James Comey, the former FBI Director is reportedly on the verge of committing criminal acts. According to media reports, the indictment could be announced any moment in federal district court in Virginia. This change represents a reversal from years of focused fire from then President Donald Trump. Since then, he has repeatedly lamented Comey’s behavior throughout—and subsequent to—the 2016 presidential election. In fact, Comey and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe have testified under oath to completely opposite leak to The Wall Street Journal. These inconsistencies have resulted in fruitful legal challenges.
Comey, who served as FBI Director from 2013 until he was fired in 2017. He turned into an incendiary character in the probes of then–President Trump and then–Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. His testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2017 was a watershed moment in his career. During that testimony, Comey asserted that he had “never” been an anonymous source in media reports related to the probes involving Trump or Clinton. He further testified that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source.
Then, on one key point about a leak to The Wall Street Journal, testimony from Comey and McCabe contradicted each other. McCabe claimed Comey was aware of and approved the leak to the media. Either way, Comey has vigorously disputed this assertion. He continued to insist that he never authorized the leak and had no knowledge of McCabe’s participation.
This conflict came to the attention of Senator Ted Cruz. In December 2020, this young man, then in law school, wrote to the Justice Department, neatly identifying potential perjury by Comey. Cruz called out the double talk in Comey’s and McCabe’s testimonies. He claimed, “Mr. Comey’s and Mr. McCabe’s testimonies are in irreconcilable conflict.” He went on to assert that one of them is perjuring himself, which is a federal crime.
“One of them is lying under oath—a federal crime.” – Ted Cruz
The implication in Cruz’s written communication is that Comey faces grave legal peril. Second, GOP Speaker of the House faces accusations of perjury. The clock is running on the five-year statute of limitations for one of the charges against him. With each passing day, the need for an indictment becomes more pressing.
President Trump is right to be as bold on this matter as he’s been in tearing into Comey himself—calling him guilty as hell. He alleges that Comey lied to the press about his firing from the FBI. Trump’s statements speak to a larger story Trump has been intent on amping up about Comey’s character and conduct while running the FBI.
“guilty as hell, but nothing is going to get done.” – Donald Trump
“That’s why two of the worst Dem Senators PUSHED him so hard. He even lied to the media and said he quit, and that we had no case.” – Donald Trump
Besides his rocky path through the police state, Comey has begun exploring the world of fiction. Most recently, he’s penned a quartet of suspenseful courtroom dramas starring a young attorney named Nora Carleton. His most recent “FDR DRIVE” contributes to the buzz. Such a shift in focus would be a smart move as he seeks to distance himself from all of the controversies of the past. That doesn’t make the legal trouble he now faces any easier.
As the news continues to develop, legal experts are analyzing the ramifications of Cruz’s comments and the possibility that he – or someone else — may be indicted soon. Should prosecution be decided in Comey’s direction, a national constitutional showdown is almost certain. Indeed, this showdown would be a rerun on some of the most heated scenes in recent political memory.