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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

COMEY TRANSCRIPTS / GOLDEN SHOWERS “THING” DISCUSSED IN GREEN ROOM

The Green Room at the White House.  More about Green Room at end of this post.
The following is a transcript of notes taken by former FBI Director James Comey’s transcript after his meeting with President Trump on January 28, 2017:

I had dinner with President Trump in the Green Room** at the White House last night at 6:30 pm.  We sat facing each other at a small oval table set for two and placed in the center of the room.  There were two servers (who I had the chance to chat with a bit because I arrived about 10 minutes early; they were both retired Navy submariners and we had a fun discussion about height clearance in submarines).  The servers were only in the room when they delivered food or retrieved plates.

The conversation, which was pleasant at all times, was chaotic, making it very difficult to recount in a linear fashion.  Normally, I can recall the pieces of a conversation and the order of discussions with high confidence.  Here, given the nature of it, there is a distinct possibility that, while I have the substance right, the order was slightly different.  It really was conversation as jigsaw puzzle in a way, with pieces picked up, then discarded, then returned to.

James Comey
The President spoke an overwhelming majority of the time.  He never asked me an open-ended question or left it to me to choose the topic of conversation.  There were almost no periods of silence during the one hour and 20 minutes, except once or twice when the President paused as servers entered.  I felt comfortable throughout, although never relaxed, given the focus conversation required.

At various times, he talked about the inauguration and crowd size, the campaign and his effective use of free media (“earned media”), the extraordinary luxury of the White House (which he favorably compared with (Mar-a-lago), his many activities during the day and week, his young son’s height, the viciousness of the campaign (where I interjected about Adams and Jefferson; he said he had been given a book about it, which was upstairs), how he had not been mocking a handicapped reporter, had not assaulted any of the women who claimed he did (reviewing in detail several of the allegations) and many other things.  I will attempt to recount in some detail only those parts that related in some way to my work.

He touched on my future at various points.  The first time he asked “so what do you want to do,” explaining that lots of people wanted my job (“about 20 people”), that he thought very highly of me and had heard great things, that the people of the FBI really like me, but he would understand if I wanted to walk away given all I had been through, although, he thought that it would be bad for me personally because it would look like I had done something wrong, that he, of course, can make a change at FBI if he wants, but he wants to know what I think.  There was no acknowledgment by him (or me) that we had already talked about this twice.

I responded by saying that he could fire me anytime he wished, but that I wanted to stay and do a job I love and think I am doing well.  I explained that I never expected to be back in government but had found this job hugely rewarding and wanted to serve out my term.  I added that I was “reliable” in one way but not in the way political people sometimes use the term.  I explained that he could count on me to always tell him the truth.  I said I don’t do sneaky things, I don’t leak, I don’t do weasel moves.  But I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted in that traditional sense, which I said was in the President’s best interest.  He asked whether FBI leaks and I answered that of course in an organization of 36,000 we were going to have some of that, but I said I think the FBI leaks far less than people often say.   I predicted he, like all Presidents, would discover the entire government leaks like crazy and explained that it often comes from the first or second hop out from those actually working on the sensitive thing.

He replied that he needed loyalty and expected loyalty.  I did not reply or even nod or change my facial expression, which he noted because we came back to it later.

The conversation then swerved into a long discussion of the email investigation (which we returned to at least once more).  This was where I spoke the most and laid out for him my thinking (with frequent interruption) in a manner similar to my discussions with Senators Feinstein and Grassley during our one-on-ones.  The one detail I added was about the AG directing me not to use the word “investigation.”

He knew the sequence of events extremely well, breaking them down in his lexicon into Comey One, Comey Two, and Comey Three developments and he walked me through how he saw each played out during the campaign, in great detail.  He asked whether it was true “there was a revolt” after Comey One.  I said that was nonsense and I had worked hard to see if folks had concerns.  I added that I surely didn’t need to tell him that the media sometimes gets it wrong.  I explained that the investigators all agreed there was no case; he said he disagreed and thought there was a case.  He asked me at several points how I had held up under all the abuse.  I explained the freedom that comes from doing the right thing in the right way, surrounded by people who are helping make the decisions the same way.

At this point he asked me (and asked again later) whether “your guy McCabe” has a problem with me, explaining that “I was pretty rough on him and his wife during the campaign.”  I explained that Andy was a true professional and had no problem at all.  I then explained what FBI people were like, that whatever their personal views, they strip them when they step into their bureau roles and actually hold “political people” in slight contempt, without regard to party.

At this point, he asked me to compare AG Holder with AG Lynch.  I said I thought AG Holder was smarter and more sophisticated and smoother than AG Lynch, who I added is a good person.  He said Holder and President Obama were quite close.  I replied that they were and it illustrated, in my view, a mistake Presidents make over and over again:  Because they reason that problems for a President often come from the DOJ, they try to bring Justice close, which paradoxically makes things worse because an independent DOJ and FBI are better for a President and the country.  I listed off John Mitchell, Ed Meese, an Al Gonzales as examples of this mistake and he added Bobby Kennedy.

At about this point, he turned to what he called the “golden showers thing”** and recounted much of what he had said previously on that topic.  He repeated that it was a complete fabrication and “fake news.”  I explained again why I had thought it important that he knows about it.  I also explained that one of the reasons we told him was that the media, CNN in particular, was telling us they were about to run with it.  He said it bothered him if his wife thought there was even one percent chance it was true in any respect.  He said he had spoken to people who had been on the Miss Universe trip with him and they had reminded him that he didn’t** stay overnight in Russia for that.  He said he arrived in the morning did events, then showered and dressed for the pageant at the hotel (he didn’t say the hotel name) and left for the pageant.  Afterward, he returned only to get his things because they departed for New York by plane that same night.  He said he thought maybe he should ask me to investigate the whole thing to prove it was a lie.  I did not ask any questions.  I replied that it was up to him, but I wouldn’t want to create a narrative that we were investigating him because we are not and I worried such a thing would be misconstrued.  I also said that it is very difficult to disprove a lie.  He said “maybe you’re right,” but several times he asked me to think about it and said he would also think about it.

We returned to the topic of my job and in response to his question, I explained how I had ended up with the position and that I had been pleasantly surprised that President Obama thought of the role the way I did:  He wanted competence and independence and didn’t want the FBI involved in policy.  He wanted to be able to sleep at night knowing the FBI was well run.

The President then spoke again about being glad I wanted to stay.  He said Defense Secretary James Mattis said great things about me, as did Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  He explained he had asked a lot of people about me and heard great things.  He then returned to the topic of loyalty, saying “I need loyalty.”  I replied that he would always get honesty from me.  He paused and said that’s what he wants, “honest loyalty.”  I replied, “you will get that from me.”  (It is possible we understood that phrase differently, but I chose to understand it as consistent with what I said throughout the dinner conversation: I will serve the President with loyalty to the office, the country, and the truth.  I decided it would not be productive to push the subject further.)

At about this point he asked again about “your guy McCabe” and whether he was “going to be okay.”  I again affirmed Andy’s** ability and professionalism and said the President would come to see and benefit from both.

He then asked who I thought I should “deal with” and he suggested Trump Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.  I explained that in the prior administration my White House contacts were with the Chief of Staff, or the people in Mike Flynn’s job and Tom Bossert’s job.  He said “Reince doesn’t know we are having dinner,” but he will tell him and that I should deal with Reince.  He then went on to explain that he has serious reservations about Mike Flynn’s judgment and illustrated with a story from that day in which the President apparently discovered during his toast to Teresa May that [redacted name] had called four days ago.  Apparently, as the President was toasting Prime Minister May, he was explaining that she had been the first to call him after his inauguration and Flynn interrupted to say that [name redacted] had called (first apparently).  It was then that the President learned of [name redacted] call and he confronted Flynn about it (not clear whether that was in the moment, or after the lunch with PM May).  Flynn said the return call was scheduled for Saturday which prompted a heated reply from the President was not an appropriate period of time to return a call from [word redacted] of a country like [word redacted].  (“This isn’t [word redacted] we are talking about.”]  He said that he would be very upset.  In telling the story, the President pointed fingers to his head and said: “the guy has serious judgment issues.”  I did not comment at any point during this topic and there was no mention or acknowledgment of any FBI interest in or contact with General Flynn.

As we got up, he said we should have my family back for dinner.  When I didn’t reply, he added, “or a tour, whatever you think is appropriate.”  As we stepped from the Green Room, he said, “Reince knows we are having dinner” ** (the opposite of what he said earlier) “deal with him;” I will tell him.” He then walked me into the East Room.  I said I had been there before when President Obama held a big dinner for senior staff and appointees around Christmas.  We then shook hands and parted.

Asterisks by PillartoPost.org daily online magazine:

**The Green Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor of the White House, the home of the President of the United States. It is used for small receptions and teas. During a state dinner, guests are served cocktails in the three state parlors before the president, first lady, and a visiting head of state descend the Grand Staircase for dinner. The second-floor room is traditionally decorated in shades of green.

The room is approximately 28 by 22.5 feet (8.5 by 6.9 m). It has six doors, which open into the Cross Hall, East Room, South Portico, and Blue Room.





** Golden shower in the context of the Comey notes is detailed in the following media report:   Click here.

**  Media report on Trump’s actual itinerary in Moscow while he was attending the Miss Universe pageant.  Click here.

 **  Example of how the President says one thing then says the opposite.  Which one is the lie?


** Andrew McCabe served as deputy director of the FBI from 2016 to 2018.

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