James Comey: Assumption Hillary Would Win Was ‘A Factor’ in Decision to Release October Letter
ABC News has released a new clip of former FBI Director James Comey talking with George Steaphanopoulos, this part concerning that now-infamous October letter he sent out regarding the Hillary Clinton email investigation.
Stephanopoulos brought up to Comey how Clinton believes the letter “defeated her,” and Comey said, “I hope not. I don’t know.”
“The honest answer is,” he continued, “it wouldn’t change the way I think about it… It was important for me to tell the email story because it’s me trying to figure out how to lead well.”
He insisted again his decision was not about helping or hurting any candidate but about “doing the right thing.”
Stephanopoulos asked, “But at some level, wasn’t the decision to reveal influenced by your assumption that Hillary Clinton was going to win?”
This is how Comey responded:
“It must have been. I don’t remember consciously thinking about that, but it must have been. Because I was operating in a world where Hillary Clinton was going to beat Donald Trump. And so I’m sure that it was a factor… that she’s going to be elected President and if I hide this from the American people, she’ll be illegitimate the moment she’s elected, the moment this comes out.”
And he said even if he had known his actions would result in Trump becoming President, he would still make that call.
You can watch the clip above, via ABC News. The full Comey-Stephanopoulos interview airs on Sunday night at 10 PM ET on ABC.
[image via screengrab]
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