During Tuesday’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders suggested that the Department of Justice should investigate James Comey for his actions while serving as Director of the FBI.
Following up on her remarks at Monday’s briefing, in which she stated that it had been discovered Comey had given a “false testimony” to Congress, in addition to having leaked privileged information to the New York Times, Sanders was asked if “the President encourage[s] the DOJ to prosecute Comey?”
“That’s not the President’s role” she responded. “That’s the job of the Department of Justice, and something they should certainly look at.”
Sanders clarified that The White House is not directly ordering or encouraging the Department of Justice to proceed with an investigation. But she emphasized that such an investigation really applies to “anybody that breaks the law”.
“Whatever that process is that needs to be followed should certainly be looked at,” she explained. “If they [DOJ] determine that that’s the course of action to take, then they should certainly do that.”
“I’m not here to ever direct DOJ into actions that they should take.”
Contrary to the White House’s rhetoric on Comey, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon went on ’60 Minutes’ and stated that Comey’s dismissal was the worst mistake in “modern political history.”
But as Sanders emphasized during both Monday and Tuesday’s press briefing, the White House stands by their decision.
“The President was 100 percent right in firing James Comey,” she said. “I think there is no secret Comey, by his own self-admission, leaked privileged government information.”
“Weeks before President Trump fired him, Comey testified that an FBI agent engaged in the same practice; they face serious repercussions.”
“[Comey’s] actions were improper and likely could have been illegal.”
