THEY'RE OVER THERE, AND WE DON'T LIKE THEM MUCH.
NAZ, THANK YOU, SUSAN PAGE AND MICHAEL SCHMIDT.
COMEY FACED A BARRAGE OF CRITICISM FROM DEMOCRATS TODAY.
AFTER COMEY TESTIFIED HE FACED TO BAD CHOICES, ADAM SCHIFF
TWEETED, THE REAL CHOICE WAS NOT CONCEAL OR SPEAK.
COMEY SPOKE ABOUT CLINTON AND CONCEALED TRUMP INVESTIGATION.
THE REAL CHOICE WAS TO ABIDE BY DOJ POLICY OR VIOLATE IT.
HERE'S OU DEMOCRATS ON THE COMMITTEE REACTED TODAY.
>> THIS EXPLOSIVE ANNOUNCEMENT -- AND IT WAS --
CAME UNPROMPTED AND WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER A SINGLE E-MAIL
WARRANTED A NEW INVESTIGATION. IT WAS, IN FACT, A BIG OCTOBER
SURPRISE. >> ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS YOU
TOLD US TO COMMENT EXTENSIVELY ON THE INVESTIGATION.
YOU EVEN RELEASED INTERNAL FBI MEMOS.
I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS, BUT IN MY 42 YEARS HERE, I'VE NEVER
SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. >> I'M STRUCK THAT YOU CHOSE TO
MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ABOUT ONE INVESTIGATION AND NOT ANOTHER.
>> I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT YOU DID NOT CONTEMPLATE
THAT THERE WOULD BE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS TO YOUR COMMENTS.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS, OR ARE THERE ANY THINGS YOU WOULD
DO DIFFERENTLY? >> THE HONEST ANSWER IS NO.
I'VE ASKED MYSELF THAT A MILLION TIMES BECAUSE LORDY HAS THIS
BEEN PAINFUL. THE ONLY THING I REGRET IS MAYBE
ANSWERING THE PHONE WHEN THEY CALLED TO RECRUIT ME TO BE FBI
DIRECTOR. >> I'M JOINED BY SENATOR
BLUMENTHAL OF CONNECTICUT. LORDY.
I'VE NEVER HEARD A POLITICIAN SAY LORDY WHEN THEY'RE TALKING
ABOUT EVIDENCE. ANYWAY, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS
TESTIMONY? DO YOU THINK COMEY COST HILLARY
CLINTON THE ELECTION? >> I THINK WITHOUT QUESTION, IT
HAD A PART IN THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.
SO DID THE RUSSIAN MEDDLING AND INTERFERENCE.
NOW THE QUESTION IS DID THE TRUMP TEAM COLLUDE WITH THE
RUSSIANS, AND WILL THEY BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE CRIMINALLY?
THE REAL TAKEAWAY FOR ME FROM TODAY'S HEARING IS JIM COMEY
SHOULD NOT BE MAKING A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO
PROSECUTE TRUMP OR HIS ASSOCIATES.
AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS A POTENTIAL TARGET
HERE. SO THERE IS A NEED FOR A SPECIAL
PROSECUTOR BECAUSE OTHERWISE, EITHER JIM COMEY OR A TRUMP
APPOINTEE WILL BE MAKING THAT DECISION, AND WE KNOW IT WILL BE
TAINTED AND IN QUESTION. >> WHICH WAY WOULD IT TAINT?
I MEAN IF IT'S COMEY RIGHT NOW AND HE HAS TO PROSECUTE OR NOT
PROSECUTE PERHAPS TRUMP INVOLVEMENT IN -- OR IN CAHOOTS
WITH THE RUSSIANS IN THE CAMPAIGN, WHERE WOULD HE BE
TILTED, DO YOU BELIEVE, IN PUBLIC PERCEPTION?
>> THERE WILL BE TAINT AND DOUBT EITHER WAY.
IN FACT, THERE IS A NEED FOR AN INDEPENDENT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
IF THERE IS, IN FACT, A CRIMINAL CHARGE AGAINST TRUMP ASSOCIATES,
AGAINST PAGE, MANAFORT, STONE, OR FLYNN OR THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES. AND THERE'S A NEED IF THERE'S A
NON-PROSECUTION BECAUSE OTHERWISE, THE PUBLIC WILL
RIGHTLY DOUBT WHETHER IT IS AN INDEPENDENT AND IMPARTIAL
DECISION JUST AS NOW THERE IS DOUBT ABOUT WHETHER COMEY
REACHED THE RIGHT DECISION INDEPENDENTLY.
>> WELL, DEMOCRATS BELIEVE THAT COMEY HELPED TRUMP.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD BE LIKELY TO BELIEVE THAT HE
WOULD HELP TRUMP IN THIS INVESTIGATION AS WELL?
>> THE OVERWHELMING TRUTH HERE IS, CHRIS, THERE'S GREAT AND
SUBSTANTIAL WELL ESTABLISHED PRECEDENT FOR AN INDEPENDENT
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, AND THE DOUBTS WILL JUST BE MULTIPLIED
IF JIM COMEY HAS A PART IN THIS DECISION.
HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WOULD NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE THE ONE TO
MAKE THE DECISION. NOW IT IS A QUESTION OF WHETHER
THE PRESIDENT'S APPOINTEE, THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL, DOES
SO. AND IN MY VIEW, THE DECISION
WILL BE EQUALLY TAINTED AND DOUBTFUL IF A TRUMP APPOINTEE
RESPONSIBLE TO THE PRESIDENT, WHOM THE FBI IS NOW
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