I am surprised that President Trump chose to make an issue out the fact that Comey “leaked” his own memo. This should have been the last thing that President Trump would want attention to be paid.
Consider this:
Forty years ago, the Deputy Director of the FBI, Mark Felt, became aware of President Nixon’s attempts to stifle an investigation. Felt was not in a position to prevent this cover up, since it was ordered by the President. Instead, he chose to risk his career by exposing the corruption to two Washington Post reporters that he trusted. Felt did not do this for personal gain, since he insisted that his identity not be revealed. Felt took this action because he felt that it was the only way to stop the corruption and get the truth out.
What started out as a small story may have remained a small story, and may died had it not been for Felt’s disclosures. For many months after that, as the Washington Post dug deeper and deeper, the White House continuously denied that there was any corruption. Nixon chose to go on the offensive by declaring the Press an enemy, and attacking it whenever possible.
But, in the end, the truth came out. In the end, it was the Press that was vindicated. In the end, it was the Nixon Administration that was exposed as corrupt. In the end, Nixon resigned in order to avoid certain impeachment.
Now we have President Trump and the Russians. There may or may not be any actual collusion between the Trump Administration and the Russians. At this time, WE DO NOT KNOW. However, the parallels between the current Administration and the Nixon Administration are readily apparent:
Here is what we DO know, and this is NOT DISPUTED:
(1) The FBI was investigating the Russians, and was also investigating Michael Flynn’s actions as well.
(2) Director Jim Comey was the head of the FBI, and in charge of those investigations.
(3) President Trump invited Director Comey to the White House.
(4) President Trump sent the V.P. and the Attorney General, who was Director Comey’s boss, out of the room so that he could talk to Director Comey alone.
(5) Regardless of what President Trump actually said during this meeting, Director Comey FELT that President Trump’s comments were intended to either order him or persuade him to stop the investigation into Flynn.
(6) Director Comey immediately made notes of the meeting and shared those notes with the top staff at the FBI. These notes did not contain classified information.
(7) UNLIKE Mark Felt, Director Comey did NOT go to the Press since, as head of the FBI, Director Comey was in a position to ensure that the investigation would continue without interference.
(8) Accordingly, Director Comey refused to stop the investigation into the Flynn Affair.
(9) THEN President Trump fired Director Comey.
(10) Director Comey made NO PUBLIC statements, other than a simple Good Bye to the FBI, about the firing.
(11) Both Congress (Democrats AND some Republicans) and the public became concerned about the reasons for Director Comey’s firing.
(12) Both President Trump and his administration gave conflicting reasons for Comey’s dismissal. (Trump’s letter to Comey firing him listed one reason, and Trump gave a different reason to Lester Holt in an interview a couple of days later.)
(13) Both the Public and many members of Congress started calling for a Special Prosecutor to get to the truth.
(14) The Trump Administration DENIED that there was any conspiracy, just as Nixon did forty years earlier.
(15) The Trump Administration active OPPOSED the appointment of a Special Prosecutor.
(16) AT THAT TIME Director Comey authorized a friend to read the memos to a Washington Post Reporter.
(17) Director Comey took this action at that time because, like Mark Felt forty years earlier, Director Comey was no longer in a position to prevent a cover up or interference into the FBI investigation.
(18) Had Director Comey simply called the Washington Post and went public himself, the first reaction of many people would be that Comey was just a disgruntled employee making it up. But having a third party to confirm the existence of the memos and release the information, the information was taken more seriously by the papers and the public.
(19) The next day, a Special Prosecutor WAS appointed.
While we DO NOT KNOW if there was any collusion or not, we now can rest easier knowing that there is an INDEPENDENT Special Prosecutor who will take whatever time is needed to GET TO THE TRUTH.
