Ex-FBI boss James Comey’s name keeps coming uppublished at 16:41 BST
16:41 BST
Cai Pigliucci
Reporting from Capitol Hill
Image source, Getty Images
Much of the focus in this hearing has centred on James Comey. The
Justice Department secured an indictment against the former FBI Director less
than two weeks ago – after President Trump called for his prosecution.
Tomorrow, Comey will appear in court. He faces one count of making false
statements and one count of obstruction of justice. The indictment relates to his own congressional
testimony in 2020 – he is accused of lying to a Senate committee about whether he authorised a leak of classified information to the media.
He denies the allegations.
Critics say Bondi and the Justice Department are targeting the
president’s adversaries. Many of the questions so far today on Comey from both
sides of the aisle have been met with Bondi’s statement that she cannot discuss
it.
Democrats have argued it’s a political indictment. Democratic
Senator Amy Klobuchar asked Bondi if the President’s post on Truth Social
calling for Comey’s indictment is considered a directive to the Justice
Department.
“President Trump is the most transparent president in American
history, and I don’t think he said anything that he hasn’t said for
years,” Bondi replied. Bondi also said that Comey was indicted by one of
the “most liberal grand juries in the country”.
Chuck Grassley, Republican senator and chair of the committee, has said that Comey “ought to be held accountable” if the facts and evidence supports the finding that he lied to Congress.
Democrat Senator Chris Coons just told Bondi that the indictment of Comey
“left me very concerned about the direction of the department”.