Trump to decide whether to block Comey testimony: White House adviser

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS | Fri Jun 2, 2017 | 10:48am EDT

Trump to decide whether to block Comey testimony: White House adviser

U.S. President Donald Trump will decide whether to invoke his presidential powers to block former FBI Director James Comey from giving congressional testimony next week, White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Friday.

Comey, fired by Trump last month, is due to testify on Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee in both an open session and behind closed doors. The hearings could add to problems facing the president over probes into alleged Russian meddling in last year's U.S. election and potential collusion by his campaign.

In an interview with ABC News, Conway appeared to indicate that the president would allow Comey to testify, saying, "We'll be watching with the rest of the world when Director Comey testifies."

But asked directly whether Trump would use executive privilege to prevent Comey from speaking with lawmakers, Conway added: "The president will make that decision."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-idUSKBN18T1WZ

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. The beginning of the end for Nixon

was when he tried to claim the secret tapes were covered by executive privilege. The Supreme Court said they weren't.

[justiceischeap]

2. I follow John Dean and Lawrence Tribe on Twitter

They've said Trump can't claim privilege because of his Holt interview and his Tweets. He bragged about firing him publicly, so that negates privilege.

[Goodheart]

3. Say what? Comey is a private citizen. Trump can't constitutionally shut him up.

[leftynyc]

4. He wasn't when

the conversations referenced happened but that's besides the point. Donnie's big mouth and his twitter feed make it impossible for him to get an executive privilege claim - it will be laughed out of court.

[MANative]

5. He was not a private citizen when the events in question occurred.

That is the operative issue.

[hlthe2b]

6. No, because he can no longer enforce it. Beyond the fact that Trump has already waved privilege

by commenting on the matters himself--repeatedly...

He's got no way to enforce Comey from appearing. It isn't like the attorney-client privilege that continues even after the legal relationship ends. Trump is screwed (hopefully enough that he'll begin to face some consequences--though I'd not bet money on that, unfortuately)

[C_U_L8R]

7. What's to stop Comey

from just taking his story to the media?

[malaise]

8. I dare him

No - I double dare him

[dalton99a]

9. Proceed, dumbass.

[woodsprite]

10. Comey has got to see what kind of cluster fuck he put our nation in the middle of.

If he's so honorable and honest (as a friend who worked for him says he is), than he needs to own it and make it right for the good of the world - whether Trumpolini tries to gag him or not.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Comey's problem isn't a lack of honesty - everyone who's dealt with him

has said he is scrupulously honest. Where he screwed up with respect to the Clinton e-mails is that he decided that the reputation of the FBI was more important than the possibility of influencing an election. That was a problem of priorities and judgment, not honesty. I believe he's been telling the truth about Trump and will continue to do so.

[Rollo]

11. I heard Conjob on the TV this morning as I got ready for work...

Gad, what an annoying whiny voice. I tuned it out mentally... she has nothing of value to say...

[Ohioblue22]

13. He has talked way too much about this whole mess to claim privilege now

[gibraltar72]

14. Keleyanne went on

to say who knows he could get food poisoning or something that could incapacitate him.