Comey Claims Nobody Asked About Clinton Obstruction Before Today
From the 'you can't make this shit up' files. Hillary had been involved in government long enough to know and understand the rules of what she needed to do with her emails after her tenure was over. As well as the rules for handling classified information with an email account. But I guess she thought that rules only applied to everyone else but her. And why wouldn't she think that she could do whatever she wanted to? Because she and Bill had been getting away with doing whatever they wanted their entire political careers with no repercussions.
Using a private email server that would be a way around the freedom of information act would have also allowed her to put her foundation's business on it so that Chelsea and others could have access to it even though it was tied into her state department business and the people who did didn't have the proper security clearances to read the emails. (Sydney Bluementhal) Tut, tut ..
Comey Claims Nobody Asked About Clinton Obstruction Before Today
When WTOP’s Joan Jones asked former FBI Director James Comey on Wednesday if the “smashing of cellphones and destruction of thousands of emails” during the investigation into Hillary Clinton was “obstruction of justice,” Comey said that he had never been asked that question before.
“You have raised the specter of obstruction of justice charges with the president of the United States,” Jones said to Comey concerning his new book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.” The book was released earlier this week.
“Some are asking, though, ‘Why wouldn’t smashing of cellphones and destruction of thousands of emails during an investigation clearly be obstruction of justice?'” Jones asked Comey.
Comey replied, “Now that’s a great question. That’s the first time I’ve been asked that.”
Although mainstream media outlets, liberal pundits, and lawmakers have been obsessing over possible obstruction of justice charges and anticipating impeachment for Trump as a result, these same individuals showed a marked lack of interest in whether or not Clinton and her team obstructed justice.
There's that word intent again.
"And the answer is, it would depend upon what the intent of the people doing it was," Comey said. "It's the reason I can't say when people ask me, 'Did Donald Trump committee obstruction of justice?' My answer is, 'I don't know. It could be. It would depend upon, is there evidence to establish that he took actions with corrupt intent?'"
"So if you smash a cellphone, lots of people smash their cellphones so they're not resold on the secondary market and your personal stuff ends up in somebody else's hands," Comey continued. "But if you smash your cellphone knowing that investigators want it and that they've got a subpoena for it, for example, that is a different thing and can be obstruction of justice."
What about deleting ones emails after being told to turn them over to congress after they found out that you didn't do it when your job was done. Is this considered obstruction of justice, James? I think that answer is yes. How about backing up your emails on someone else's computer when some of them were found to be classified?
Jones followed up, asking, "The law requires intent?"
"Yes. It requires not just intent, but the prosecutors demonstrate corrupt intent, which is a special kind of intent that you were taking actions with the intention of defeating and obstructing an investigation you knew was going on," Comey replied.
Did he just change the rules there? Now it's not just intent, but corrupt intent. This is exactly what Hillary did, James! She deliberately destroyed her emails after she was told to turn them over to congress, so if you didn't have the chance to see them l, then how do you know that the ones that she destroyed weren't classified? I would say that qualifies as intent. But we know that you had a job to protect her from being prosecuted. This is why when the wording was changed from "grossly negligent" to "extremely careless". you went with the new ones!
BTW, James. Why wasn't Hillary under oath when she was questioned by the other FBI agents? Why didn't you question her or look at her other computers and cell phones she had at her home? I'd think that they might have shown you something that she didn't want you to see? One more question, James. Did you ask the NSA to find the deleted emails that she destroyed because she said that they were just personal ones about Chelsea's wedding? Do you really think that it took 30,000 emails to plan a wedding? Okay, one more. Did you even think that those emails might have had something to do with her foundation that might have had some incriminating evidence of either classified information on them or even possible proof of her "pay to play" shenanigans that she was told not to do during her tenure as SOS? This thought never crossed your mind?
Last question I promise. Did you really do due diligence on investigating her use of her private email server or were you still covering for her like you have been since she started getting investigated?
This amazing comment came from a person on Common Dreams. It shows the history of
Comey, Mueller and Rosenstein for over two decades and their role in protecting the Clintons
Dismissed FBI agent changed Comey's language on Clinton emails to 'extremely careless'
One source told the news outlet that electronic records reveal that Strzok changed the language from "grossly negligent" to "extremely careless," scrubbing a key word that could have had legal ramifications for Clinton. An individual who mishandled classified material could be prosecuted under federal law for "gross negligence."
What would have happened if Comey had found Hillary guilty of mishandling classified information on her private email server? She couldn't have become president of course because her security clearances would have been revoked. This makes it kinda hard to be one if she couldn't have access to top secret information, now wouldn't it?
Have you seen this statement by people who don't think that what Hillary did when she used her private email server was wrong and that's why some people didn't vote for her and Trump became president because of it?
Comments
Excellent, informative. All the best to you.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Thanks, DO
It's good to see you again. Are you and JB back in the country? Hope to see you in the Friday Night Photography group with some of your photos.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Serial liars lying--that's what they do best
I like your nickname for James "Whassup Homey" Comey, although I prefer to call him a weasel. If you have a good alternate name for Handy Andy McCabe, I'd appreciate it.
Seriously (?) both of these rectal orifices spew stuff that usually is emitted from said orifices. Unfortunately I was unable to locate the YouTube video which shows Comey asserting (lying?) under oath to Congress that he did not authorize any one to leak, although he did later admit to leaking himself. Handy Andy was pissed (this colloquial term for micturition carries more weight than the technical term). Lisa "Turn Me Over" Page, says that Handy Andy indeed told her to leak stuff to the press. Oh me, oh my. Andy, you're taking broadsides on both sides. Think or swim.
Sources (a few of many)
Comey orchestrated leak of memos (his own).
Devin Nunes grills Comey on leaks. The Weasel admits that this action violates Federal law (ooops! I don't think your lawyer is going to like that).
Handy Andy: "I did not leak to media". But I told Lisa to do it when she wasn't diddling Peter's peter.
James Comey was hired by the Cheney/Dumbya
cartel. What's that tell ya? Rec'd!!
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
Excellent essay, snoopy!
As we look back, Comey continues to reconstruct the "truth" as he hopes the rest of us will believe it. James Comey is a weak man. I have no respect for him regardless of any thing good he may have done in the past. A morally strong man would have conducted the investigation into the Clinton emails and the DNC server properly instead of taking their words as gospel for what really happened, or he would resigned rather than perpetuated the coverup for the Clintons and the DNC. Comey did neither. His first loyalty was to the Clintons and other individuals involved rather than to we the people to whom he owed his loyalty.
People forget that Clinton violated her oath of office and all the rules under which she was required to conduct herself in that office. That violation may have led to much top secret information falling into the wrong hands, including those of foreign nationals. This may be the worst breach of government secrets in the history of the United States and yet Comey allowed Clinton to skate. And he lied under oath to Congress in doing so. There is nothing honorable about James Comey.
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
And BTW,
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
One of the best laughs I had over the last year was when
I read that Comey was teaching ethics at some university. Only a guy who thinks he's god would title his book, "A higher loyalty".
"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin
Great write up snoop.
The Clintons belong in prison right next to Trump, Bush, Cheney, and Obama. We haven't had a patriot in office since Carter. If you want to know about the morality of their presidency, examine their post-presidency.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
So true. We must stop
...dwelling on the words of our elected leaders. No truth can come from them, now that legislators and representatives have been privatized and monetized by Citizens United.
The People really should drastically reduce their exposure to political and social risk by judging candidates based entirely on what they have done and what they are doing. Votes should reflect the fact that no viable political party in the US stands to the Left of Center Right. Voting patterns that reflect reality is the most direct way to bring about change. A party that refuses to reform could run out of money in a single election cycle and clear the field for a representative People's Party. The current political class will never see it coming. The obvious fact that Democracy is incompatable with Capitalism can create a paradigm shift in the hands of a good strategist.
"The law requires intent?"
No.
A lawyer, or this interviewer, never asks a question they don't already know the answer to. We all know that the laws governing the handling of classified info do not require intent.
18 U.S. Code § 798 - Disclosure of classified information
46 CFR 503.59 - Safeguarding classified information.
A simple Google search brings up many laws about classified info, and actually many articles about the lack of an intent requirement.
Oh, this one has one intent: 18 U.S. Code § 1924 - Unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or material ... "the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location ..." OK, so that is the only mention of intent regarding the handling of classified information, and by transmitting anything over Google, or using any non-government server, that intent requirement is met.
Hey Comey, I thought you were supposed to be bright, you don't think anybody has actually read the actual law? So you are going to flat out lie in an interview?
Arrgh! We've been over this years ago. HRC is a criminal and Comey lies. Everybody knows these facts.
And then
Cheryl Mills et al. Given immunity and allowed to be present at the "not under oath" interview. Client lawyer privilege? "I can't remember" invoked dozens of times. How about Deep State cover up?
Hillary Clinton’s Mind-Boggling FBI Interview – What Was Cheryl Mills Doing There?
But then again Comey and his cohorts had written her exoneration memo months before...
H> Life is better when you are a Clinton.
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
Valuable info, Ed
Thanks for including this. This ads further evidence that the whole damn investigation into her use of her private email server was a sham. As does the evidence that Grey Wolfe provided.
It does not matter whether one intended to break the law or not because we also know that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Hillary intentionally deleted 30,000 emails after she was told by congress to turn them over and that's on top of her not turning them over as required when her tenure was up. That the navy member spent a year in prison for taking one photo of the inside of his submarine shows that Clinton wasn't charged because she was being protected by the Obama administration.
Before Comey had completed the investigation Obama said that she didn't do anything wrong. Next there was the things that Lynch stated and the final nail was the meeting with Lynch and Bill on the tarmac just days before Comey released his report. Huge conflict of interest and right then a special investigator should have been called for.
Scientists are concerned that conspiracy theories may die out if they keep coming true at the current alarming rate.
Loretta Lynch
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
I think the wives should also get some credit here.
Comey's wife & daughters were vocal HRC fans. I saw a photo of them at the Women's March in their tee shirts.
Rod Rosenstein's wife was(is?) the Clinton's lawyer.
chuck utzman
TULSI 2020
So if I commit fraud tomorrow--for instance by going and getting
a prescription for muscle relaxants putatively for myself when in fact I'm getting them for a friend in dire pain--I have to have a corrupt intent or else the cops can't come after me.
It's nice of James Comey to let me know these things.
How about a corrupt intent for toking up?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Simpler
But ociffer, I didn't "intend" to run that Stop sign
Prof: Nancy! I’m going to Greece!
Nancy: And swim the English Channel?
Prof: No. No. To ancient Greece where burning Sapho stood beside the wine dark sea. Wa de do da! Nancy, I’ve invented a time machine!
Firesign Theater
Stop the War!
@EdMass Well, you could intend
Whatever the fuck that is.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver