Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

longship

(40,416 posts)
Thu Jun 8, 2017, 08:27 AM Jun 2017

Josh Marshall: Annotated version of Comey statement.

Last edited Thu Jun 8, 2017, 09:48 AM - Edit history (2)

Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo has posted an annotated version of Comey's statement.

Sorry, it is too long to copy/paste here. You're going to have to click through. Trust me; it's worth the effort. As usual, Josh cuts through to the heart of the issues.

Here: My Annotated Notes on the Comey Statement

Highly recommended.


Here's the lede:
=========
Given the significance of the early release of James Comey’s testimony, I took a moment to annotate the document as just released this afternoon. Most of my underlines and comments will be things that others will also have keyed in on. Some are just obvious. Still, given how packed with significance and factual assertions these seven pages are, I thought this would be a helpful exercise and that readers might be interested.

Before the annotated document, let me briefly share with you the points that jumped out at me as new or significant.
=======

Following are his general observations, then his annotation mark-ups of Comey's statement.

Hopefully to convince DUers to click through, two critical Josh Marshall observations.

======
5. In the private encounter Trump and Comey had on February 14th, the day after Mike Flynn was fired, Comey said he understood the request to drop the probe to be specifically about the investigation of whether Flynn lied about his meetings with Ambassador Kislyak not the broader Russia investigation. It was only later that he made requests which might be interpreted as asking Comey to end the whole investigation. Comey’s statements and actions after that meeting strongly suggest that he and his advisers viewed Trump’s request as a potential instance of criminal obstruction.

6. Repeatedly in the second half of the document, Trump keeps hitting up Comey about how the Russia probe is making it hard to make deals for America. But his specific asks are not to end the probe – though they could quite plausibly be read that way. They are specifically to publicly exonerate him. He even appears to have told Comey at one point that if there were some bit players who did stuff with Russia basically, whatever, that’s their problem.
======

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Josh Marshall: Annotated version of Comey statement. (Original Post) longship Jun 2017 OP
Highly worthwhile read. I agree with Josh Marshall's conclusions at top. Justice Jun 2017 #1
Very worthwhile read spinbaby Jun 2017 #2
Josh Marshall is illuminating with his comments. kentuck Jun 2017 #3
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Josh Marshall: Annotated ...