Trey Gowdy is Demanding James Comey Return to Congress for Questioning
Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC) announced on Fox News today that there is “sufficient factual basis” to investigate former FBI Director James Comey’s decision not to charge Hillary Clinton before the agency had a chance to interview the former secretary of state over her use of a private email server.
Gowdy explains the critical question involved: “There is sufficient factual basis to bring him in and ask him, ‘When did you make up your mind that you weren’t going to charge Secretary Clinton?’ I can tell you because I’ve seen with my own eyes he made up his mind before he interviewed her. How far back, whether it was two weeks or two months, quite frankly is immaterial to me. He did it before he interviewed the last witness.”
Gowdy, a former prosecutor, explained that one of the first rules of every investigation is to hold off on final conclusions until all evidence is properly reviewed. Gowdy noted, “If there’s anything that’s axiomatic in investigations it’s that you don’t make up your mind until you interview the last witness. It is beyond dispute that he made up his mind not to charge Secretary Clinton before he interviewed her. There’s no question about that. What my friends in the Senate have uncovered is he may well have made up his mind before he interviewed the last dozen witnesses.”
Gowdy didn’t say if he agrees with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders that Comey is guilty, but he suggested such details should be passed along to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice. Gowdy opined, “Alleging criminal violations is very serious which is why I don’t do it. Press secretaries don’t get to make that call. Members of Congress don’t get to make that call. Reporters don’t get to make that call. That’s an executive branch function after an investigation, a charging decision is made by a career prosecutor.” He continued, “If it’s that clean and clear I’m sure [Sanders] referred it to the Department of Justice.”
But Comey’s actions are definitely very troubling. “How in the world my fellow citizens can have confidence in an investigation where you reached a conclusion before you even gather all the facts and all the evidence is stunning,” Gowdy concluded.
James Comey might want to call his lawyer today. Things are about to become very serious.