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kstewart33

(6,551 posts)
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:34 AM Oct 2016

A must read piece from The New Yorker: "Comey broke with Loretta Lynch..."

On Friday, James Comey, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acting independently of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, sent a letter to Congress saying that the F.B.I. had discovered e-mails that were potentially relevant to the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private server. Coming less than two weeks before the Presidential election, Comey’s decision to make public new evidence that may raise additional legal questions about Clinton was contrary to the views of the Attorney General, according to a well-informed Administration official. Lynch expressed her preference that Comey follow the department’s longstanding practice of not commenting on ongoing investigations, and not taking any action that could influence the outcome of an election, but he said that he felt compelled to do otherwise.
...

“You don’t do this,” one former senior Justice Department official exclaimed. “It’s aberrational. It violates decades of practice.” The reason, according to the former official, who asked not to be identified because of ongoing cases involving the department, “is because it impugns the integrity and reputation of the candidate, even though there’s no finding by a court, or in this instance even an indictment.”

According to the Administration official, Lynch asked Comey to follow Justice Department policies, but he said that he was obliged to break with them because he had promised to inform members of Congress if there were further developments in the case. He also felt that the impending election created a compelling need to inform the public, despite the tradition of acting with added discretion around elections. The Administration official said that Lynch and Justice Department officials are studying the situation, which he called unprecedented.

Link: http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/james-comey-broke-with-loretta-lynch-and-justice-department-tradition
61 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A must read piece from The New Yorker: "Comey broke with Loretta Lynch..." (Original Post) kstewart33 Oct 2016 OP
He isn violation of the Hatch Act. still_one Oct 2016 #1
He needs to release all details NOW viguy2016 Oct 2016 #20
I wish there was something that could be done Dem2 Oct 2016 #2
For one thing, we need to vehemently point out...... cynzke Oct 2016 #14
100% there is no new evidence ToxMarz Oct 2016 #15
Yes there is nothing there, I've said that over and over again Dem2 Oct 2016 #16
There is plenty that can be done. Take over the narrative for one = Hillary landslide panic. Coyotl Oct 2016 #17
Exactly! Dem2 Oct 2016 #22
A compelling need to inform the public? Jim__ Oct 2016 #3
Exactly. Without any details, it's just rumor and innuendo. LisaL Oct 2016 #10
Rumor and innuendo.... cynzke Oct 2016 #21
"He flies off the handle ..." pangaia Oct 2016 #39
We need to show our love to Chaffetz's Democratic opponent kimbutgar Oct 2016 #53
Agree spooky3 Oct 2016 #38
Which Comey is no doubt fully aware of. SusanCalvin Oct 2016 #48
What "rumor"? What "innuendo"? duffyduff Oct 2016 #57
^^ thread winner ^^ Coyotl Oct 2016 #18
Bingo. nt kstewart33 Oct 2016 #42
This creep is a Whitewater persecutor. duffyduff Oct 2016 #58
This is the exact "thinking" that was behind ALL of the phony "Clinton scandals." duffyduff Oct 2016 #59
If he thinks that the American public needed to be informed Proud liberal 80 Oct 2016 #4
It doesn't seem he even knows any specifics. LisaL Oct 2016 #5
exactly the point i've tried to make Tom Rivers Oct 2016 #7
He doesn't have any. duffyduff Oct 2016 #60
"Lynch asked Comey" - she's his boss. Did she ask him to or tell him? n/t PoliticAverse Oct 2016 #6
Politico's article mentions other prosecutors who strongly Hortensis Oct 2016 #8
If he really thinks that the public avebury Oct 2016 #9
Bingo. nt SusanCalvin Oct 2016 #49
The thing is, the FBI *is* investigating the Trump Campaign's ties to Russia. But we never hear BlueCaliDem Oct 2016 #51
"he had promised to inform members of Congress"? He Panich52 Oct 2016 #11
Yes, he had a convenient arrangement with his fellow Republicans about their nothing burger. Coyotl Oct 2016 #19
Tweeting your pic.. Panich52 Oct 2016 #37
Two more to tweet: Coyotl Oct 2016 #44
Nice to know Comey answers to Congress bucolic_frolic Oct 2016 #12
Comey will also have to answer to the next Congress! Coyotl Oct 2016 #23
OK, MSM, this seems worth spending some time on! LAS14 Oct 2016 #13
I smell Rove. DemoTex Oct 2016 #24
Yes Soxfan58 Oct 2016 #32
AGREED! ScubaSteve Oct 2016 #35
Nope. Comey goes back further than Rove. duffyduff Oct 2016 #43
Comey is a sorry SOB. TryLogic Oct 2016 #25
Most likely Soxfan58 Oct 2016 #31
That can't be true SwankyXomb Oct 2016 #55
A must read indeed. dalton99 Oct 2016 #26
Here's the thing... PunksMom Oct 2016 #27
Some damage, yes azureblue Oct 2016 #30
This is all I know... PunksMom Oct 2016 #36
Go ahead and pretend this has created "damage." duffyduff Oct 2016 #45
This "bullshit" was created by the GOP PunksMom Oct 2016 #47
Inevitable damage Awsi Dooger Oct 2016 #61
Comey would be correct --- if ----- azureblue Oct 2016 #28
But can they? Fire him? PunksMom Oct 2016 #34
It would be folly to keep him on staff. He's just proved he's a rogue agent. calimary Oct 2016 #50
Lynch needs to shit can his A$$. Faux news is waiting to hire Comey. sarcasmo Oct 2016 #29
Give a Republican a job mountain grammy Oct 2016 #33
Again, as I have written on several posts, Comey is a partisan hack duffyduff Oct 2016 #40
I fucking hate Comey. SunSeeker Oct 2016 #41
He knew what he was doing mcar Oct 2016 #46
There Is A Very Simple Way To Evaluate The "Potential" Here DallasNE Oct 2016 #52
coup enid602 Oct 2016 #54
Why in the EFFF are you people acting like HRC Has lost the election? duffyduff Oct 2016 #56

Dem2

(8,168 posts)
2. I wish there was something that could be done
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:40 AM
Oct 2016

The cat is out of the bag so I guess we need to move on and keep fighting to get Hillary elected

cynzke

(1,254 posts)
14. For one thing, we need to vehemently point out......
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 09:47 AM
Oct 2016

That this is NOT new EVIDENCE. Evidence is what you submit in conjunction with criminal charges, seeking an INDICTMENT. The FBI doesn't know whether or not there is anything that meets the criteria/definition of EVIDENCE. Evidence either exonerates or convicts a defendant in a criminal TRIAL or civil lawsuit. Using the term "EVIDENCE" triggers a suggestion that a crime has ALREADY been established. In this case, this whole vague story is already being used by her enemies to lynch Clinton.

 

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)
17. There is plenty that can be done. Take over the narrative for one = Hillary landslide panic.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:02 AM
Oct 2016

And we don't know if there is anything in the bag related to the nothing burger. I don't see no cat.

They are in total panic mode because they are cratering horribly to a Hillary landslide. That's the narrative.


Jim__

(14,082 posts)
3. A compelling need to inform the public?
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:41 AM
Oct 2016

To inform the public of what? To inform the public that Comey thinks that there may be some emails that may be connected to Hillary Clinton and that may or may not have some content that may or may not lead to further investigation? The guy's a jackass.

cynzke

(1,254 posts)
21. Rumor and innuendo....
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:06 AM
Oct 2016

Favorite weapons of scoundrels like Trump and Jason Chaffetz. Chaffetz started this DELIBERATE firestorm with his DISTORTED tweets. Trump with his limited intellect and reading skills misinterpreted what was going and jumped to gun to use/hype this for his benefit. It shows that we can not let this man become President. He flies off the handle over info he doesn't understand and is willing to react without out waiting for confirmation or seeking advice first. Once again Trump shows he is incapable of acting RATIONALLY. He only know how to react and in this case he is way off the mark.

pangaia

(24,324 posts)
39. "He flies off the handle ..."
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:22 AM
Oct 2016

Wrong, absolutely wrong qwrong.
Please rezeARCH BEFOREEW YOU POST SUCH GOBBVLEDEE GOOK.


HE DOESN';T HAVE A HANDle..




GOTCHA..

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
58. This creep is a Whitewater persecutor.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 03:58 PM
Oct 2016

He goes way back.

I am GLAD the Clinton campaign is forcing him to defend himself.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
59. This is the exact "thinking" that was behind ALL of the phony "Clinton scandals."
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 04:00 PM
Oct 2016

You have summed this whole bullshit up.

I cannot believe ANYBODY here thinks HRC's election chances are gone.

Tom Rivers

(459 posts)
7. exactly the point i've tried to make
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:46 AM
Oct 2016

if this is such a big deal for us to know then tell us what is in them otherwise the whole thing is a sham.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
60. He doesn't have any.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 04:02 PM
Oct 2016

That is the "Clinton scandals" in a nutshell. Imply either Bill or Hillary have done something wrong, but don't state what it is, let alone have any evidence of whatever they think they think they did.

It is all BULLSHIT.

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
8. Politico's article mentions other prosecutors who strongly
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:51 AM
Oct 2016

disapprove of Comey's action. Someone already posted it, but here also: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hillary-clinton-fbi-james-comey-disclosure-prosecutors-230467

The NYT Editorial Board seems to think it was appropriate for Comey to put covering his own ass ahead of the ethics and reputation of the Justice Department, and of course of the sanctity of our election. No suggestion there that he wouldn't mind putting his weight on the Republican side, much less that that could have been a big part of his decision.

avebury

(10,952 posts)
9. If he really thinks that the public
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 08:58 AM
Oct 2016

should be informed why the heck hasn't he been investigating Trump. He certainly has a wide number of criminal acts to choose from.

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
51. The thing is, the FBI *is* investigating the Trump Campaign's ties to Russia. But we never hear
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:08 PM
Oct 2016

about that, do we? No. The Republicans are NOT interested in national security. They're interested in gaining power in our Govt by any means necessary - minus putting forward popular policies that can benefit working Americans, that is.

This is why Comey's actions are so partisan. As April Ryan stated on AMJoy this morning, "the investigator is being investigated by the Trump Campaign and by Congressional Republicans". They are putting pressure on him to "give them the dirty" on Hillary Clinton...or, at least, make up something dirty. At the same time, they're careful to hide the investigations into the Trump Campaign's ties to Putin and Russia.

Had our M$M been "fair and balanced", it would've been known, via Dir. Comey and via them, that the Trump Campaign is being investigated, and if congressional Republicans had any interest in national security beyond playing ugly politics using character assassination of an opponent, they would've demanded equal fairness from Comey to come testify, publicly, what the FBI knows about those Russian-ties to Trump's campaign. None of this happened.

Panich52

(5,829 posts)
11. "he had promised to inform members of Congress"? He
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 09:25 AM
Oct 2016

means Repubs, doesn't he? Comey used to pride himself on being above political fray, not letting his conservatism interfere w/ his responsibility in FBI. He first blew that w/ his unprecedented press release in July where he delivered a thoroughly left-handed exoneration of Clinton. He had to know Repubs in Congress wouldn't sit on anything that might renew bad press about HRC.

If enough sane people vote, meaning Clinton's elected, would those same sane folk blame her f/ choosing another FBI Director?

 

Coyotl

(15,262 posts)
19. Yes, he had a convenient arrangement with his fellow Republicans about their nothing burger.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:05 AM
Oct 2016

And these are desperate times because Trump is destroying their party.

bucolic_frolic

(43,240 posts)
12. Nice to know Comey answers to Congress
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 09:26 AM
Oct 2016

before the President or the public

Such a Boy Scout!

He's fumbled this issue - twice!

Time to find a replacement FBI Director who's not a political hack.

LAS14

(13,783 posts)
13. OK, MSM, this seems worth spending some time on!
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 09:44 AM
Oct 2016

Or.... this seems like something on which it is worthy to spend time..... :-/

Just needed a little lightness this a.m.

DemoTex

(25,400 posts)
24. I smell Rove.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:12 AM
Oct 2016

Kind of like his close association with the Swift Boat Veterans. Once a liar, always a liar.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
43. Nope. Comey goes back further than Rove.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:34 AM
Oct 2016

He was a partisan hack who was on the Senate Whitewater Committee back in 1996. That is long before anybody outside of Sparks Nevada, or Texas had ever heard of Karl Rove.

PunksMom

(440 posts)
27. Here's the thing...
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:43 AM
Oct 2016

The damage has been done, and now we have to spend the next 10 days fighting off an issue that should have never been brought up before this election! I am so disgusted that nothing, as of now it seems, will happen to Comey, and repubs got exactly what they wanted. I still believe Hillary will win the presidency, but this is going to have repercussions in the down ballot...IMO. That's exactly what the GOP wanted. Your day will come Comey, you major scumbag. I believe in Karma.

azureblue

(2,148 posts)
30. Some damage, yes
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:49 AM
Oct 2016

But Comey did not count on a huge backfire from Repubs and Democrats alike. He is already being painted as partisan,and his motives questioned.. I think this will work for Ms. Clinton, because it shows the lengths the GOP will go to to try to attack her. And people are disgusted with the lies and smears.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
45. Go ahead and pretend this has created "damage."
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:35 AM
Oct 2016

I cannot believe the people around here falling for this BULLSHIT.

PunksMom

(440 posts)
47. This "bullshit" was created by the GOP
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:43 AM
Oct 2016

I won't apologize for being pissed right now, but it sure doesn't mean I'm falling for anything! That's where I'm coming from...my opinion isn't wrong, it's mine.

 

Awsi Dooger

(14,565 posts)
61. Inevitable damage
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 04:28 PM
Oct 2016

Polling will be worse. I think Hillary will barely survive but her margins will diminish and we'll lose senate and other down ballot races that otherwise we would have carried.

Details don't matter. Sites like this are fixated on details. The public doesn't care, especially the ones undecided at this late date. They'll latch onto one basic theme within a handful of words. The FBI handed it to them: Email investigation reopened.

azureblue

(2,148 posts)
28. Comey would be correct --- if -----
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 10:46 AM
Oct 2016

there was something substantial in the emails that would justify his announcement. But the is no evidence. No links. Nothing at all but the possible mention of Ms. Clinton's name. And certainly nothing of substance that would merit him making that announcement... There are no "developments in the case" whatsoever, unless you count somebody else's emails on somebody else's server, as evidence. And that is laughable in itself. All Comey has is conjecture.

So Comey contradicted and indicted himself- what he did was a fire able offense. Dump him.

calimary

(81,383 posts)
50. It would be folly to keep him on staff. He's just proved he's a rogue agent.
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:46 AM
Oct 2016

Insubordination, for sure, if he went against the determination of HIS BOSS, Attorney General Loretta Lynch. She and others determined that he should NOT do this. And he went ahead and did it anyway. So what should certainly happen now is - a request for his letter of resignation. Or he should be fired. Of course that'll make him a hero of the far-right. But the chain of command has to matter here. You can't have people "going rogue" within the chain of command. How'd that be in the military? You either bite your lip and go along with what your superior officer says, or if you sincerely feel you can't, then you have to step down. Or be dismissed.

This IS a dismissable offense. And he should pay the proper price for it.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
40. Again, as I have written on several posts, Comey is a partisan hack
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 11:33 AM
Oct 2016

and has been since the Bill Clinton years.

He hasn't changed at all.

DallasNE

(7,403 posts)
52. There Is A Very Simple Way To Evaluate The "Potential" Here
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:14 PM
Oct 2016

You engage your IT department and ask them to create a sub-file of all email where you select only email where Hillary is a party to the email then sort that file and Hillary's email file on date/timestamp and create a file of email where an email does not match Hillary's file. If that file contains zero records then there is no "potential". Or if it contains a handful that are of a personal nature where Hillary has already said she deleted those. But this list shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to create. Indeed, this task should have been performed already -- no wishy-washy "potential" issue. Comey looks like a fool here.

enid602

(8,629 posts)
54. coup
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 12:45 PM
Oct 2016

This is nothing less than an attempted preemptive coup d'état. Look at the recent history of Brazil and the 'impechment' of Dilma Rousseff to see where the Republicans are getting their inspiration.

 

duffyduff

(3,251 posts)
56. Why in the EFFF are you people acting like HRC Has lost the election?
Sat Oct 29, 2016, 03:56 PM
Oct 2016

THERE IS NOTHING HERE. PERIOD.

STOP IT. PLEASE.

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