Comey’s Flynn Spin, Part I: “Something Big is About to Happen”

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American Greatness

Comey’s Flynn Spin, Part I: “Something Big is About to Happen”

By Bruce Heiden| July 10, 2017

In a previous article, I showed how the version of the February 14 Flynn conversationleaked to the New York Times in May was tailored by James Comey to create the misleading impression that President Trump asked Comey to shut down part of the FBI investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Comey knew this was false at the time. In his sworn testimony, he indicated Trump’s comments about Flynn were much more narrowly focused. But since Comey’s purpose was to prompt the appointment of a special counsel, the former FBI director needed to suggest that the president had sought to impede the broader Russian investigation, and he did so by leaking truncated quotations that omitted qualifications the president had actually uttered.

Comey also knew—or at least had compelling reason to know—that Trump’s comments about Flynn were not a request or direction of any sort. Here is how we can tell.

Before February 14
According to Comey’s written testimony, he and Trump had met for discussion on two occasions    

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Comey’s Flynn Spin, Part II: The Dog that Didn’t Bark

By Bruce Heiden| July 11, 2017

If in the Oval Office President Trump was looking for some of the “honesty” Jim Comey promised him, he sure didn’t get it.

In former FBI director James Comey’s written testimony recounting his private Oval Office discussion with the president about erstwhile National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, we find a surprising confession of doubt:

I had understood the president to be requesting that we drop any investigation of Flynn in connection with false statements about his conversations with the Russian ambassador in December . . . . I could be wrong, but I took him to be focusing on what had just happened with Flynn’s departure and the controversy around his account of his phone calls.

It is odd to find Comey admitting he “could be wrong” about the focus of the president’s “request,” since in Comey’s paraphrases of Trump’s statements the topic is perfectly clear:    https://amgreatness.com/2017/07/11/comeys-flynn-spin-part-ii-dog-didnt-bark/