- Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:27 pm
#101935
Comey writes that he felt obligated to take more of a personal role as the public face of the investigation rather than deferring to then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch – in part because of something involving Lynch that he refers to as a “development still unknown to the American public to this day.” “the source and content of that material remains classified as I write this,” according to the book. “Had it become public, the material would undoubtedly have been used by political opponents to show the attorney general’s lack of independence in connection with the Clinton investigation,” Comey writes, without further elaboration.You can bet Hillary was throwing things at the hired help as she learned of this. Comey better avoid walks in the park.
The mindset that Clinton would win despite Russian involvement may have impacted Obama’s own handling of developments late in the campaign, according to Comey. When deliberating how to respond to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s apparent election meddling in September, Comey recalls Obama opting for fewer public warnings, and saying of Putin, “He backed the wrong horse.”
Comey surmises of Obama’s mindset: “And why give Donald Trump the excuse to blame Obama for frightening the American people? Obama was sure he was going to lose anyway.”
He adds that, shortly after the election, then-President Barack Obama personally offered his support for how he handled the job in an Oval Office meeting.
“I picked you to be FBI director because of your integrity and your ability,” Obama said, according to Comey. “I want you to know that nothing – nothing – has happened in the last year to change my view.”
