Comey Testimony
I post a lot of dumb crap, but you must find 20 minutes to watch this today.
James Comey just resigned as Deputy Attorney General, where he served under both Ashcroft and Gonzales. He testified before Congress yesterday, and his testimony is absolutlely shocking.
When Ashcroft was sick in intensive care and Comey acting as AG, Gonzales, then White House Counsel, and Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff, attempted to go around Comey to reauthorize the warrantless wiretap program. Comey testified that he believed this to be an attempt to take advantage of Ashcroft’s ill-heath to achieve their goal.
Highlights include:
- Comey’s frantic attempt to get to the hospital before Gonzales and Card involving sirens and running up the stairs.
- His recollection that the president himself may have authorized the visit by the administration officials against the wishes of Mrs. Ashcroft, who had barred all visitors and telephone calls to her husband.
- FBI director Muller instructing Ashcroft’s security detail that Comey was ‘not to be removed from Ashcroft’s room under any circumstances.’
- The image of Comey, Mrs. Ashcroft and two justice officials standing around Ashcroft to protect him from Gonzales and Card.
- Comey’s insistence at having a witness to a later meeting with Card based on his conduct at the hospital.
- ‘I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man, who did not have the powers of the attorney general because they had been transferred to me.’
This seriously reads and watches like a Hollywood film. If Comey’s testimony is even 90% correct, and given his candor, I don’t know why we wouldn’t assume that it is, it paints a damning portrait of the lengths the administration will go to have its will done.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but poor John Ashcroft. Sounds like it wasn’t all just covering up breasts at the Justice Department. If a man has to literally race to a hospital to prevent White House officials from taking advantage of his sick superior, what chance do the rest of us have?
Please. Watch this.
Transcript of some of the more important/shocking moments below the fold. Thanks to Georgetown Law Faculty Blog for the transcript. H/T to SLOG for posting the video.
So I hung up the phone, immediately called my chief of staff, told him to get as many of my people as possible to the hospital immediately. I hung up, called Director Mueller and — with whom I’d been discussing this particular matter and had been a great help to me over that week — and told him what was happening. He said, “I’ll meet you at the hospital right now.”
Told my security detail that I needed to get to George Washington Hospital immediately. They turned on the emergency equipment and drove very quickly to the hospital.
I got out of the car and ran up — literally ran up the stairs with my security detail.
…
I went out in the hallway. Spoke to Director Mueller by phone. He was on his way. I handed the phone to the head of the security detail and Director Mueller instructed the FBI agents present not to allow me to be removed from the room under any circumstances. And I went back in the room.
I sat down in an armchair by the head of the attorney general’s bed. The two other Justice Department people stood behind me. And Mrs. Ashcroft stood by the bed holding her husband’s arm. And we waited.
And it was only a matter of minutes that the door opened and in walked Mr. Gonzales, carrying an envelope, and Mr. Card. They came over and stood by the bed. They greeted the attorney general very briefly. And then Mr. Gonzales began to discuss why they were there — to seek his approval for a matter, and explained what the matter was — which I will not do.
And Attorney General Ashcroft then stunned me. He lifted his head off the pillow and in very strong terms expressed his view of the matter, rich in both substance and fact, which stunned me — drawn from the hour-long meeting we’d had a week earlier — and in very strong terms expressed himself, and then laid his head back down on the pillow, seemed spent, and said to them, “But that doesn’t matter, because I’m not the attorney general.”
…
And as he laid back down, he said, “But that doesn’t matter, because I’m not the attorney general. There is the attorney general,” and he pointed to me, and I was just to his left.
The two men did not acknowledge me. They turned and walked from the room. And within just a few moments after that, Director Mueller arrived. I told him quickly what had happened. He had a brief — a memorable brief exchange with the attorney general and then we went outside in the hallway.
…
I took the call. And Mr. Card was very upset and demanded that I come to the White House immediately.
I responded that, after the conduct I had just witnessed, I would not meet with him without a witness present.
He replied, “What conduct? We were just there to wish him well.”
And I said again, “After what I just witnessed, I will not meet with you without a witness. And I intend that witness to be the solicitor general of the United States.”
…
I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man, who did not have the powers of the attorney general because they had been transferred to me.
I thought he had conducted himself, and I said to the attorney general, in a way that demonstrated a strength I had never seen before. But still I thought it was improper. And it was for that reason that I thought there ought to be somebody with me if I’m going to meet with Mr. Card.
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