Will the Deep State plotters who tried to take down President Donald Trump ever face accountability?
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch uncovered more evidence of a reckless culture of leaking at the FBI under the leadership of the pious former Director James Comey. Judicial Watch obtained records which show that 14 FBI agents were caught leaking classified information, but only four were fired.
So far, Comey hasn’t been punished either for his highly destructive leaks, which helped spark the Special Counsel’s sham investigation of Donald Trump. The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Comey over his memo leaks last week, even as Judicial Watch obtained evidence that he authored a memo a month after Trump fired him and lost track of two others.
FBI retrieved 4 memos from Comey’s home
Last week, Judicial Watch released new records which revealed that the FBI visited Comey in June 2017, a day before his testimony before Congress, in which he admitted to leaking memos of conversations with Trump “because (he) thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.” According to the FBI logs, agents retrieved four memos, including a new one that Comey had written the night before, on June 6.
The memos are dated February 14, 2017; March 30, 2017; and April 11, 2017, and “last night at 6:30 pm.” Oddly, Comey “spontaneously” recalled that two other memos were missing.
Comey was fired by Trump in May of that year. Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel later that month after Comey leaked memos about his conversations with Trump regarding former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to the press. Comey claimed that Trump asked for a loyalty pledge and to drop a probe of Flynn. Mueller was appointed a day after the New York Times published the leaked memos.
Comey should “never have had” Trump memos at home
Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton pointed to the newly discovered memos as evidence of misbehavior by Comey and proof that he should “never have had FBI files on President Trump at his home and that the FBI failed to secure and protect these private and classified files.” Fitton urged Barr to consider criminal prosecution of Comey over the leaks.
Meanwhile, Judicial Watch published fresh evidence of yet more carelessness by the FBI under Comey’s leadership. New records show that 14 FBI employees were referred for leaking classified information, only four of whom were fired. Several received lesser punishments than recommended by the FBI’s internal watchdog.
DOJ investigations ongoing
Some of Comey’s memos reportedly contained classified information, but the DOJ declined to charge Comey after an internal referral from the DOJ’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz over his memo leaks. However, Comey may not be in the clear yet, according to The Hill’s John Solomon, who argues that the DOJ’s separate, much-hyped Inspector General probe will conclude that he leaked classified information.
Comey could also be wrapped up in Attorney General William Barr’s review, conducted by U.S. Attorney John Durham, of the origins of the Russia probe.
Comey played a central role in the Russia collusion drama. He has heatedly insisted that the FBI’s conduct in launching the counterintelligence probe into the Trump campaign was normal, despite the bureau’s use of informants and spies, as well as its reliance on the discredited Christopher Steele dossier to obtain spy warrants. Republicans have accused the “Deep State” of a biased attempt to interfere with Trump’s campaign, and later, the presidency.
Double standards for leakers and liars
It comes as President Trump’s pick to “drain the swamp” of the Deep State, John Ratcliffe (R-TX), was withdrawn from consideration to succeed National Intelligence Director Dan Coats. In conversation with Tucker Carlson this week, Fitton told Carlson that there’s a “double standard” at the FBI when it comes to punishment for leakers within the agency, like Andrew McCabe — who was fired for leaking but not prosecuted — versus penalties for people like Roger Stone, whose home was raided for the accusation of lying to investigators.
“If you’re the FBI, you’re a protected class … it is a double standard … It’s a chance that nothing’s gonna be done beyond firing [McCabe],” Fitton said.
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