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Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Russian Federation Efforts to Interfere in the 2016 U.S. Elections" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
The Justice Department is investigating whether then-FBI Director James Comey illegally leaked secret information concerning a Russian document to The New York Times and The Washington Post, the Times reported late Thursday.
The new review, which the Times downplayed as a possibly politically motivated probe, reportedly concerned a Russian intelligence document "claiming a tacit understanding between the Clinton campaign and the [Obama] Justice Department over the inquiry into whether she intentionally revealed classified information through her use of a private email server," as the Post described it in May 2017.
* Comey created seven memos of his interactions with President Trump shortly before and after Trump took office
* He kept several signed copies in his personal safe
* Comey testified that he authorized a friend to leak a non-classified memo to the New York Times
* He provided copies of four memos to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office
* In May Comey gave a memo to a friend and lawyer, who provided it to the New York Times
* After reviewing the matter, DOJ 'declined prosecution'
* Comey's retention and 'dissemination' of memos 'violated Department and FBI policies' and his employment agreement
A Justice Department inspector general has concluded former FBI Director James Comey did not 'live up' to his responsibility to safeguard sensitive information – but has not recommended he be prosecuted for the leak of memos of his awkward conversations with President Trump.
Comey 'failed to live up to this responsibility' to protect internal information as other FBI agents are expected to, according to the report published Thursday.
But the IG wrote: 'We found no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the Memos to members of the media.'
Update: Not surprising, the former FBI Director is not repentant:
DOJ IG "found no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media." I don’t need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a “sorry we lied about you” would be nice.
WTF?! Former FBI Director James Comey started out as a Communist like CIA Director John Brennan in the 1970s: "I’d moved from Communist to whatever I am now," Comey told New York Magazine in 2003https://t.co/nwJyyKOnjZ
The heads of Obama's FBI and CIA both voted for Communists during the Cold War, yet were somehow able to move up the ranks within the same US intelligence community that had spent decades fighting that very ideology.
Journalist Paul Sperry noted on Wednesday that former FBI Director James Comey admitted in a 2003 interview to having voted Communist before casting his ballot for Jimmy Carter in 1980.
Facts matter. The FBI’s use of Confidential Human Sources (the actual term) is tightly regulated and essential to protecting the country. Attacks on the FBI and lying about its work will do lasting damage to our country. How will Republicans explain this to their grandchildren?
Dangerous time when our country is led by those who will lie about anything, backed by those who will believe anything, based on information from media sources that will say anything. Americans must break out of that bubble and seek truth.
* Former FBI Director James Comey says the lies and attacks on the FBI "will do lasting damage to our country."
* Comey singled out Republicans in positions of political leadership, suggesting they were attacking the FBI dishonestly.
* Comey does not mention Trump by name, but his tweets arrived on the heels of a Twitter diatribe from Trump about an alleged informant who reportedly talked to multiple Trump campaign associates.
Former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday weighed in for the first time on reports of an informant investigating President Donald Trump's campaign, saying that lies and attacks on the investigative agency "will do lasting damage to our country."
In a pair of tweets, Comey defended the use of confidential human sources — "the actual term," he said — as being "essential to protecting the country."
Comey then went on the offensive, suggesting that Republicans were attacking the FBI dishonestly.
"How will Republicans explain this to their grandchildren?" he asked.
WNU Editor: This defense of using informers from former FBI Director Comey follows on the heels on what former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper said yesterday when he admitting that spies/informers were used against the Trump campaign .... Clapper: Trump Should Be "Happy" That The FBI Was "Spying" On His Campaign (RCP). And the defense that James Clapper used is that they wanted to make sure that there were no Russian agents in the Trump campaign. But the fact that no one told then candidate Trump on what was happening, nor have they provided the evidence and reasons on why they wanted informer(s) in the Trump campaign in the first place, tells me that these informer(s) were actually placed there to find collusion and/or to entrap Trump officials in the campaign. My gut is telling me that this had nothing to do with protecting "President Trump" .... and more of an attempt to "get him". Currently .... the main stream's media coverage of this story is to say that there is no evidence of spying .... while ignoring what both Clapper and Comey have already admitted. As one who always studies the media .... this is as surreal as you can get. As to where will all of this all go from here .... an Inspector General investigation is not enough to uncover what happened .... a Special Counsel will be needed. On a side note .... who would have predicted last year that we would be here today. From Russian collusion with the Trump campaign to .... admissions from top Obama administration officials that they had an informer/spy in the Trump campaign. And speaking of President Obama ..... not a peep from him on all of these recent revelations.
Update: So the current media narrative is that this informer was to protect President Trump. Just curious ... why were there no informers in the Hillary campaign to "protect her"? After-all .... it was her server and the servers of the Democrat Party that were hacked. Not Trump or the Republican Party. If this media narrative is true the answer (to me) is then obvious .... they did not "protect" the Hillary Clinton campaign because they either knew that there was no Russian collusion .... or they were the ones who were doing it. And here is an easy prediction .... there is going to be another media narrative on this whole story by tomorrow.
More News On Former FBI Director Comey Defending The Use Of Informers
Former FBI director has said he considered the memos, which he gave to a friend to release to media, personal documents.
WASHINGTON—At least two of the memos that former FBI Director James Comey gave to a friend outside of the government contained information that officials now consider classified, according to people familiar with the matter, prompting a review by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog.
Of those two memos, Mr. Comey himself redacted elements of one that he knew to be classified to protect secrets before he handed the documents over to his friend. He determined at the time that another memo contained no classified information, but after he left the Federal Bureau of Investigation, bureau officials upgraded it to “confidential,” the lowest level of classification.
The Justice Department inspector general is now conducting an investigation into classification issues related to the Comey memos, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Comey has said he considered the memos personal rather than government documents.
WNU Editor: I took the time and read the Comey memos this morning (you can read it here). Bottom line .... there is nothing there. No obstruction. No collusion. No indication that President Trump told Comey to forget about Michael Flynn. But these are the same memos that were leaked to the New Your Times and used by the media, never-Trumpers, and Democrats to pressure the Justice Department to create a Special Counsel. But after a year of investigations and allegations of crimes from numerous anonymous sources .... there is still no evidence to implicate or indict President Trump. So what was the purpose for this entire year-long affair? To change public opinion against President Trump? To attack his allies? To neutralize his agenda? Everyone has an opinion, but from where I am standing I can say with confidence that they have failed. Public opinion has not changed when it comes to President Trump .... and if anything .... President Trump's base is still solidly behind him. And more aggravating to those who oppose him .... President Trump has been quietly implementing his agenda during this entire time.
Another sign to me that everything is starting to unravel was this announcement this morning .... Democratic Party files lawsuit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 campaign (Washington Post). I have seen many bogus stunts before .... but this is one takes the cake .... a last ditch attempt to find the evidence that Mueller cannot find. Here is an easy prediction .... this suit is going to be thrown out of court. Another prediction .... the Mueller Counsel is going to look for a way to gracefully get away from all of this, and to save face. But the big problem for those who support the Mueller Counsel will be to placate a lot of Democrats and never-Trumpers who are convinced that President Trump will be facing impeachment or worse in the future. Considering how much this story has been played up over the year to keep this constituency energized .... it is not going to be an easy job.
One final note .... for the past year I have had to read U.S. press reports, commentary, and politicians talk and build-up how powerful Putin is, that he dictates U.S. policy, that he can influence and corrupt U.S. elections, and that President Trump is being blackmailed by the Kremlin. Being someone whose nationality is Russian and who has some knowledge on how things work in Russia .... I can say with confidence that Russian President Putin does not deserve this type of recognition or respect. Not even close. And while I can understand why many in the U.S. would like to believe otherwise, my hope is that those who do respect the institutions that makes the U.S. an incredible country step up and say enough is enough. That tearing down and undermining the power and strength of these institutions because your candidate lost an election serves no one well, and worse .... it only bolsters an image of Putin that he does not deserve.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former FBI Director James Comey in memos recounting conversations with President Donald Trump last year said Trump repeatedly raised concerns over salacious allegations in an intelligence dossier, the need for loyalty and ferreting out leakers.
The partially redacted memos were handed over on Thursday by the U.S. Justice Department to three House of Representatives committees.
The memos, seen by Reuters, include notes on a meeting at the Trump Tower in New York in January 2017 just before Trump’s inauguration in which Comey spoke alone with the then president-elect about the dossier that detailed an alleged 2013 encounter involving Trump and prostitutes in Moscow.
WNU Editor: There is now almost no coverage of the Syrian bombing in the U.S. mainstream media .... but a lot on James Comey. No surprises there .... the bombings completely undercut the argument that President Trump is colluding with Russia and/or that Putin has something over Trump. But that is not stopping James Comey, he is still stating that he believes that the Russians have something over the President even though he has yet to provide any evidence.
ABC News complete coverage of its interview with the former FBI Director is here.
USA Today also did an interview with former FBI Director James Comey, and their interview is below.
A source present at the taping says James Comey's interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, airing Sunday at 10 p.m. as a "20/20" special, is "going to shock the president and his team."
The source said Comey's comments, in his first interview since being fired by President Trump last May, will generate headlines and "certainly add more meat to the charges swirling around Trump."
WNU Editor: This man is bitter. I understand that he wants to create a stir so that his publisher can sell his book .... but mob boss? Aside from those who have a lot of anger and hatred towards the President since the election (and who will applaud this characterization) .... I think for the general public and for those who support what President Trump is trying to do will have a different opinion, and in the long run it is not going to serve James Comey well.
President Trump on Friday slammed what he called a “rigged system” following reports that former FBI Director James Comey began drafting an “exoneration statement” for Hillary Clinton before interviewing her in connection with her private email use as secretary of state.
“Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over…and so much more. A rigged system!” Trump tweeted early Friday.
* The former FBI director was spotted at The New York Times' Times Square office on Thursday
* He was accompanied by his wife Patrice Failor and both wore sunglasses
* It came as the president admitted on Twitter that he did not record their meetings before firing Comey on May 9
* Comey admits leaking details of a memo to the Times about an unorthodox meeting he had with the president before he was fired
* The meeting was about the FBI's probe into Michael Flynn and Comey claimed he thought the president was subtly asking him to drop it
* Trump denies ever doing so but is fixated on the leak and has suggested his belief it was one of many
Former FBI director James Comey made a quiet visit to The New York Times building on Thursday, one of few public outings since he admitted leaking stories to the newspaper about President Trump before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8.
Comey kept his sunglasses on and his gaze forward as he marched through the front entrance of the Eighth Avenue office building which houses the publication. He was accompanied by his wife Patrice Failor who also wore sunglasses.
Unmistakable as he towered over the crowds in a crisp navy suit and tie on one of the warmest days of the year, Comey drew second-glances from some stunned by-passers.
He spent almost three hours inside before emerging, having removed his sunglasses, to hail a cab.
WNU Editor: This is why I like the Daily Mail. No one else in the media would park a photo-journalist in front of the New York Times to find out who is going in to talk to the New York Times. As to why did James Comey show up at the New York Times .... we now know that former FBI Director Comey did make one leak to the New York Times concerning his memos (and some suspect that he did more) .... and I guess he no longer feels the need to keep his relationship to the New York Times secret.
Update: Apparently the former FBI Director was in the building to visit a law firm's charity event. At least that is what they are saying.
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Thursday offered to give political asylum to former FBI Director James Comey, poking at tensions between Comey and President Trump.
“If Comey will be under the threat of political persecution, we are ready to accept him here,” Putin said at a press conference, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.
Comey testified last week that Trump pressured him to "let go" of the FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, before Trump fired him. Comey acknowledged leaking his personal memos about his conversations with Trump to the media, which the White House has seized on to attack the former FBI head's credibility.
WNU Editor: Putin is definitely having fun trolling the U.S. main stream media and Washington's political establishment. As of this posting, no comment from James Comey.
More News On Russian President Putin Offering Political Asylum To Former FBI Director James Comey
Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Sunday said Congress should look into former FBI Director James Comey’s revelation that former Attorney General Loretta Lynch asked him to downplay the nature of his investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Comey said Lynch had asked him to refer to the probe as a "matter" rather than an investigation, an exchange that he said made him feel queasy.
Asked whether Lynch was providing cover for Clinton, Feinstein said she couldn’t answer.
WNU editor: If this revelation came from anyone else but James Comey .... I would say drop it. The Clinton's are finished politically, and nothing will be gained by investigating this. But since it is James Comey who made this allegation .... it does complicate everything.
More News On U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein Wanting To Investigate Allegations That The Attorney General Covered For The Clinton Campaign
FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on ''Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation'' on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Trump’s legal team may be prepared to show a trail of leaks to The New York Times by former FBI Director James Comey – dating back to at least March – in a pair of complaints set to be filed to the Justice Department inspector general and Senate Judiciary Committee, a source close to the team told Fox News.
An independent Fox News review of The New York Times’ reporting dating back to January reveals a host of stories sourced from top FBI and DOJ officials – or those privy to their conversations – that either paint Comey in a positive light or push a message he was unable to personally disclose.
Though Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 3 he’d never been -- or directed another FBI official to be -- an anonymous source for news reports about the Trump and Hillary Clinton investigations, the then-FBI chief did not deny orchestrating leaks using, for instance, an old friend who works at Columbia University, or providing the information to a wide enough group to ensure it would leak.
WNU Editor: When I watched the former FBI Director's admission last week that he was responsible for a leak to the New York Times, I said in my commentary that this proves (at least to me) that the FBI became politicised under his tenure. A few days have since passed, and now other questions are being raised .... (1) is this the only leak that he engineered .... which is a question that I wished a senator had asked, and (2) is this the reason why he never pursued who was responsible for the leaks coming from the Trump administration ..... because it was him. Not surprising .... President Trump's lawyers are now preparing their case against him .... Trump lawyers could 'accuse Comey of leak after leak' in formal legal complaint being made to Justice Department about fired FBI chief(Daily Mail), and the legal pundits are debating the legal merits on the entire thing .... Defending James Comey redefines America's law on leaks(Jonathan Turley, The Hill). As to what is my own take on this matter .... one leak, 100 leaks .... it makes no difference .... the damage has already been done.
* Comey's going to have the biggest Washington golden parachute ever, says one literary agent who already has the green light on a $10 million advance
* 'Jim Comey's explosive story makes 'West Wing' and 'House of Cards' on a par with Mister Rogers,' an acquisition editor for a major New York publishing house tells DailyMail.com
* While he can't reveal classified information, he has yet to tell his own story behind Hillary email investigation, his dealings with Trump and his life
* When he was 16, Comey and his younger brother Peter were victims of a gunman who invaded the Comey home in suburban New Jersey
* Comey has proven his writing ability - at the College of William & Mary in 1980 he wrote a much praised three-part series for the campus paper, The Fat Hat
When California Senator Kamala Harris thanked fired FBI director James Comey for testifying as a 'private citizen' in the Senate intelligence hearing into Russian interference yesterday, his response was, 'I'm between opportunities right now.'
It was a joking reference to being out of work since Presidential Trump told him, 'You're fired!'.
When Harris responded, 'I'm sure you'll have decent opportunities [in the future'], she didn't know how right she was.
WNU editor: One thing that I have always admired about the political elites in the West is how they take care of their own. Unlike anywhere else in the world .... someone like James Comey .... after he admitted he was responsible for leaking material to the press .... would be ostracised and facing serious legal consequences .... or worse. But in the U.S. .... he gets a $10 million deal (payoff?) to push a book that only the people in Washington would buy to read .... and is applauded for doing so.
Washington (CNN)A defiant President Donald Trump said Friday he was willing to testify under oath about his conversations with James Comey, further fueling the swirling controversy ignited by the fired FBI director's bombshell testimony before the Senate on Thursday.
"One hundred percent," Trump said when asked about his willingness to deliver sworn testimony.
Trump aggressively addressed some questions during the bilateral news conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Friday, but coyly answered others. Asked directly whether he was recording conversations in the Oval Office -- a claim he hinted at on Twitter last month -- Trump dodged.
Update #2: After listening to this for two hours I can say the following. Bottom line .... nothing is going to change. He gave enough crumbs to the Democrats/progressives/media/never Trumpers that President Trump is (fill in the bank) .... thereby continuing the narrative of Trump and Russia. For those who support Trump .... the former FBI Director gave them some crumbs to say that Trump has been vindicated. What's my take .... when the former FBI Director said in today's testimony that no one stopped him from continuing his investigations .... I said to myself .... there goes the obstruction of investigation charge that many have been branding about for the past few weeks as grounds for Trump's impeachment.
Update #3: Just a got flash while watching his testimony. Everyone is making the assumption that the former FBI Director is telling the truth. I say why? For all we know .... he is the one who is lying. But I like I said above .... nothing is going to change.
Update #4: I have said this before .... and after listening to James Comey's testimony this morning I feel validated .... Washington does not understand President Trump ... how he talks, his mannerism, his behaviour, and his views on government. Donald Trump is many things but he is not a politician .... and it took me a long time to realise this. I think this is one of many reasons why Donald Trump has problems when it comes to working with the political establishment .... they just do not speak the same language. Now in the case of James Comey .... I can now understand why he behaved the way that he did .... to him .... Donald Trump is from Mars.
Update #5: Senator Rubio said something that I have to give him credit for. Quoting him .... a lot of leaks that have come out of the FBI give the impression that they were thought about, strategised (see update #1), and released for maximum impact. BUT .... the only leak that never got released was the one in which the FBI was NOT investigating President Trump. Why was that?
Update #6: I have been hearing a lot of answers from the former FBI Director where he is saying that he cannot respond/answer in a public forum. Fair enough. However .... and I am the first to admit that I could be wrong .... but every-time he was saying that I was saying to myself that the answer would only (probably) vindicate President Trump.
Update #7: They are now in a closed session. I have had enough of this. This is what I learned from this testimony this morning. The Democrats hated this a guy a few months ago .... but they now want to hug him. But I digress. More importantly .... Trump was never a target. Trump did not obstruct the investigation. And former FBI Director Comey based his entire investigation on a faked British Russian document. And .... more important to him .... he feels that he has been defamed and in turn the FBI was defamed too. Sorry .... the FBI does not belong to you. Trump is the boss and he fired you .... accept it. Enough is enough. Back to the real world. Regular blogging will resume in a few minutes.
Update #8: More lies from CNN. Just took a small lunch break and CNN is saying that President Trump is under investigation. He is not.
Update #10: Some have commented on this blog that the press is covering the Loretta Lynch story, and that my Update #9 is inaccurate. It was only after I had posted my Update #9 that I noticed this coverage, and I actually applauded it on the comment feed at 4:51 PM .... saying that it is about time. So yes .... I did noticed it .... and I did comment on it.
CNN has corrected a Tuesday report after the release of former FBI Director James Comey's opening statement for his Thursday testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee contradicted the reports' sources.
The CNN report said Comey was expected to dispute President Trump's claims that Comey said he was not under investigation on multiple occasions.
The report, titled “Comey expected to refute Trump," was based on unnamed sources and said Comey's conversations with the president "were much more nuanced," and that Trump drew the wrong conclusion.
Former FBI chief James Comey will likely hold back from accusing President Donald Trump of trying to interfere with an investigation into links between Trump's election campaign team and Russian officials when he testifies in Congress this week, legal sources said.
Comey's highly anticipated appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday could be a turning point in a controversy that has rocked Trump's young administration.
In his first public remarks since Trump fired him last month, Comey is expected to tell the Senate Intelligence committee that Trump asked him during a meeting in the Oval Office to end the Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe into ties between former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn and Russia.
Comey may also detail other conversations with Trump.
Director of the FBI James Comey walks to greet U.S. President Donald Trump during the Inaugural Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders Reception in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
After an exhaustive inquiry by The American Spectator’s team of award-winning investigative journalists this magazine can now report that in February of this year former FBI Director James B. Comey was captured on surveillance cameras in the White House blowing his nose on White House curtains. The nose blowing took place in the Oval Office after President Donald J. Trump excused himself for several minutes to take a call from his wife Melania. Mr. Comey was alone. A picture of President Andrew Jackson was clearly visible in the background.
WNU Editor: LOL. The American Spectator has a sense of humor .... and I predict that some people are going to fall for it. Still .... Comey blowing his nose on the curtains in the Oval Office .... that is an image that I do not want .... phew!!!!
I have been involved in numerous computer science projects since the 1980s, as well as developing numerous web projects since 1996.
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