Executive saying that the target of an investigation that was ongoing simply made a mistake and lacked the requisite criminal intent?

Mr. Comey. It would concern me. It concerns me whenever the Chief Executive comments on pending criminal investigations, something we see a lot today, which is why it concerned me when President Obama did it.

Mr. Gowdy. Well, it concerns me too, Director Comey. I'm also concerned that people treat similarly situated people the same. And did you make a memo after President Obama said she made a mistake and lacked the requisite criminal intent?

Mr. Comey. He said that on FOX News.

Mr. Gowdy. Right.

Mr. Comey. I did not make a memo about the FOX News broadcast.

Gowdy immediately change the line of questioning. He definitely wasn't thinking when he went with this one.

 

[KCfromNC]

But it is as though some people do not want to acknowledge the lack of transparency, honesty, and stonewalling tactics of Mr. Comey.

Which posters are you attempting to call out here? Please, be specific.

 

[DaisyDay]

I agree with your sentiment. However it is not a failing of Gowdy's questioning as implied. It is an outright refusal to answer straight, or at all. Comey... the former Director of the FBI does not know what collusion means? He has never, heard that word, ever, in his entire career?

Ok...

That's not quite accurate - Gowdy asked Comey, not the definition of "collusion", but about the "crime of collusion".

Page 27 (emphasis added) :
Mr. Gowdy. Some of our friends in the media use the word "collusion" from time to time. What is the crime of collusion?
Mr. Comey. What is the crime of collusion? I do not know. I've never heard the term "collusion" used in the way it's been used in our world over the last couple years before that. I don't know of a crime that involves collusion. I think in terms of conspiracy or aiding and abetting.​

I tend to think that that was meant as a trick question because, as it's been pointed out from time to time, "collusion" is not a crime. Do you think Gowdy was unaware of that?

 

[DaisyDay]

But it is as though some people do not want to acknowledge the lack of transparency, honesty, and stonewalling tactics of Mr. Comey. Scary to think of the positions the man held for so many years.

His testimony seems pretty straightforward to me. I thought your parody was off the mark because he is very cautious, but I don't see a lack of honesty or stonewalling. There were questions he didn't answer, but that was because of the ongoing investigation. I have no reason to believe that the Senators who asked the unanswerable questions were unaware of that since nothing new was asked.

 

[LostMarbels]

That's not quite accurate - Gowdy asked Comey, not the definition of "collusion", but about the "crime of collusion".

Page 27 (emphasis added) :
Mr. Gowdy. Some of our friends in the media use the word "collusion" from time to time. What is the crime of collusion?
Mr. Comey. What is the crime of collusion? I do not know. I've never heard the term "collusion" used in the way it's been used in our world over the last couple years before that. I don't know of a crime that involves collusion. I think in terms of conspiracy or aiding and abetting.​

I tend to think that that was meant as a trick question because, as it's been pointed out from time to time, "collusion" is not a crime. Do you think Gowdy was unaware of that?

I think that was exactly Gowdy's line of attack. I understand Comey's response to that line of questioning, but to respond you have never heard the word collusion in your entire career is not believable.

 

[DaisyDay]

I think that was exactly Gowdy's line of attack. I understand Comey's response to that line of questioning, but to respond you have never heard the word collusion in your entire career is not believable.

Fortunately, that is NOT what he said. It is in the transcript, which I quoted for your convenience, that he said that he was unfamiliar with the "crime of collusion" not the word "collusion" itself. He said he had never heard the word used as they were using it, meaning a "prosecutable crime". He was clear on that, so what is the misunderstanding? It is not a legal term, so not in connection with his career as a lawman.

 

[SummerMadness]

Congratulations Gowdy, you played yourself.

 

[Hank77]

But it is as though some people do not want to acknowledge the lack of transparency, honesty, and stonewalling tactics of Mr. Comey. Scary to think of the positions the man held for so many years.

Can you give one example from his testimony for each of your accusations? Thanks

lack of Transparency -
lack of Honesty -
Stonewalling -