Fairness and detachment are essential elements for any person heading the FBI.
Without that public perception of pursuing the law and justice without prejudice, any leader loses their integrity and credibility with the public they serve.
James Comey has failed to live up to that standard. The Hilary Clinton investigation became almost farcical. Comey announced shortly after President Clinton met privately with Attorney General Lynch that the former Secretary of State acted “recklessly” but not criminally.
We all know Comey was factually incorrect, and since he was well aware of the law, the specter is raised that he was simply protecting Clinton from prosecution. We may never know what impact on Comey the Clinton-Lynch meeting had, but the questions surrounding those several days remain unanswered.
Numerous prosecutors pointed out that federal law required only recklessness and not intent with regard to protection of highly classified material. In fact, former U.S. Attorney Rudolp Giuliani cited 11 federal laws he stated he would have prosecuted Clinton under.
We know that 22 Special Access Program (SAP) messages were vulnerable on the private server of Clinton. We also know that she set up her private server during her hearings before the Senate for the position as Secretary of State. We also know she used that private server exclusively for her official emails as Secretary of State. Further, we know that she did not turn over her official emails until more than 2 years after she left office, another violation of law. And, these emails were turned over only after demand by Congress and the excellent work of Judicial Watch. Even then, we know that thousands of emails were not turned over that should have been.
I would ask Director Comey whether that shows intent or if these were just innocent acts by Hilary Clinton?
Now we come to Comey’s appearance before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20. Comey had the audacity to reveal that he was, in fact, investigating the alleged Trump Campaign-Russia alleged connection, but he refused to say whether he was investigating the alleged surveillance and possible wiretap of the Trump Campaign, as has now been confirmed by the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
The point is this: If the Director chose to make public his investigation of the Trump Campaign and have a cloud hang over the President and his administration, why would he refuse to say whether he was investigating the possible illegal acts of surveillance of the Trump Campaign possibly by Obama holdovers?
The only reasonable conclusion one can reach on this duplicitous behavior by Comey is that he is acting politically and not with the fairness and detachment required of the FBI Director. Simply put, he should disclose that he is pursuing both investigations or disclose neither.
The Attorney General has been strangely silent during this period of serious concern regarding our security apparatus. It is time for General Sessions to appoint an Independent Counsel regarding these matters and it is time for Comey to go.
Ironically, when he testified before Congress regarding the Clinton investigation, Comey stated his integrity was most important to him other than his family. The message to James Comey is that he has failed the integrity test miserably.
#MikeSiegel
