Comey's Friend Hits Back at Trump Over Exoneration Remarks

A friend of former FBI Director James Comey's has come to his defense after President Donald Trump accused him of clearing Hillary Clinton of wrongdoing while the investigation was still underway.

Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over...and so much more. A rigged system!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2017

Two Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, wrote a letter to the FBI claiming that Comey wrote a draft of "a statement exonerating" Clinton in the investigation of her private email server.

Comey's friend Benjamin Wittes, editor of the blog Lawfare, responded to Trump on Friday in a string of tweets.

A few thoughts in response to the latest slime-job by the President against Comey. I will keep this very brief. /1/ https://t.co/hvdDHitYHd

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

The people who think Comey was out to save Hillary really should have a cage match with those who think he was out to defeat her. /2/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

There is nothing surprising about this news that Comey began drafting what became the declination statement early. /3/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

By May, after 9 months of investigation, unless HRC lied to the FBI or it found something new, this was headed for a declination. /4/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

Comey was committed to transparency; the hardest part was explaining that they did a credible investigation that resulted in no charges. /5/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

So I would not be at all surprised if he began exploring how much transparency was possible under the law and what it would look like. /6/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

This may come as a shock to Grassley and Graham and Trump, but judges sometimes do a memo/draft about an opinion before oral argument. /7/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

Smart people think ahead and prepare. That appears to be an alien notion to our current President, but that's likely what happened here. /8/

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) September 1, 2017

• Sekulow: Comey's Clinton Investigation 'Just a Fraud'
• Trump Slams Comey: 'Exonerated' Hillary Before Investigation Over