In a surprisingly non-partsian take by Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the California senator said that Congress should investigate whether, as we discussed previously following Comey’ dramatic testimony last Thursda, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch pressured former FBI Director James Comey to cover for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
“I think we need to know more about that,” Feinstein told Briana Keilar on CNN’s State of the Union, adding that “there’s only way to know about it, and that’s to have the Judiciary Committee take a look at that.”
As we noted last Thursday, Comey testified last Thursday that it gave him a “queasy” feeling after Lynch asked him to characterize his probe into Clinton’s emails as a “matter,” rather than an investigation. He told the Senate Intelligence Committee that such a request would match the wording of Clinton’s campaign. Feinstein said she would’ve also felt queasy.
“I would have a queasy feeling, too, though, to be candid with you,” the longtime Senate Democrat said. She added that an investigation separate from the ongoing probe into Russian interference in the election is needed.
“I don’t think we should mix the two,” she added.
That said, when asked who do you believe, Trump or Comey, Feinstein said that “At this point, the FBI director”
Separately, Feinstein said she has not yet decided from Comey’s testimony whether Trump’s interactions with the ex-FBI director amount to obstruction of justice. “I don’t know whether it’s obstruction of justice. I don’t intend to draw any conclusions until investigations are finished,” she added.
Trump on Friday denied that he asked Comey to let “go” of his investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn and that he requested Comey pledge his loyalty to him prior to Comey’s dismissal. The president added that he is “100 percent” willing to testify about his interactions with Comey under oath, while playing down reporters’ inquiries if he did in fact have “tapes” of his conversation with Comey.
via http://ift.tt/2srRS1s Tyler Durden