Trey Gowdy tried to get Comey to accuse Hillary of an act of Espionage.

[pnwmom]

But Comey didn't bite.

Page 14, Gowdy: “Is it fair to say that . . . were working on the Clinton Espionage Act or mishandling of classified information investigation.”

Comey: “The reason I’m hesitating, Mr. Gowdy, is I’ve never applied the label of Espionage Act Investigation. It was an investigation into the mishandling of classified information. I don’t mean to quibble, but that’s how I thought of it and talked about it.”

https://www.lawfareblog.com/document-transcript-james-comeys-dec-7-interview-house-committees?fbclid=IwAR2M4S6woITP_uscht4jrcsJQWZMa6giXeBjqcAYTMq5Q_etSpbsmPRrkxE

[SummerSnow]

1. Just proves they don't have shit on her at all. Just trying to get her through Comey

[Iliyah]

2. And yet they let t-rump off the hook.

They are all in it.

[pnwmom]

3. That's the point. They're throwing the word espionage at Hillary

in order to give cover to DT -- to whom the word probably applies.

[JDC]

9. This is the most likely reason imo.

[Enoki33]

14. Bingo.

[lindysalsagal]

4. Because most spies hide behind the title, "Secretary of State" so they'll go unnoticed.....

Right. Hilary was spying, um, for who? What? And decided that becoming secretary of state was the perfect camoflage????


So, they're accusing her of doing that they do when they put Tillerson in the job to drop russian sanctions and release the russian oil to Mobil?????

[czarjak]

5. But...

They’re getting there.

[BlueIdaho]

6. Gowdy is a piece of shit

Soon to be a former member of Congress. Fuck him.

[BigmanPigman]

7. He's OUT?

Couldn't happen to a more deserving ass. I hope they nail him for something after he is gone.

[rurallib]

10. Gowdy was one of the early quitters

[BigmanPigman]

11. I guess he is trying to go out with a bang...

hoping to leave with his ego intact.

[rurallib]

15. He announced he was quitting and then went and hid pretty much

until now. I am kind of curious what drove him out of hiding now.

Whatever, good riddance.

[pecosbob]

8. The exchange...Gowdy tries to use the phrase three times...

Mr. Gowdy.
Director Comey, Peter Strzok was an FBI agent who was assigned to the Clinton Espionage Act investigation. Do I have that right?

Mr. Comey.
That is correct.

Mr. Gowdy.
What was his title?

Mr. Comey.
His title was special agent. I think he had a variety of different supervisory assignments during the pendency of that investigation from mid-2015 to the end of '16. I don't remember exactly what those were.

Mr. Gowdy.
Did he interview witnesses?

Mr. Comey.
Did he interview witnesses? Yes, he did during the Clinton investigation, is my understanding.

Mr. Gowdy.
Did he review documents?

Mr. Comey.
My understanding is, yes, he did review documents.

Mr. Gowdy.
Did he provide advice, counsel, insight to you in your role as the Director?

Mr. Comey.
I don't -- I'm just hesitating over the description of advice, counsel. He was a supervisory special agent of some role who would periodically brief me on the status of the investigation, was his primary responsibility as it related to me.

Mr. Gowdy.
Let me see if I can ask the question more artfully. Did he help you prepare or edit your July 5th press statement?

Mr. Comey.
July 5th press statement? Yes, he did help edit that.

Mr. Gowdy.
Lisa Page, she was an attorney with the FBI in 2016. Is that right?

Mr. Comey.
Lisa Page, yes, that is correct. Lisa Page was an attorney I think before 2016, but certainly during 2016 assigned to the Office of General Counsel.

Mr. Gowdy.
What role did she have with the Clinton Espionage Act investigation?

Mr. Comey.
Lisa Page's role in the investigation into whether Hillary Clinton had mishandled classified information was in her capacity as a lawyer assigned to support the Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe.

Mr. Gowdy.
Did she assist you in drafting or editing your July 5th press statement?

Mr. Comey.
I believe she did assist in drafting -- or editing the statement of July 2016.

Mr. Gowdy.
So, from January 2016 up until your July 5th press statement, it is fair to say that both Special Agent Peter Strzok and FBI Attorney Lisa Page were working on the Clinton Espionage Act or mishandling of classified information investigation?

Mr. Comey.
The reason I'm hesitating, Mr. Gowdy, is I've never applied the label of Espionage Act investigation. It was an investigation into the mishandling of classified information. I don't mean to quibble, but that's how I thought of it and talked about it. Yes, they each participated in some respect in that investigation or in our public statement about the investigation and things like that.

[pnwmom]

13. Wow. I was reading too fast and I missed the earlier instances. And then Gowdy blew it

when he asked, "is it fair to say" -- giving Comey the chance to answer that it wasn't a label he's ever applied.

[pecosbob]

16. But Comey wasn't having any of it

The first time, he let it go...the second time he corrected him and the third time he pulled him up on it.

[question everything]

12. You mea, it was not Benghazi! Benghazi!