WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of Senate Judiciary Committee members, led by Chairman Chuck Grassley, called on Professor Daniel Richman, a friend of former FBI Director James Comey, to provide any memos Comey shared with him to be leaked to the media.
Comey testified before Congress yesterday that he provided copies of his memos regarding his interactions with President Trump to “a good friend” so they could be shared with the media in hopes of spurring the appointment of a special prosecutor to review whether Trump campaign associates illegally colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 elections. In his testimony, Comey also said he would encourage his friend to release the memos. Richman reportedly confirmed that he was the friend Comey had referenced in his testimony. Portions of one memo were reported in The New York Times shortly after Comey was removed as FBI Director.
In a letter last night to Richman, Grassley, along with Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein and Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, called on Richman to provide the memos to the Judiciary Committee to assist with its oversight of the Justice Department and FBI.
The Senators had previously requested copies of the memos from the FBI and from Comey directly. Comey refused to cooperate at the time, and yesterday, he testified that he no longer has copies of the memos. The FBI has thus far not provided the memos to the committee and Comey has declined an invitation to testify before the Judiciary Committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the Justice Department, including the FBI.
Full text of the senators’ letter
