Former FBI Director James Comey has agreed to speak with House Republicans behind closed doors Friday as long as lawmakers provide him a transcript of his interview which he then would be able to share with the public at his discretion.
Comey had resisted the panel’s initial call to testify, arguing that long-running investigations by the GOP-led Judiciary and Oversight committees were really a politically driven effort to discredit the FBI and top officials involved in the probe of President Donald Trump’s campaign contacts with Russia.
The committees have been interviewing senior Justice Department and FBI officials privately, and several of the Republican panel members have cast the officials’ testimony as evidence of anti-Trump bias infecting the top levels of the bureau. Democrats involved in the interviews say the GOP effort is a smokescreen, an effort to discredit the FBI officials who launched the Russia investigation — now run by special counsel Robert Mueller.
NPR:
According to Comey's lawyer, David Kelley, "The Judiciary Committee will make available to Mr. Comey a full transcript of that testimony within 24 hours" or "as soon as is reasonably practicable." Comey is then "free to make any or all of that transcript public as he is free to share with the public any of the questions asked and testimony given during the interview."
Comey tweeted, "Grateful for a fair hearing from judge. Hard to protect my rights without being in contempt, which I don't believe in. So will sit in the dark, but Republicans agree I'm free to talk when done and transcript released in 24 hours. This is the closest I can get to public testimony."
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The committee is expected to question Comey about decisions made by the FBI in 2016, including the agency's investigations into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, and possible collusion between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
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In a legal brief and then in an oral argument before U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden in Washington, Kelley said he worried that if Comey's hearing were closed, Republicans would selectively leak parts of his deposition. Kelley said a closed hearing could result in "a shadow on the witness but bright lights for the committee member who seeks partisan advantage by peddling a misleading account of the witness's testimony," according to The Washington Post.
James Comey To Testify Privately To The House Judiciary Committee (NPR)
Comey slated to testify on Capitol Hill on Friday (Politico)