James Comey's 2020 Senate Testimony: Ted Cruz Questions FBI Handling of Trump-Russia Investigation

Comey's Defense of the Russia Investigation

• 🎯 James Comey asserts that the FBI's overall investigation into Russian interference and potential American associations was conducted in an honest and competent manner.
• 💡 He disputes the characterization of surveillance on the Trump campaign, stating there was none to his knowledge.

Scrutiny of the Carter Page FISA Application

• 🔍 Senator Cruz highlights the Horowitz Inspector General report, which found 17 significant errors or omissions in the Carter Page FISA application.
• ⚠️ Comey acknowledges significant failings in the preparation and renewal of the FISA application but disputes the conclusion of lies to the court.
• 📄 Cruz points to a specific instance where an FBI attorney allegedly altered an email from the CIA to falsely state Carter Page was 'not a source,' which was then used in a submission to the FISA court.
• 🚫 Comey states that fraudulently altering evidence presented to federal courts was not the practice in the FBI.

The Steele Dossier and Funding

• 💰 Comey states he first learned of the Steele Dossier in late September 2016 and understood it was funded by political opposition research.
• ❓ Cruz questions why Comey did not inform the FISA court that the dossier was funded by the Democratic National Committee or Hillary Clinton campaign, given his awareness.
• 🗣️ Comey's recollection is that the FISA court was alerted to the possibility of political bias in the reporting, which Cruz argues is different from disclosing the specific funding source.

Subsource Investigation and Comey's Testimony

• 🕵️‍♂️ Cruz questions Comey about his awareness that the primary subsource for the Steele Dossier was a suspected Russian asset.
• 🤷 Comey states he does not recall being informed of any prior investigation into Steel's sources, including the primary subsource, and only learned of it recently through public information.
• 🗣️ Cruz presses Comey on whether he asked questions or performed due diligence regarding the subsource, to which Comey responded he does not remember the recently revealed facts.

Leaks to the Press and Comey's Oath

• 📰 Cruz confronts Comey with his May 2017 testimony under oath, where he denied authorizing anyone to be an anonymous source for news reports about the Trump or Clinton investigations.
• ⚖️ He contrasts this with statements from former FBI official Andrew McCabe, who claimed Comey was aware of and authorized leaks to the Wall Street Journal.
• ✅ Comey stands by his previous testimony, stating, "I stand by what the testimony you summarized that I gave in May of 2017."
• 📉 Cruz concludes that the investigation was corrupt and politicized, suggesting Comey was either deliberately corrupt or woefully incompetent, and that law enforcement should not be used as a political weapon.