Former FBI Director James Comey was grilled over the findings of the Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s report on the FBI’s handling of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications to initiate surveillance on the Trump campaign released last week.
The inspector general’s report, over 400 pages long, concluded there was “no evidence of political bias or intentional misconduct.”
However, the inspector general’s report did find there were “17 serious omissions, inaccuracies and failures.”
Comey appeared on “Fox News Sunday” with host Chris Wallace to discuss the report and said at one point, “I was wrong.”
Fox News reports:
“He’s right, I was wrong,” Comey said about how the FBI used the FISA process, adding, “I was overconfident as director in our procedures,” and that what happened “was not acceptable.”
Comey was also questioned about the role the Christopher Steele dossier played over the surveillance of Carter Page, a Trump campaign adviser, with Wallace saying, “You say it was part of a broader mosaic, Horowitz says it played a central role.”
Real Clear Politics reports:
Comey replied: “I’m not sure he and I are saying different things. What his report says is that the FBI thought it was a close call until they got the Steele report, put that additional information in and that tipped it over to be probable cause. It’s a long FISA application and includes Steele material and lots of other things, I don’t think we’re saying different things.”
Following the release of the Horowitz report, Comey downplayed the crucial mistakes made by the FBI while he was the director in a Washington Post op-ed and claimed he was vindicated of wrongdoing allegations per the FISA abuse report while the 2016 Trump campaign was investigated by the FBI.
Breitbart reports:
In a Washington Post opinion-editorial, Comey claimed he was exonerated by the report, glossing over various mistakes the FBI made during the investigation under his watch. Comey denied the existence of a “criminal conspiracy” to prevent President Trump from winning the White House and claimed the FBI did not spy on his campaign.
So it was all lies. No treason. No spying on the campaign. No tapping Trumps wires. It was just good people trying to protect America. https://t.co/9nurCaIBq2
— James Comey (@Comey) December 9, 2019
Testifying on his report before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, led by Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Horowitz was asked if his report vindicated Comey.
Horowitz crushed Comey’s claim, saying, “I think the activities we found here don’t vindicate anybody who touched this FISA.”
President Trump commented on Comey’s “Fox News Sunday” appearance.
So now Comey’s admitting he was wrong. Wow, but he’s only doing so because he got caught red handed. He was actually caught a long time ago. So what are the consequences for his unlawful conduct. Could it be years in jail? Where are the apologies to me and others, Jim?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
President Trump also criticized former President Obama, saying, “Obama knew everything!”
As bad as the I.G. Report is for the FBI and others, and it is really bad, remember that I.G. Horowitz was appointed by Obama. There was tremendous bias and guilt exposed, so obvious, but Horowitz couldn’t get himself to say it. Big credibility loss. Obama knew everything!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2019
Not only were Comey’s claims of vindication crushed by Horowitz’s testimony, Comey is not out of the legal woods yet, considering the U.S. Attorney John Durham is conducting a criminal investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia collusion investigation.
