A report in the New York Times that President Donald Trump allegedly tried to influence then FBI Director James Comey to wrap up an investigation of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has caused the latest firestorm and headache for the White House. Democrats are calling for a special counsel and are even hinting at impeachment. Some media reports suggest that the Trump administration is teetering on the brink of collapse. But is the story much to do about very little? Some details suggest that it might be.
The Trump-Comey story may not be about obstruction of justice
The core of the story stated that Comey wrote a memo that quotes Trump as saying that, “I hope you can let this go” referring to the Flynn investigation. However, the fact that Comey never relayed the conversation to any of the congressional oversight committees suggest that the then FBI Director did not regard what the president said as a direct order to stop the investigation. The wording of the statement suggests that Trump was expressing a wish, which, while inappropriate, falls short of an Obstruction Of Justice, which would be an impeachable offense. The investigation of Flynn has proceeded unabated.
The New York Times has not seen the FBI Director’s memo
The story admits that no one from the Times has seen the actual memo upon which the story is based. It was read over the phone by “one of Comey’s associates” to a New York Times reporter. While an F.B.I. agent’s contemporaneous notes constitute persuasive evidence that would hold up in a court of law, it is suspicious that the Times would move with the story without having actually seen the document.
Democrats and Republicans have reacted much as expected
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to the floor of the Senate to express his “shock and dismay.” Republicans have made a more wait and see posture, though Representative Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has demanded that the FBI turn over all documentation concerning interactions between the president and Comey.
It goes almost without saying that the Trump White House has denied that the conversation took place as the New York Times reported.
The latest scandal of the day
Americans are left to judge the veracity of the latest Trump story, which comes on the heels of a Washington Post account of how the president allegedly revealed classified information to two Russian officials. Is the Trump Administration careening out of control due to the president’s lack of impulse control? Or is the president the target of a systematic media campaign to bring him down. The truth may be that the president has made a series of mistakes that his enemies are eagerly pouncing upon.
