Was FBI Director Comey Compromised? Is He His Brother’s Keeper?

() HareA hat tip to Doug who alerted me to this.

If you’ve been with me for a time I have suggested the FBI Director James Comey is following in the footsteps of J. Edgar Hoover the guy who ran the FBI for more than 48 years. I’ve noted it seems he is interested in pushing on long past the 10 year limit on FBI directors which was instituted to prevent another Hoover. As we have seen with his predecessor the term is easily extended.

His predecessor Bob Mueller was extended two years.  He did not have the desire that Comey has demonstrated to go on and on and on. He  was content to get out when the time expired. He has been quoted as saying: “There’ll be differences of opinion in just about every intelligence analysis that you make.” Recall how Comey said when he cleared Hillary Clinton that no one disagreed with his decision which happened whenever J. Edgar decided something.

What then is the issue that brings about the question of whether he was compromised or as some suggest corrupted. It is said (1) Comey received six million dollars from a donor to the Clinton Foundation; (2) he was a member on a board of a Clinton Foundation corporate partner; and (3) his brother works at a law firm that does the taxes of the Clinton Foundation.

All these allegations are true. But what do they mean? Is it like saying that I went to Boston College around the same time as Jimmy Martorano so whatever I do is influenced by that? Or that I lived in Old Harbor Village at the same time Whitey did so we are connected? (I never met either.) Or is there more than that?

As to (1) the company is Lockheed Martin. Comey worked as a vice president and general counsel for them for five years starting in 2005. He left in June 2010. It is reported that he received 6 million from Lockheed in his last year of work  the same year the company made a connection with the Clinton group. Checking the compensation of Lockheed vice presidents that is not out of line with the others.

Lockheed spokesperson Katherine Trinidad explained: “Lockheed Martin has periodically supported one individual membership in the Clinton Global Initiative since 2010, Membership benefits included attendance at CGI annual meetings, where we participated in working groups focused on STEM, workforce development and advanced manufacturing.” There’s  also an indication the company may have paid Bill Clinton his going rate for a speech which was $250,000.

There is no connection of Comey to any of this. Even if it were I see nothing that could possibly have effected his judgment one way or the other.

Number (2) is even more far-fetched. He became a director of a huge bank HSBC in 2013 for the purpose of ensuring it complied with its settlement with the Justice Department. He was there for about six months and then left to become FBI director. Whatever HSBC’s connections with the Clinton Foundation were they most likely preceded his joining that bank, It is hard to see him having any influence on any matter is such a short time especially since his brief was to ensure compliance with an agreement.

However, the settlement of that case raised eyebrows because it seemed outrageous. Some questioned Eric Holder’s  judgment. Holder who worked at the Washington, DC Covington & Burling law firm before become AG and who returned there approved that settlement. The lead justice department attorney on the case Lanny Breuer also went to work for that law firm. That though is a story for another day and Comey has no part of it. Nothing here affects Comey’s adversely.

The (3) final alleged wrongdoing by Comey relates to his connection to his brother Peter. He is said to work at the very large law firm of DLA Piper. The firm is a contributor to the Clinton Foundation having given between $50,000 and $100,000 to it. It also did an audit of it which is sort of strange to be auditing the group you are contributing to.

Comey’s brother Peter works in the real estate part of the firm where 500 lawyers are employed. There is no indication he has anything to do with the firm’s connection with Clinton. Brother James helped Peter buy a house in Vienna, Virginia giving him a $712,000 mortgage.

The brothers have known each other since they grew up together in New Jersey. Peter apparently messed up some transaction for the law firm.  The law firm did not answer questions directed at it whether Peter and James spoke about the mortgage (seems obvious they would have) or whether they discussed the Clinton emails.

What’s the answer to the question. If this is the best people can come up with on Comey they the guy is clearly on the level. There is nothing I have seen to show he was in the least bit compromised or that he should not have made the decisions that he did. This shows how easily people can impugn the integrity of another.

It is way off base for people to bring up his brother Peter’s alleged problems in an attempt to make James Comey look bad. No one would ever blame one brother for another brother’s  problems whatever they were merely because they were related. These are grown men working in different areas doing their own thing.

What?

“You forgot!”

Forgot? Forgot what?

“That’s what everyone did around here to Bill Bulger.”

23 Comments

  1. If anyone’s interested, the Wobblies have been co-sponsoring a nation-wide prison work strike since Sept. 9. Prisons are the nurseries of revolution–V.I.Lenin. Great things are coming.

    • Khalid:

      Prisoners cannot walk the streets and scare Americans. The Wobblies never could figure out the American system. From 1905 when Big Bill Haywood one of their founders said the American workers should follow the examples of their brothers in Russia they have been walking done a road that interests only their small group.

  2. Matt:

    I’m not even talking about the confidential files. It would be a boon to scholarship just to get access to the official archive of reports, tapes, videos, etc. I’m interested in the influence USCP had on the Civil Rights Movement during the Hoover era.

    • Khalid:

      Even those would be off limits. The FBI just does not want its history told. You got a sample of that in the days after Hoovewr’s death when there was a little disarray and Congress under Senator Church having for a moment lost its fear of the FBI and conducted hearings back in 1974 or 1975 – over 40 years ago and the last such hearings — and it disclosed the widespread abuse of American civil rights the FBI (and CIA) had engaged in over the years. There is no mechanizm for getting at its files; and as you know the stories about it put out during the Hoover years were all written or approved by Hoover.

      I’ve just ordered from Abe Books a couple of books by J. Edgar on communism. My belief, and I am writing about this, is that Hoover had a great fear of the communist party’s influence on the black movement that went back to the time he headed the radical division in the Bureau ue of Investigation which was even before he became director. He understood that the reds (in his mind communists, anarchists, and socialists) were the only real threat to the American capitalistic system of government but to carry out that threat they needed troops to march on the street to bring about its overthrow since it could not be done by peaceful means. There were only two sources of troops: workers which were the usual group, or, in America hlacks. Hoover like you was always interested in the reds influence in the Civil Rights Movement so you are correct in suggesting that if we got a look at the FBI files we could learn a lot more about it.

  3. HRC had 13 cell phones, A comedian joked that only drug dealers have that many. She lied to Congress under oath about haw many servers she had, She lied about classified information and other matters. Two or three sets of books usually shows a consciousness of guilt. An attempt to hide from view. A kaw student could prosecute her and get a conviction.

    • NC:

      That still doesn’t prove he is corrupt as having needed to recuse himself and didn’t or took any special favors from the Clinton foundation. I was responding to the new allegations against him which are bogus. I agree with you that he could very easily have recommende prosecution but after Bill met with AG Lynch in Phoenix the fix was in and he was wise enough to know that if he wanted the next four years to go smoothly he had better come doen on Hillary’s side. Being a frau does not mean you are corrupt — at least according to the Supreme Court.

    • Henry:

      Comey said he had 148 agents working on the investigation and they s unanimously consented to his decision. Are you suggesting he told a fib.

      And, I would add, the most unlikely people in the world ever to revolt are FBI agents whose sole concern is keeping their heads low and getting their pension. That was why Hoover was so successful since he knew how to recruit guys who wanted security.

  4. John King McDonald

    Slippered in ” Glass Ceiling ” stilettoes we encounter The Woman herself in this Woman’s Age. Hillarity is former First Lady of a State who doubled down as two term First Lady USA. Former Senator and Secretary of State, and cocooned always in the self-righteous armor of our very own political Maid Of Orleans, Hil is indeed a … Special Case . Any prosecution of her for any crime less than Capital Murder would be … unseemly.

    • John:

      Right on the money but I think you may go a little to far in suggesting that she may be prosecuted for murder. I’d rather suggest no matter who she murdered the prosecutor would find it was self-defense.

  5. Matt:
    Hoover still excites great emotion in people. Perhaps, when those who have a visceral memory of the Director are gone, scholars can write a dispassionate analysis of the fifty-five years he spent building the FBI. I like to fantasize that the Bureau would open its’ archives to facilitate such a project. Do you think they preserved all their paper records?

    • Khalid:

      Hoover’s records were carted out by Helen Gandy and brought to his house which was left to Clyde Tolson his right hand man and a lot of washing was done. No records of J. Edgar that would embarrass him in the FBI custody would ever see the light of day although there was a guy Sullivan who wanted to be director but when Hoover kicked him out he spilled some of the beans. Those closest to Hoover kept the house secrets. For scholars to write like you suggest would mean getting access to FBI files. Unless the FBI is overthrown by some revolt that will never happen.

      • I read Sullivan’s book. No.3 was rough position to play in the FBI hierarchy.

        • Khalid:

          I read is book also. I was surprised at how bitter he became. I’d guess if that young boy did not shoot him during a hunting accident someone else would have done it. Sulliivan and Mark Felt both going for the top job and not getting it turn against either the boss or the rules of the agency showing their true colors. They bothered me. I have a distatste for people who play up to smeone and then when they don’t get their wishes turn on him. But that was the story of the FBI under Hoover and it continues until today — you have to be real suck ups to climb the ladder and suck ups have are only interested in themselves and will turn on anyone who gets in their way. It is chilling to think that type person is esponsible for our nation’s internal security.

  6. Hoover still excites great emotion in people. Perhaps, when those who have a visceral memory of the Director are gone, scholars can write a dispassionate analysis of those fifty-five years. I like to fantasize that the Bureau will open its’ archives to facilitate a project like that.

  7. The ten year limit is a good idea. Hopefully, Comey won’t try to over stay. Bossing the FBI for a decade, probably, takes a bit out of a guy. He’s most likely got his stocking-feet up on the desk, right now, and, is day-dreaming of palm trees and lawn furniture.

    • Khalid:

      J. Edgar was with the Justice Department for 55 years and was not yet ready for the palm trees.

      • “It also did an audit of it which is sort of strange to be auditing the group you are contributing to…”

        It’s all one big happy family.

        • RAther:

          A lot happier than you think – the Trumps, Clintons, Bushes, all run in the same circles.

  8. Comey lost all credibility in my mind. He said no prosecutor would bring that case, yet I’ve heard and read former prosecutors and retired judges say they’d willingly proceed.
    Comey looked at a statute that criminalized “gross negligence” in handling confidential government information. He said Hillary was “extremely careless” in handling confidential info. Gross negligence is a synonym for extreme carelessness. He also had one case (one precedent) where someone was prosecuted for gross negligence. Yet, he refused to prosecute.
    Plus, on others’ computers he found “thousands” of work-related emails Hillary failed to turn over, knowing Hillary’s false claim she turned over all work-related emails. Of those emails that Hillary did turn over, he found over 100 that “at the time” contained confidential information and 3 that contained confidential markings. He accepted Hillary’s blatant fabrication that she thought the “(c)” for “confidential” meant “paragraph c”, despite their being no paragraphs a and b, etc.
    His immunity deals and his allowing Clinton cronies to destroy their computers further undermines his crediblity.
    In short, as Hillary and her cronies shredded evidence, Comey and the FBI shredded their credibility.

  9. I doubt he would be influenced by political reasons, familial or not. He seems to be a very moral person, for a lawyer.

    Comey and his wife Patrice Failor are the parents of five children. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a Roman Catholic home in New Jersey, but subsequently joined the United Methodist Church.

    Comey was a registered Republican for most of his adult life; he said during Congressional testimony on July 7, 2016 that he is no longer registered in any party. In the past Comey donated to John McCain’s campaign in the 2008 and to Mitt Romney’s campaign in the 2012 presidential election.

    It’s just a coincidence that Hillary Clinton is also a Methodist.

  10. Interestingly Lockheed Martin also hired many of the Cheney team that purposefully falsified the intel on Iraq. Particularly the key guy Bill Luti who ran the DoD office of Special Programs where the Franklin espionage case was discovered and later buried by Comey.