Sally Yates: Jim Comey Went “Rogue” In Setting Up the Pretext Interview With Michael Flynn and I Was Very Angry About That

Investigative reporter and Russia Hoax expert Lee Smith notes that this is the third time that Obama’s partisan staffers have shifted all blame for Russiagate to Comey:

Sally Yates show is part 3 of ongoing coverup blaming anti-Trump operation on Comey—starting w/Susan Rice email, then Brennan. Not to exculpate Comey, but increasingly clear that former Obama admin officials have set up ex-FBI director as Obama's fall guy.

— Lee Smith (@LeeSmithDC) August 5, 2020

The Susan Rice CYA “By the Book” memo claimed that it was Comey who suggested that information about the Russia probe be illegally hidden from the incoming President Trump:

The section showed that Comey affirmed to Obama he was proceeding “by the book,” and went on to discuss concerns about Flynn’s known conversations with Russia’s ambassador at the time — conversations that would play a role later in the criminal case against Flynn.

Rice continued: “From a national security perspective, Comey said he does have some concerns that incoming NSA Flynn is speaking frequently with Russian Ambassador [Sergey] Kislyak. Comey said that could be an issue as it relates to sharing sensitive information. President Obama asked if Comey was saying that the NSC should not pass sensitive information related to Russia to Flynn.”

Rice then wrote, “Comey replied, ‘potentially.’

Well, really that’s Obama suggesting that through a leading question, but Rice seems to claim it was Comey’s idea.

As to Brennan’s attempt to throw Comey under the bus: I’m not certain what Smith is thinking of, but my guess would be that he means Brennan’s attempt to claim that it was Comey, not Brennan, who insisted on including the Steele Smears in the intelligence briefing Trump was given.

Comey says Brennan insisted on its inclusion, and Comey objected to its inclusion.

Brennan says Comey insisted on its inclusion, and Brennan objected to its inclusion.

According to Fox News’ Catherine Herridge, sources familiar with the records say that “a late-2016 email chain indicated then-FBI Director James Comey told bureau subordinates that then-CIA Director John Brennan insisted the dossier be included in the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference, known as the ICA.”…

But in a statement to Fox News, a former CIA official [John Brennan?] put the blame squarely on Comey.

“Former Director Brennan, along with former [Director of National Intelligence] James Clapper, are the ones who opposed James Comey’s recommendation that the Steele Dossier be included in the intelligence report,” the official said.

Remember, the Steele Smears included in that briefing were very convenient for the FusionGPS frame-up, as it provided CNN the “news hook” to report on the otherwise unreportable-due-to-lack-of-any-verification “dossier.” Of course that briefing was almost immediately leaked to CNN, so that they could publish about the dossier within days of the briefing, on January 10.

Also note that whoever insisted on including the Steele Smears — which were included precisely so that CNN would get the “news hook” it needed — is almost certainly the one who then leaked it — illegally! — to CNN.

(I also know, for a fact, that James Clapper was a source. But he might have been a confirmatory second source, rather than the first leaker, or the one who arranged the briefing to be leaked in the first place.)

So one can understand the contentiousness here: Someone might be going to jail for illegally leaking highly classified material.

And now, after Rice put the finger on Comey and Brennan put the finger on Comey, Yates puts the finger on Comey:

Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., asked Yates about the circumstances surrounding the interview, particularly the actions of then-FBI Director James Comey.

“I was upset that Director Comey didn’t coordinate that with us and acted unilaterally,” Yates said.

“Did Comey go rogue?” Graham asked.

“You could use that term, yes,” Yates agreed.

Yates said she also took issue with Comey for not telling her that Flynn’s communications with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were being investigated and that she first learned about this from President Barack Obama during an Oval Office meeting. Yates said she was “irritated” with Comey for not telling her about this earlier.

I don’t think this proves Comey is actually guilty here.

I think it proves that no one likes Comey, including his fellow partisan Democrats.

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