Uh oh. Looks like Democrats aren’t going to be getting what they expected from James Comey’s testimony before Congress. The opening statement of the testimony was released today, and anyone hoping for evidence of obstruction of justice will be sorely disappointed.
In his opening statement, Comey plans to say that Trump was not under investigation by the FBI. Instead, there was a routine investigation focused on people being targetted by Russian agents — of which the president was unwittingly a part. This lends credibility to the president’s claim that Comey thrice assured Trump that he was not under investigation for criminal wrongdoing.
This is, sure to upset many Democrats, who have insisted for months that Trump was being investigated for collusion with the Kremlin.
The only potentially damaging info revealed the statement is not necessarily news. Comey also plans to say that Trump asked for his loyalty as FBI director. This certainly doesn’t sound good, but it’s not a crime. Throughout his campaign, it was reported that Trump respected loyalty above all else — so Trump’s ask is not an unusual one given his history.
See Comey’s remarks — and what he may have left out — in their entirety on the next page:
It’s only just beginning this will take years to push the idiot out .if he lives long enough