Former FBI Director James Comey Says He ‘Doesn’t Care’ If Mueller’s Probe Shows Trump Colluded With Russia
James Comey revealed his opinion about the results of the Russia investigation in a recent New York Times op-ed, in which he claimed not to know or care how the probe ends.
The former FBI director said in the opinion piece published on Thursday that he is not interested in what type of information is revealed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, as long as the probe is conducted efficiently and properly.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Comey was fired from his position as FBI chief in 2017 by President Donald Trump, a move that started a series of events that led to Muller being chosen to conduct the investigation into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential elections, and to determine if the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin in order to win the elections.
“I have no idea whether the special counsel will conclude that Mr. Trump knowingly conspired with the Russians in connection with the 2016 election or that he obstructed justice with the required corrupt intent,” Comey wrote in the op-ed piece.
“I also don’t care. I care only that the work be done, well and completely.”
It’s been reported in the past few weeks that the much-anticipated Mueller report is approaching its final stages, and sources close to the investigation said that they believe the special counsel will not be sending out any more indictments, according to ABC News. The probe has already seen six former Trump advisers be accused, including his ex-attorney Michael Cohen, his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and his longtime political adviser Roger Stone.
In a city known for its leaks, Mueller pulled off a rare feat. He kept a tight lid on both his office and the evidence he was amassing in his highly sensitive investigation that has cast a cloud over Trump's presidency https://t.co/kbkKt8K0wJ pic.twitter.com/S4L2Sf9DxF
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 22, 2019
One of the things that the Mueller investigation is also looking into is whether Trump’s decision to fire Comey counts as obstruction of justice. The former FBI director has been a vocal critic of the current U.S. president ever since he was sacked, and he even published a book in which he opened up about his relationship with Donald Trump.
Yet, in his New York Times piece, Comey refused to join the growing group of people that are calling for the president to be impeached, claiming that the move would only help worsen political divisions among millions of Americans — an opinion also shared by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
.@donlemon: "Can you just feel the tension? The White House, Congress, all of us on pins and needles with the Mueller report expected to drop at any time now." https://t.co/bZGE8APEqS #DonsTake pic.twitter.com/xO7B8aQJQk
— CNN (@CNN) March 22, 2019
“Even though I believe Mr. Trump is morally unfit to be president of the United States, I’m not rooting for Mr. Mueller to demonstrate that he is a criminal,” Comey wrote. “I’m also not rooting for Mr. Mueller to ‘clear’ the president.”
He said that, above all, he is rooting for the probe’s results to show the world (“and maybe most of all to our president and his enablers”) that the U.S. justice system works.