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Report Says Comey's Testimony Inaccurate

Pro Publica reports James Comey's testimony to Congress this week was inaccurate as to some major details.

FBI officials have privately acknowledged that Comey misstated what Abedin did and what the FBI investigators found. On Monday, the FBI was said to be preparing to correct the record by sending a letter to Congress later this week. But that plan now appears on hold, with the bureau undecided about what to do.

....Abedin forwarded only a handful of Clinton emails to her husband for printing — not the “hundreds and thousands” cited by Comey. It does not appear Abedin made “a regular practice” of doing so .......None of the messages carried classified markings at the time they were sent.

...According to two sources familiar with the matter — including one in law enforcement — Abedin forwarded only a handful of Clinton emails to her husband for printing — not the “hundreds and thousands” cited by Comey. It does not appear Abedin made “a regular practice” of doing so. Other officials said it was likely that most of the emails got onto the computer as a result of backups of her Blackberry.

The Washington Post has more.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Misstated. Not sure that is the right (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 09, 2017 at 12:49:54 PM EST
    word here. If it was a "misstatement" why was it not corrected immediately? Sounds to me like Comey lied under oath, possibly to attempt to excuse his inexcusable behavior regarding the emails last year.

    Does anyone really believe that, after all the time and resources the FBI devoted to the email nonsense, Comey does not know exactly how many emails were in question here?

    Lied (5.00 / 4) (#3)
    by Towanda on Tue May 09, 2017 at 01:08:57 PM EST
    under oath, committing perjury, to Congress.

    That works for me.

    Parent

    But what was his intent?? (none / 0) (#5)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 09, 2017 at 03:52:45 PM EST
    Isn't that his excuse for Hillary? Surely it will work for him.

    In the meantime:

    .......None of the messages carried classified markings at the time they were sent.

    That doesn't mean it was okay. That's mealy mouth speak for, well they should not have been sent but it's not her fault.

    Parent

    Get over yourself, Jim. (none / 0) (#24)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:27:29 PM EST
    Seriously.

    Parent
    Do trolls like cookies? (none / 0) (#27)
    by Yman on Tue May 09, 2017 at 08:37:07 PM EST
    Here's an easy recipe for you:

    Kristina's Troll House Cookies

    Parent

    Given Comey's actions last October, ... (none / 0) (#4)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 01:18:58 PM EST
    ... now further compounded by his overly sanctimonious defense of those actions in his testimony last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I certainly agree that we ought to be skeptical regarding his intent.

    Further, as no less than dissident GOP operative David Frum tweeted this morning, "If this Pro Publica story is correct, Hillary Clinton has more than earned the right to complain about Comey's animus vs her[.]"

    And as I opined in the prior Open Thread regarding this latest revelation, it only further undermines public confidence in both James Comey's capacity to be an honest broker, and his administrative ability and competence as FBI Director to oversee the agency's Trump-Russia probe.

    Oy. What a friggin' mess we're in.

    Parent

    Comey can't (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue May 09, 2017 at 12:53:43 PM EST
    help but continue to trash his own reputation with his obsession of attempting to trash Hillary. It's obvious we need a special prosecutor for the Trump Russia malfeasance.

    BREAKING ... Fired! (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Peter G on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:05:26 PM EST
    And so, down the rabbit hole we plunge. (none / 0) (#8)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:15:52 PM EST
    This is a truly shocking development, and perhaps  a precursor to shutting down the entire Trump-Russia investigation. At this point, we may quickly be left with no choice but to turn out in the streets.

    Parent
    Fired because, the administration says, (none / 0) (#9)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:18:47 PM EST
    of his handling of the Clinton email investigation, specifically Comey's press conference last July where he excoriated Clinton and the letter he sent in October.

    This is ironic, right?

    Parent

    thats the Deputy AG (none / 0) (#10)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:20:50 PM EST
    who said that.  i see his profile rising

    Parent
    heres (none / 0) (#11)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:22:29 PM EST
    All the reasons (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:44:58 PM EST
    President Obama could have used to fire Comey back when.  Now, the Trump DOJ is using these reasons to fire Comey now-so unjust to Mrs. Clinton, violating rules of the DOJ, and usurping the DOJ, not using established recusal procedures.
     Of course, nothing to do with the Trump/Russian investigation, other than Trump gives it away in his letter firing Comey--notifying him repeatedly of Trump being under investigation.

    Parent
    ... it will be that the guys in charge are all astonishingly, transcendently and absolutely bad at their jobs.

    Parent
    oh yeah (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:55:09 PM EST
    legal justification aside this looks really really bad.  hard to imagine a more messy and unpredictable political situation.

    Trump probably thinks that will be to his benefit.  i dont think that is assured at all.  and i suspect he might be at least smart enough to agree.

    more like a hail mary.

    Parent

    president obama (none / 0) (#26)
    by linea on Tue May 09, 2017 at 08:00:54 PM EST
    should have fired him. i dont understand why he didnt.

    All the reasons

    President Obama could have used to fire Comey back when.  



    Parent
    Comey was, at best, (none / 0) (#6)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2017 at 04:45:37 PM EST
    "extremely careless." in his testimony. Whether it was hyperbole, lying or a mistake, it needs to be cleared up quickly.  

    Comey, it can be observed, can be professional and show integrity, except when it comes to Hillary Clinton--where he assumes the obsession of Inspector Javert and the clumsiness of Inspector Clouseau.

    Comey's choice, he claims, in rationalizing his "oops" letter to Congress just days before the November election, was the choice between "reveal or conceal."  The verbal cues, including the charged, "conceal," were evident, especially when the Trump/Russian investigation, ongoing for six months, was not revealed---an unfair and unbalanced Clinton pursuit.

    Therefore, it makes me mildly nauseous to conclude that the country's best hope, at the moment, is to have Comey continue in his position and proceed with the Trump/Russian counterintelligence and criminal investigation by the FBI.  

    It is an investigation of immense complexity that may be considering: complicity in subversion of our democracy, espionage, tax evasion, money laundering, self-dealing, foreign agents, and, maybe, more.  

    The non-Comey option is not viable.  Who knows, he could be replaced by Trump's jack of all trades, Jared Kushner.

    Trump's letter to (none / 0) (#12)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:27:16 PM EST
    already being called (none / 0) (#13)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:31:09 PM EST
    the Tuesday Afternoon Massacre

    Parent
    Must have (a) special prosecutor and (none / 0) (#16)
    by KeysDan on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:55:53 PM EST
    (b) independent 9/ll-type Commission.  How do we get them?  

    Parent
    IMO (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 05:58:57 PM EST
    it just went from next to impossible to entirely conceivable

    Parent
    ... of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, with Attorney General Jeff Sessions having formally recused himself from any oversight role regarding the Trump-Russia investigation. Congress can appoint an independent commission, of course, but that's hardly likely given its present leadership.

    Ultimately, the only way I see either one of the above happening would be through the targeted application of enormous public pressure, and its accompanying threat of a serious political backlash by voters against the party in power.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    there are also (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:14:41 PM EST
    the existing congressional investigations.  Burr is already on record as not liking this one bit.

    he is "disturbed by the timimg and reasoning"

    Parent

    I think at this point, ... (none / 0) (#23)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:25:55 PM EST
    ... given all the recent nonsense in the House Intelligence Committee and the apparent slow walking of the investigation by its Senate counterpart led by Chairman Burr, it's apparent that Republicans really are deathly afraid of learning the truth about the Trump-Russia relationship. We'd likely be better off with an independent commission.

    The country doesn't need Mr. Burr to furrow his brow and stroke his chin in consternation, while threatening to issue a strongly-worded letter to the White House. We need him to act promptly and decisively. It's either all in or all out.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    certainly we would be better off (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:29:53 PM EST
    but if Trump goes down it will be republicans that do it.  and i do not dismiss that possibility mostly because it will become about self preservation.

    Parent
    After all, they're the majority party right now. But I'll tell you what though, even if I AM stating the painfully obvious. The GOP won't be the majority party for much longer if they refuse to act.

    Parent
    Per CNN transcript, via Josh Marshall andTPM: (none / 0) (#18)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 06:58:01 PM EST
    "This was a very closely kept credit [secret?] at the White House. I'm told only a handful of top advisories knew this was coming. I am told just moments ago that the President himself has been considering this, been thinking about this for at least a week. Did not necessarily have the rationale when they first started talking about this but then asked the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General to look for that rationale and that explanation. And that is what we got this afternoon. The timing of this, of course, so interesting, Erin because the Russian investigation front and center, it is one of the things that aggravates this president more than anything at all." (Emphasis is Marshall's.)

    LINK.

    if that true (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:11:18 PM EST
    the gates of hell are about to open.  republicans are already starting to flip.  noteable among them Senator Burr.

    Parent
    Let's hope so, Cap'n. (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 09, 2017 at 07:16:12 PM EST
    I would further urge all of us, myself included, to step away from the keyboard for a moment, and call our local congressperson and U.S. senators to express our outrage and demand an independent commission.

    Even if your congresscritters are all Democrats, call them anyway. It can and does make a real difference in times like these. If Capitol Hill gets overwhelmed with angry calls from alarmed constituents, Congress may work up the gumption to finally act.

    Aloha.

    Parent