During Wednesday’s Special Report, Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier predicted that the rest of the media would refuse to cover former FBI Director James Comey getting chewed out and admitting to major problems with his Russia investigation. “I guarantee you it's not getting a lot of coverage on other networks and that is the former FBI Director Jim Comey testifying on Capitol Hill,” he said. And how right he was!
(Article by Nicholas Fondacaro republished from NewsBusters.org)
ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News refused to cover how Comey had admitted: “There were ‘embarrassing’ and ‘sloppy’ mistakes, in his words, in the applications to the FISA court for surveillance warrants on a former Trump campaign aid.”
Instead, the networks continued to lie and claim President Trump “refused” to condemn racists, even though he did so at the presidential debate Tuesday and again at the White House the next day.
“Former FBI Director James Comey continued to claim he was unaware of major issues with surveillance warrants used to eavesdrop on a former Trump campaign aid wrongly suspected of being a Russian agent,” reported chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel. He also noted that Comey admitted to problems with the investigation he was overseeing:
EMANUEL: Comey admitted Justice Department watchdog Michael Horowitz’s findings on the FBI's actions were problematic.
COMEY: It’s sloppy, it’s -- I'm running out of words. There's no indication [transition] that people were doing bad things on purpose but that doesn't make it any less concerning and embarrassing.
Emanuel also pointed out how Comey was working with Democrats by “following” the “lead” of Illinois Senator Dick Durban and “alleging Mr. Trump was already compromised” by Russia without evidence.
Later in the show, and after Baier made his correct prediction, Fox News highlighted how the fired FBI director was raked over the coals by Republican senators for being “deliberately corrupt” in the Russia investigation:
COMEY: I don't remember any information reaching me about any investigation of a source of Steele’s.
SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): You don't seem to know anything about an investigation that you ran. [Transition] So, how can you now as a private citizen and former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump?
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): There only two possibilities, that you were deliberately corrupt or woefully incompetent. And I don’t believe you are incompetent.
In the final soundbite shared from the hearing, Baier showed off Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) getting Comey to admit he wouldn’t have signed off the FISA warrant applications if he knew there was fabricated evidence.
Baier also noted that Comey’s testimony was “a lot different than the answers he gave me in the interview during his book tour and they have evolved over time.” Senior editor for The Federalist, Mollie Hemingway agreed with Baier and chided Comey for having “a wicked case of the I-don't-knows and I-forgets today when he was asked questions.” Noting (Click "expand"):
He said he didn't know the dossier’s primary source was suspected by his own agency of being a Russian agent. He said he didn't know that he allegation that he loved to talk to people about, that was the one with prostitutes in Moscow -- he didn't know that was suspected to be Russian disinformation. And he said he doesn't recall, it didn't ring a bell that he was told that Russia knew that Hillary Clinton had signed off on an operation to link President Trump with Russia. He said he didn't member that. This is a problem.
“He told you he still didn't know that Hillary Clinton had secretly funded the dossier. He admitted today that she had,” she concluded.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel’s Special ReportSeptember 30, 2020
6:19:50 p.m. Eastern
BRET BAIER: Former FBI Director James Comey admits there were “embarrassing” and “sloppy” mistakes, in his words, in the applications to the FISA court for surveillance warrants on a former Trump campaign aid. Comey faced a very tough questioning today from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel shows us tonight.
[Cuts to video]
MIKE EMANUEL: Former FBI Director James Comey continued to claim he was unaware of major issues with surveillance warrants used to eavesdrop on a former Trump campaign aid wrongly suspected of being a Russian agent. Republican Chairman Lindsey Graham was skeptical while addressing explosive new allegations in a letter from the director of national intelligence.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): We’ve got a letter now from Ratcliffe saying that there was a -- they intercepted information about an effort in July where Hillary Clinton improved an effort to link Trump to Russia, the mob.
JAMES COMEY: I can't answer that, I read Mr. Ratcliffe’s letter, which frankly I have trouble understanding.
EMANUEL: Comey admitted Justice Department watchdog Michael Horowitz’s findings on the FBI's actions were problematic.
COMEY: It’s sloppy, it’s -- I'm running out of words. There's no indication [transition] that people were doing bad things on purpose but that doesn't make it any less concerning and embarrassing.
EMANUEL: Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin took aim of President Trump's finances.
SEN. DICK DURBAN (D-IL): Are there serious risks when someone with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt, personal debt has access, as the President does, to all of the country’s classified and sensitive information.
COMEY: It's a serious concern when anyone seeking or with a clearance has that kind of financial vulnerability.
EMANUEL: Comey followed Durban’s lead alleging Mr. Trump was already compromised.
COMEY: I don't know whether the Russians have something over President Trump, but it's difficult to explain his conduct, his statements in any other way.
EMANUEL: That hit a nerve with Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee.
SEN. MIKE LEE (R-UT): How can you now is a private citizen and former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump?
EMANUEL: Comey said the Justice Department inspector general agreed with him, there was a legitimate basis to launch the Russia probe in 2016. Republican lawmakers have rally behind President Trump, who has repeatedly claimed being a victim of biased federal law enforcement.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Law enforcement should not be used for as a political weapon. And that [Transition] is the legacy you've left.
[Cuts back to live]
EMANUEL: Comey deflected direct criticism of his leadership by blaming the complexity of the FISA process, Bret.
BAIER: More on this with the panel. Mike, thanks.
(…)
6:51:56 p.m. Eastern
BAIER: I want to turn to this other story because I guarantee you it's not getting a lot of coverage on other networks and that is the former FBI Director Jim Comey testifying on Capitol Hill. Let's go to the sound bite.
COMEY: I don't remember any information reaching me about any investigation of a source of Steele’s.
LEE: You don't seem to know anything about an investigation that you ran. [Transition] So, how can you now as a private citizen and former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump?
CRUZ: There only two possibilities, that you were deliberately corrupt or woefully incompetent. And I don’t believe you are incompetent.
BAIER: While we're at it, let's run a second one. This is Lindsey Graham.
GRAHAM: Knowing then what you know now about all the things that we've come to find, would you have still signed a warrant application against Carter Page in October, January, and April?
COMEY: No, I would want a much more complete understanding of what we were--
GRAHAM: Thank you very much.
BAIER: Those answers today, Mollie were a lot different than the answers he gave me in the interview during his book tour and they have evolved over time.
MOLLIE HEMINGWAY: They have changed. James Comey was struck with a wicked case of the I-don't-knows and I-forgets today when he was asked questions. He said he didn't know the dossier’s primary source was suspected by his own agency of being a Russian agent. He said he didn't know that he allegation that he loved to talk to people about, that was the one with prostitutes in Moscow -- he didn't know that was suspected to be Russian disinformation. And he said he doesn't recall, it didn't ring a bell that he was told that Russia knew that Hillary Clinton had signed off on an operation to link President Trump with Russia. He said he didn't member that. This is a problem.
That last piece of information was declassified yesterday but he said he was confused about what it meant. I think that might mean that the President should declassify everything related to that allegation, so we know exactly what Russia new or how they figured out that Hillary was running this operation years before James Comey did. He told you he still didn't know that Hillary Clinton had secretly funded the dossier. He admitted today that she had.
(…)
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