Former FBI Director James Comey returned to Capitol Hill Monday to answer more questions from members of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees.
As he exited the interview, he stopped to take questions from reporters, speaking candidly about his disappointment in members of Congress who refuse to stand up to President Trump and defend the FBI from his relentless, vicious lies and attacks.
WATCH:
CNN:
"Somebody has to stand up and speak for the FBI," Comey told reporters ... "People who know better, including Republican members of this body, have to have the courage to stand up and speak the truth, not be cowed by mean tweets or fear of their base. There is a truth and they're not telling it. Their silence is shameful."
Comey's comments came after he spent more than five hours behind closed doors on Monday with Republicans and Democrats ... Comey issued a fiery and defiant statement as he left Monday, charging Trump and Republicans with damaging the FBI's reputation and asserting that "damage has nothing to do with me."
“The FBI’s reputation has taken a big hit because the president with his acolytes has lied about it constantly,” Comey told reporters, following his second closed-door interview this month with House lawmakers running a politically divisive investigation into how federal law enforcement officials handled probes of the Trump campaign’s alleged Russia ties and Hillary Clinton’s emails.
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“At some point someone has to stand up and face the fear of Fox News, fear of their base, fear of mean tweets, stand up for the values of this country and not slink away into retirement but stand up and speak the truth,” Comey said, without naming names.
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“Republicans used to understand that the actions of a president matter, the words of a president matter, the rule of law matter and the truth matters,” he said. “Where are those Republicans today?”
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Comey is one of the last people the joint House panel is expected to question in the probe, which is expected to end — or drastically change in character — once Democrats take over the House majority next year. Democrats have accused the GOP of using the investigation to try to discredit the FBI and Justice Department, as a means of undermining Mueller’s probe.
“They seem to be wanting to play defense counsel for the president,” said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), who is currently ranking member of the Oversight committee and is expected to serve as its chairman next year.
On Monday, Oversight committee member Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr. (D-Mo.) said the interview was “the last gasp of the Republican majority in this House, to paint this narrative to protect the Trump administration and the Trump campaign.”
“And they really don’t have a leg to stand on,” Clay added.
The joint panel is also expected to interview Lynch behind closed doors Wednesday. No other interviews have been announced.
Comey lambastes GOP over Trump’s continued attacks on FBI: ‘Stand up and speak the truth’ (WaPo)
Comey slams Trump, 'shameful' House Republicans after 2nd Capitol Hill meeting (CNN)