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The Watchdog 06-09-17
Comey makes his mark on credibility
James Comey Damaged The Credibility Of The FBI
REP. ANDY HARRIS
Congressman, Maryland 1st District
On November 2, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi blasted FBI Director James Comey on CNN for his handling of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. That same day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Bloomberg News that he no longer had confidence in Mr. Comey. Several Democratic lawmakers followed suit in criticizing the FBI Director.
However, when President Trump dismissed Mr. Comey earlier this week, the decision was met with an outcry from Congressional Democrats.
Their outrage is hypocritical and misplaced. Had Hillary Clinton won in November and relieved Comey of his duties, not one Democrat would have spoken out in opposition.
To label Comey’s dismissal as anything less than a carefully considered and fair decision is an insult to our Justice Department. The recommendation to terminate Mr. Comey came from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Representing a part of Maryland, I am very familiar with Mr. Rosenstein. He was the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and, until recently, the country’s longest-serving U.S. attorney. He has a well-deserved reputation of remaining apolitical, and is widely respected by his colleagues. If Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein – a man confirmed to his position by a vote of 94-6 in the U.S. Senate last month – is not confident in the ability of the FBI Director to perform his duties, then that opinion should be taken seriously.
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Comey damaged the credibility of the FBI and lost the confidence of both the American people and his agents. For several months, he received bipartisan criticism for his mishandling of investigations into both Hillary Clinton and President Trump. Even progressive stalwart ThinkProgress referred to the former FBI director as “egregiously incompetent.” When ThinkProgress and President Trump actually agree on something, the claim must be valid.
Mr. Rosenstein presented a thoughtful and bipartisan critique of Mr. Comey in his recommendation for termination. The American people are entitled to an FBI Director worthy of their trust, and Mr. Comey broke that trust.
The American people should be wary of lawmakers jumping on the opportunity to criticize Comey’s dismissal, and using that as a partisan excuse to renew their unwarranted calls for an independent special prosecutor to take over Comey’s investigation of the election. The Senate Intelligence Committee is already in the midst of conducting a bipartisan investigation into alleged interference by Russia in our presidential election. I trust Senators Burr and Warner to conduct a thorough investigation, and to act in the best interest of the American people. Let’s get on with finding a new Director whom we can all trust to handle important FBI matters.
Congressman Andy Harris serves the people of Maryland’s first congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. read more at the Daily Caller
REP. ANDY HARRIS
Congressman, Maryland 1st District
On November 2, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi blasted FBI Director James Comey on CNN for his handling of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. That same day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told Bloomberg News that he no longer had confidence in Mr. Comey. Several Democratic lawmakers followed suit in criticizing the FBI Director.
However, when President Trump dismissed Mr. Comey earlier this week, the decision was met with an outcry from Congressional Democrats.
Their outrage is hypocritical and misplaced. Had Hillary Clinton won in November and relieved Comey of his duties, not one Democrat would have spoken out in opposition.
To label Comey’s dismissal as anything less than a carefully considered and fair decision is an insult to our Justice Department. The recommendation to terminate Mr. Comey came from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Representing a part of Maryland, I am very familiar with Mr. Rosenstein. He was the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland and, until recently, the country’s longest-serving U.S. attorney. He has a well-deserved reputation of remaining apolitical, and is widely respected by his colleagues. If Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein – a man confirmed to his position by a vote of 94-6 in the U.S. Senate last month – is not confident in the ability of the FBI Director to perform his duties, then that opinion should be taken seriously.
The fact of the matter is that Mr. Comey damaged the credibility of the FBI and lost the confidence of both the American people and his agents. For several months, he received bipartisan criticism for his mishandling of investigations into both Hillary Clinton and President Trump. Even progressive stalwart ThinkProgress referred to the former FBI director as “egregiously incompetent.” When ThinkProgress and President Trump actually agree on something, the claim must be valid.
Mr. Rosenstein presented a thoughtful and bipartisan critique of Mr. Comey in his recommendation for termination. The American people are entitled to an FBI Director worthy of their trust, and Mr. Comey broke that trust.
The American people should be wary of lawmakers jumping on the opportunity to criticize Comey’s dismissal, and using that as a partisan excuse to renew their unwarranted calls for an independent special prosecutor to take over Comey’s investigation of the election. The Senate Intelligence Committee is already in the midst of conducting a bipartisan investigation into alleged interference by Russia in our presidential election. I trust Senators Burr and Warner to conduct a thorough investigation, and to act in the best interest of the American people. Let’s get on with finding a new Director whom we can all trust to handle important FBI matters.
Congressman Andy Harris serves the people of Maryland’s first congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. read more at the Daily Caller
Comey Served at the Pleasure of Himself
GEORGE NEUMAYR AMERICAN SPECTATOR
June 8, 2017, 2:46 pm
His Senate testimony only confirms what a self-serving operator he is.
Of the show trials in the Soviet Union, it was said, “Everything was true, except the facts.” One could say the same about the show trial Donald Trump is suffering at the hands of a hysterically partisan ruling class. Its frenzy over James Comey’s Senate testimony bears no relationship to reality; it is simply a reflection of its own ruthless power politics and determination to nail Trump at any cost.
Comey’s testimony was utterly unpersuasive. Though presented in high-minded terms, it amounted to little more than sour grapes over a sacking, and a wholly justified sacking at that. Comey’s directorship was an unmitigated disaster.
Trump “lied” about the reasons for my firing, whined Comey. No, he didn’t. If Trump said that Comey’s lousy judgment had caused “turmoil” at the FBI, that’s because it did.
That Comey characterized Trump’s comments about a demoralized FBI as a “lie” should discredit the rest of his testimony. It just underscored the straining, self-serving character of his appearance. He showed up not to defend an “independent” FBI but to justify his own dubious tenure at it.
And now it turns out that this great Niehburian conscience of Washington is a self-confirmed leaker. He had a “friend” pass a memo to the New York Times in an attempt to parry the president, he testified. Only a navel-gazing flake like Comey — he left Catholicism for relativistic Methodism — would be deluded enough to think that such admissions enhance his credibility. Instead, they just confirm what a self-serving operator he has always been.
How many other memos did Comey leak to the New York Times? None of the fawning, drippy senators were going to ask him that. Comey is clearly responsible for the leaks to the Times after Trump’s infamous tweets about Obamagate. read more
GEORGE NEUMAYR AMERICAN SPECTATOR
June 8, 2017, 2:46 pm
His Senate testimony only confirms what a self-serving operator he is.
Of the show trials in the Soviet Union, it was said, “Everything was true, except the facts.” One could say the same about the show trial Donald Trump is suffering at the hands of a hysterically partisan ruling class. Its frenzy over James Comey’s Senate testimony bears no relationship to reality; it is simply a reflection of its own ruthless power politics and determination to nail Trump at any cost.
Comey’s testimony was utterly unpersuasive. Though presented in high-minded terms, it amounted to little more than sour grapes over a sacking, and a wholly justified sacking at that. Comey’s directorship was an unmitigated disaster.
Trump “lied” about the reasons for my firing, whined Comey. No, he didn’t. If Trump said that Comey’s lousy judgment had caused “turmoil” at the FBI, that’s because it did.
That Comey characterized Trump’s comments about a demoralized FBI as a “lie” should discredit the rest of his testimony. It just underscored the straining, self-serving character of his appearance. He showed up not to defend an “independent” FBI but to justify his own dubious tenure at it.
And now it turns out that this great Niehburian conscience of Washington is a self-confirmed leaker. He had a “friend” pass a memo to the New York Times in an attempt to parry the president, he testified. Only a navel-gazing flake like Comey — he left Catholicism for relativistic Methodism — would be deluded enough to think that such admissions enhance his credibility. Instead, they just confirm what a self-serving operator he has always been.
How many other memos did Comey leak to the New York Times? None of the fawning, drippy senators were going to ask him that. Comey is clearly responsible for the leaks to the Times after Trump’s infamous tweets about Obamagate. read more