Sometimes the story reported does not discuss the more important matter illustrated by it. The testimony of fired former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before Congress is such a story. Comey has been at the center of every major scandal involving the 2016 election. He asserts his moral compass to anyone who will listen yet dodges questions under oath by Congress.
Last week he testified before a combined session of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform Committees. In that single appearance he stonewalled. He answered either “I don’t know,” “I don’t remember,” or “I don’t recall,” 245 times. If you or I did what Comey has done we would likely face indictment for perjury or obstruction. We have a right to clarity and completeness in Comey’s testimony. We need to know the extent to which the department he headed was weaponized and used as a tool of political skullduggery. That is the grave danger to our republic.
For the nation’s former top federal investigator, to avoid telling the whole truth under oath is indicative of, at a minimum, political motivation and involvement. Comey has been called to testify before members of Congress many times, written a book and done on a book tour. He has a long public trail of speech and action. He tweets often and is frequently on television. In all of this he does not have memory lapses. It is insulting that he would put on such a performance before Congress as he has done. It stretches credibility to the breaking point.
Comey is realizing that things he says will likely be at odds with something he has said, done, or written previously and could potentially subject him to criminal charges. So Comey dodges and hedges. All the while, he tweets under the pseudonym “Reinhold Niebuhr” a 20th-century theologian and ethicist. Apparently he wants to remind us of his moral insight. He titled his memoir “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership.” There he reminds readers of his sterling character. As Queen Gertrude says in Hamlet “The lady doth protest too much, methinks…” in response to the insincere overacting.
Comey frequently rants about the moral lapses of his those not treating him as he believes an acolyte should, mostly the President, his administration, and the Republican Party, which he left. Most recently Comey said interim attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, is not very bright, leading a casual observer to wonder if Comey might be long on judgment of others and short on both magnanimity and humility. Some might call such opining after being, fired sour grapes.
It is odd Comey’s assertions of his professed ethics are belied by his personally questionable ethical conduct. The Justice Department’s inspector general (IG) criticized Comey for acting unprofessionally in his investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server. The IG stated Comey improperly assumed the role of both investigator and prosecutor. We know Comey concluded, then opened, and then concluded again the Clinton email case at public press conferences in the midst of a presidential campaign. We also know he drafted an exoneration of Clinton before she or her top aides had even been interviewed.