Re: James Comey
“All who believe in this country's values must vote for Democrats this fall. Policy differences don't matter right now. History has its eyes on us .” – James Comey, 2018
There are a few OP/threads about James Comey today. Some of my friends in this community express a strong dislike him, because they are convinced he influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Since there is no question he played a role in the outcome, it would be as foolish to say he didn't, as to ask, “Oh, hate the Irish now, do you?” This, despite the fact that one of our friends who posted that Comey's current legal case is “karma” self-identifies as an Irish Democrat.
I do not like or dislike Comey, regardless of his family's coming from the same section of the Old Sod as my own. This allows me to be objective about his role in 2016, rather than being rendered subjective due to emotions. I think that there are a number of individuals – and groups – who actually played a much more significant role than Comey in the election's outcome that my anti-Comey friends overlook or totally ignore.
Let's take a close look at three thing from the 2016 election that many people think Comey did wrong. The first, of course, would be his July 5, 2016 fifteen minute press conference. While he said that the DOJ would not file charges against Hillary Clinton regarding the e-mail controversy. As far as I am aware, this marked the first time the FBI ever announced its recommendation to the DOJ. While he said that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case,” he said that Secretary Clinton and her top aides had been “extremely careless.” He also noted that Clinton might not have been “technically sophisticated,” and unaware of the problems associated with her e-mails.
What influenced Comey to decide to talk to the media? In March of 2016, the FBI got an admittedly questionable e-mail, by way of Dutch intelligence, that indicated that Russian intelligence, from Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz to Leonard Bernado. It claimed to be concerning Wasserman-Shultz saying that A.G. Lynch had told Amanda Renteria that she “would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far.” While Comey did not think this was accurate, he was concerned it could get traction if released to the public. And by mid-June, both DCLeaks and Guccifer 2.0 were releasing hacked e-mails.
On June 26, Lynch and former president Bill Clinton met privately on her DOJ jet at a Phoenix airport. The story broke in the media two days later. Lynch told the press that they did not discuss the e-mail investigation. However, because of the timing of the meeting – their first ever – either Clinton did something remarkably unwise, or he was intending to communicate something without saying the words. On July 1, Lynch told reporters that she knew how this meeting was raising “questions and concerns,” and that she “certainly wouldn't do it again.”
Earlier, Lynch had instructed Comey to not refer to the case as an “investigation,” but instead call it a “matter” in a private conversation. The combination of these factors resulted in Comey's decision to hold the press conference to protect the reputation of the FBI. At that point, I could appreciate that many people were convinced that Comey was wrong in that. What is worth noting that this included proto-cult maga members, not just members of the Democratic Party.
Comey said that the investigation was closed, but that if it re-opened, he would contact Congress. It would have been better if it stayed closed, of course. It appeared tot least until Rudy Giuliani appeared on Fox on October 25. There, he said, “We've got a couple of surprises left. I call them surprises in the way that we’re going to campaign to get our message out there. Maybe in a little bit of a different way and you’ll see and I think it will be enormously effective. And I do think that all of these revelations about Hillary Clinton finally are beginning to have an impact."
The following day, Comey was informed that the NYC FBI had been investigating Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former Representative, for sending “illicit” texts to a 15-year old. While searching Weiner's laptop, they found e-mails sent to his wife. Huma Abedin from Clinton's private server. These had been found well before, and only brought forth close to the election.
On October 28, Comey sent his infamous letter to Congress, saying the investigation had been re-opened. Of course, it was immediately leaked to the media. Many people, including more than Democrats, were upset that this was made public so close to the election. That is a sincere, valid concern. There is no question about that. But had he not notified Congress as he had said he would, there is no doubt that the nest of retired FBI, retired high-ranking NYC police, and Rudy were fully prepared to leak to the media. They also planned an attack on the internet.
In her 2021 memoir, Huma Abedin wrote that she told Weiner that if Clinton were to lose the election, “it will because of you and me.” The investigation was again closed, but extraordinarily close to Election Day. Did this influence the outcome of the election? Of course it did. And if Comey hadn't notified Congress, and Rudy & Fiends leaked it to the media, that would also have influenced it in a similar way.
A lot of good people still blame Comey, alone, for the loss. At worst, I think he is one of many that played significant roles. Wasserman Schultz holds no blame for the fake e-mail created by Russian intelligence. However, she had to resign as head of the DNC on July 28, as a result of e-mails revealed on WikiLeaks. She had been in discussions with other DNC members on how to weaken the Sanders' campaign, and discredit his supporters in the primaries. Leaks about behavior like that hurt.
I do not think AG Lynch deserves blame. From everything that I've heard, she did not anticipate Clinton's visit. But I do think Bill Clinton should have known better. The timing was terrible. It led to Comey's first press conference. I do not think that alone would have cost Clinton the election.
The re-opening of the case definitely hurt. Yet James Comey did not plant those e-mails on Anthony Weiner's computer. The fact these were on Weiner's computer suggests Comey was correct in saying Hillary and Huma were careless. Once found, the FBI had to investigate. Perhaps the most interesting thing, in my opinion, was the time between when they were found by the NYC FBI, and the time that the warrant to open them was gotten.
Again, there was a nest of former FBI and Fiends in NYC that was aware that they existed, and that Comey was informed. They despised Hillary Clinton, and the e-mails on Weiner's computer were the October surprise that Rudy spoke of. People might disagree with Comey's informing Congress, but the information was coming out either way.
Now for the third factor. Some people still insist that Comey should have announced that the FBI was investigating the felon on the Russian scandal. In fact, the FBI only began to investigate the felon six months after the election, starting the day after he fired Comey.
I do not care if anyone dislikes Comey. I'm fine with people disagreeing with the decisions he made. But as a party we need to be mature enough to admit that lots of other people played roles. And that included making mistakes that resulted in Comey's actions.
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So much to know on background, right?
