As Twitchy reported, ABC News on Sunday night aired an interview with former FBI director James Comey by anchor George Stephanopoulos, in which Comey surprisingly came out against the impeachment of President Donald Trump, saying Trump’s fate should be left to the voters.
Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberley Strassel on Monday decided to list a few questions she thought Comey should have been asked, and those few questions quickly turned into an epic-length thread:
1)A few questions @Comey should have been asked–but wasn't:
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
2)You repeatedly note the "source" of the dossier (Steele) was "credible." Does the FBI routinely view as "credible" sources hired by political operatives? You say Steele had a "track record" but did fact he was now working for politicals–in an election year–not concern you?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
3)Did you know Mr. Steele had been hired by Fusion GPS? Did FBI do any due diligence on Fusion, and discover its long record of being hired to dirty the reputations of its clients' political foes? If not, why not?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
4)You say you knew dossier was funded by a "Democrat-aligned" group but you never knew which one. Why on earth not? Did FBI truly not care where info came from? Who was paying for it? Doesn't this go direct to source credibility?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
5) Did you ask Steele who had ultimately hired him? If he claimed to not know wouldn't that be worrisome–that a "credible" source (and former spy!) was willing to work for/benefit an unknown client? If by contrast he refused to tell you, doesn't that undercut credibility?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
6)You claim the "effort" was originally financed by a Republican source. You are aware, correct, that the actual dossier effort was only ever financed by the DNC and Clinton campaign?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
It’s true that the original opposition research done by Fusion GPS was paid for by the conservative Washington Free Beacon; however, none of the work done then ended up in the dossier — that came later, after the DNC and the Clinton campaign hired Fusion.
7)Steele (by his own admission) handed info to FBI and then briefed press–despite having been told not to Are these the actions of a "credible" source? Does it concern you that your "credible" source blew open to the public your investigation?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
8)The FBI must've known the fall news stories–particularly Yahoo News–came from Steele. Sourcing was obvious. Yet you told FISA court your "credible" source had not talked to media. Either u didn't follow up on stories before going to court, or Steele lied to you. Which?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
9)You say nobody should ever lie to FBI. If Mr. Steele did lie, why has he not been prosecuted?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
10)You admit dossier still "unverified" at the time you were fired. Yet you used specific unverified claims in it (Page) as basis of FISA warrant four times. Explain.
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
11)You say what mattered was dossier's central "premise"–that Russia attempted to interfere in election. Can you name a time in modern history where Russia wasn't doing that? So why then give special credence to a politically motivated, salacious dossier?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
12) Again, given your strong feelings about lying: Why did the FBI never take any follow up action against Huma Abedin, whose statements to FBI are at odds with emails FBI possessed?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
Good question.
13)Also on lying: FBI usually interviews witnesses up front, to see if they lie at start. Why did u not interview Clinton until after whole YEAR of work, and after you'd made judgement? U say impt FBI treats everyone same. Why all the special Hillary interview accomodations?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
Yep — the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmed that Comey drafted the statement he was to use at the end of Clinton investigation months before interviewing Hillary Clinton.
14) Please discuss Andrew McCabe and that IG report that finds he lied repeatedly–both to you and about you. Do you still believe he "stood tall" as you Tweeted in Jan? Or is he one of the "small people" helping "tear down" an institution?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
15) You say you believe in "chain of command" and note how you followed AG Lynch's instructions even on questionable issues (like that "matter"). How do you explain your contrasting dismissal of AG Sessions authority, and your decision to conceal vital information from him?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
Remember when Loretta Lynch asked Comey to refer to the Clinton case as “an FBI matter” and not an investigation?
16)You justify your numerous releases of FBI information on grounds that each met high bar of serving "public interest." Yet you saw no "public interest" in confirming publicly what you'd told Trump privately–that he was not under investigation?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
17) It seems many of your decisions factored in politics. IE you note expecting Clinton to win, worry of "illegitimate" prez. Does this not run directly counter to DOJ policy, which specifically states: "politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators"?
— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) April 16, 2018
Maybe Stephanopoulos was saving those questions for Part 2? Will anyone bring them up as Steele embarks on his inevitable publicity tour for his new book?
Ok so here is a real reporter https://t.co/3tirzrskJs
— Jem's (@Jemsnatural) April 16, 2018
Great questions. Will @Comey provide answers? https://t.co/v3igUTJ1I3
— Patricia Pfaeltzer (@jappyheadedho) April 16, 2018
Yo @Comey . This real journalist has some questions for you. Can you get back to @KimStrassel on these follow up questions to your interview with @GStephanopoulos ? K thanks. https://t.co/UmtGWNrUwn
— melandkai (@MelandKai) April 16, 2018
Great thread. Demonstrates why Comey will only do "friendly" interviews. https://t.co/2G6ClaS796
— Mr. Common Sense (@rebelfever2) April 16, 2018
A 17 part thread which explains why @Comey will ONLY go to friendly locations for his book tour. These questions will simply be too uncomfortable for James to answer and why Stephanopolis and Colber and @JoyVBehar will never dare.⤵️⤵️ https://t.co/uXuOcILu03
— ❌NatantTemerity ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (@Nigel22222) April 16, 2018
Please take a minute to read this thread! @KimStrassel asks all the right questions. I wonder if @Comey will answer questions from a legitimate journalist, not a political operator like @GStephanopoulos who worked directly for the Clintons! https://t.co/DAeW88wLuO
— Tiger – Let's Roll (@RogerCaynor) April 16, 2018
@GStephanopoulos isn’t going to ask anything serious. He’s a @HilaryClinton_ bobble head doll. As for @Comey good job at destroying the integrity and credibility of @FBI and @TheJusticeDept https://t.co/kNhsuUoJh5
— JArms (@JArms2424) April 16, 2018
Wow, @GStephanopoulos should have done prep with @KimStrassel for his big interview with @Comey, but oh, that's right George was a friendly interviewer, gave to Clinton Foundation, Hillary supporter, etc. This is our media today. https://t.co/RpCA7h0Ajc
— Mikie Kerr (@ProgPoison) April 16, 2018
Which is exactly why the first @Comey interview went to a Clinton propagandist instead of a journalist who wold have asked the tough questions, the real questions, not softball but "did Trump hurt your feelings" type of questions!
Thank you Kimberley for the excellent thread! ? https://t.co/iiSfoMQJO1
— Jennifer ☆☆☆ (@Jenny_MommaBear) April 16, 2018
Great questions the MSM will never ask Comey! https://t.co/B0rHre9xOo
— TrumpFreedomFighter (@Prepare2Fight) April 16, 2018
All excellent questions that the American People DESERVE to know the answers to… https://t.co/asaQqXyltP
— Saving America ??? ? (@SavingAmerica4U) April 16, 2018
These questions would have made it an unbiased interview. https://t.co/nDJ74VUPCk
— Kevin IrishUSA (@kor1785) April 16, 2018
If only @GStephanopoulos could have morphed into @KimStrassel for purposes of this interview. @Comey would have been reduced to a blubbering mess, thoroughly discredited in the eyes of anyone. https://t.co/fcRi6OMaYL
— New Republitarian (@NuRepublitarian) April 16, 2018
holy cow this is so good I need a cigarette–and have never smoked. https://t.co/pwOsmlezMF
— Team NC (@tgh0321) April 16, 2018
Related:
James Comey gives STUNNING answer on impeachment of @RealDonaldTrump https://t.co/qDGN5eR3lV
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 16, 2018
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