Friday, December 7, 2018

Did They Expect Any Different?

Republican Lawmakers Are Not Happy With How Their Comey Meeting Is Going

Cortney O'Brien
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Posted: Dec 07, 2018 1:18 PM
Republican Lawmakers Are Not Happy With How Their Comey Meeting Is Going
Former FBI Director James Comey is sitting with the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees behind closed doors on Friday to answer (or not answer) their questions. Congress is investigating how FBI and DOJ handled the Hillary Clinton and Russia probes and, as you can imagine, Comey was one of the top witnesses on their list.
It doesn't seem to be going as planned. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) appeared to be most frustrated, explaining to the press that Comey came with two attorneys, one of whom has instructed his client to answer very few questions.
“We absolutely need to get answers,” Issa said.
The Republicans are also frustrated with a witness who has yet to show. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has yet to appear, and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) had a few guesses as to why. 
He's not the only one who feels that way. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who sits on the House Freedom Caucus with Meadows, thinks Rosenstein needs to explain a controversial New York Times report that suggested he had secretly recorded President Trump in the White House.
Democrats had much different takes on Capitol Hill this morning, telling the press that the closed door meeting with Comey is unnecessary and clearly a ploy to disrupt special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.
“It’s a waste of time to start with and there’s nothing," said Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). "The entire purpose of this investigation is to cast aspersions on the real investigation which is Mueller. There is no evidence whatsoever of bias at the FBI or any other of this nonsense they are talking about.”
Nadler will become judiciary committee chair once the Democrats take over the House in January, and he had a straight answer as to what will become of the congressional investigation.
The Democrats are advocating for Comey to give public testimony, but critics note that only gives each lawmaker 5-minute intervals to ask questions.
President Trump has dismissed Mueller's Russia investigation as a "witch hunt." His team is currently drafting a counter report.
A transcript of Comey's sit down with Congress is expected to be released in the next 24 hours.
"You're going to be displeased and maybe a little surprised by the answers," Issa said on Fox News following the Capitol Hill press gaggle.

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