We need to see the Comey memo 17 May 2017 Norma
The press and the DC political class are all a-flutter over the New York Times story (link is external) that President Trump asked former FBI director James Comey to end the agency's investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
There are charges swirling that Trump obstructed justice, and may face impeachment for it. We agree that the charges leveled in the NYT article are very serious, and if true, would put Mr. Trump in great jeopardy of losing his job.
But it is also critical to understand -- as is usually the case with hot stories dropped late in the day -- that no one outside of the main parties involved knows exactly what was said. So far, all we have to go on is a memo that "one of Mr. Comey’s associates read parts of...to a Times reporter."
That's a mighty thin reed.
Representative Jason Chaffitz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has sent a letter (link is external) to the FBI asking for "all memoranda, notes, summaries, and recordings referring or relating to any communications between Comey and the President." And he wants those documents by May 24th.
This is exactly the right thing to do, as is Chaffetz seeking to get Comey to testify before his committee (the Senate Intelligence Committee has extended a similar invitation).
The allegations are too big to be left to the armchair lawyering of pundits and pols. Get Comey's memos out in the open. Get him to testify about them -- under oath. And then, perhaps, we will have a clearer picture of exactly what happened in that meeting.
We need the details, the evidence, and the sworn testimony. When we have those in hand, then we can make a more reasoned judgement on what happened, why it happened, and what the consequences should be.
There are charges swirling that Trump obstructed justice, and may face impeachment for it. We agree that the charges leveled in the NYT article are very serious, and if true, would put Mr. Trump in great jeopardy of losing his job.
But it is also critical to understand -- as is usually the case with hot stories dropped late in the day -- that no one outside of the main parties involved knows exactly what was said. So far, all we have to go on is a memo that "one of Mr. Comey’s associates read parts of...to a Times reporter."
That's a mighty thin reed.
Representative Jason Chaffitz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has sent a letter (link is external) to the FBI asking for "all memoranda, notes, summaries, and recordings referring or relating to any communications between Comey and the President." And he wants those documents by May 24th.
This is exactly the right thing to do, as is Chaffetz seeking to get Comey to testify before his committee (the Senate Intelligence Committee has extended a similar invitation).
The allegations are too big to be left to the armchair lawyering of pundits and pols. Get Comey's memos out in the open. Get him to testify about them -- under oath. And then, perhaps, we will have a clearer picture of exactly what happened in that meeting.
We need the details, the evidence, and the sworn testimony. When we have those in hand, then we can make a more reasoned judgement on what happened, why it happened, and what the consequences should be.
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