Victor Davis Hanson on James Comey's Indictment and Ethical Failures

Comey's Indictment and Allegations

• ⚖️ James Comey has been indicted by the Trump DOJ on two counts: allegedly lying under oath to Congress about authorizing leaks, and obstructing a congressional investigation by lying.
• ⚠️ The indictment also touches upon his alleged authorization of leaks to the press by FBI subordinates, such as Andrew McCabe.

Comey's Role in the 2016 Election Interference

• 🗳️ Comey is accused of interfering in the 2016 election by handling the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of an insecure private server.
• 💡 He controversially stated that while Clinton broke the law, he didn't believe a jury would convict her, a decision outside his purview.
• 🤝 Comey is alleged to have lied to President Trump during a confidential conversation, assuring him he was not under FBI investigation, which was false.

The Steele Dossier and Framing Trump

• 🔍 Comey hired Christopher Steele, who was working for Hillary Clinton through the DNC and Fusion GPS, to compile the phony dossier.
• 📜 Comey is also accused of memorializing his conversations with Trump in private memos, not official FBI files, as insurance to embarrass the president if threatened with firing.
• 📰 He then leaked one of these memos indirectly to The New York Times via a friend to avoid direct fingerprints.

Broader Ethical and Moral Implications

• 📉 The speaker argues that Comey's actions, including the Russian collusion hoax, framing Trump, dealing with Steele, and giving special treatment to Clinton, demonstrate a moral and ethical bankruptcy.
• 😔 Even if not strictly prosecutable in certain courtrooms, Comey is considered morally culpable for his decisions.
• 🎤 Victor Davis Hanson plans to discuss the legal ramifications in a subsequent video.