LIZ: THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NOT
PROSECUTING FORMER FBI DIRECTOR
JAMES COMEY OVER A DOCUMENT HE
LEAKED TO GET A SPECIAL COUNSEL
APPOINTED.
HE PASSED THE MEMOS TO A LAW
PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
WHO THEN GAVE THEM TO THE "NEW
YORK TIMES."
JIM WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO
THIS?
>> THIS IS NOT AN EXONERATION.
IT'S CLEARING THE LITTLEST OF
HURDLES COMEY FACES AT THIS
POINT.
LIZ: THE REPORTS ARE COMING IN
THE MEMO HE LEAKED TO THE
PROFESSOR WAS CLASSIFIED BY THE
FBI AFTER THE FACT AT A LOW
LEVEL OF CONFIDENTIALITY AND
THEY COULDN'T ESTABLISH INTENT.
BUT THE I.G. SOON TO BE RELEASED
REPORT ON THE RUSSIA PROBE IS
COMING OUT.
COMEY IS NOT OFF THE HOOK HERE.
>> NOT BY A LONG-SHOT.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE FBI HAS A
FRIEND WHO IS A SPECIAL
EMPLOYEE -- SOMETHING I NEVER
HEARD OF IN 17 YEARS OF FEDERAL
EMPLOYEE -- WHO IS LITERALLY
THERE TO MASSAGE THE MEDIA, TO
LEAK INFORMATION COMEY WANTS
LEAKED TO THE "NEW YORK TIMES."
THE OTHER STARTING POINT IS HE'S
MAKE MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATIONS
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
HE'S ONLY DO THAT BECAUSE HE'S
EXPECTING SOME SORT OF TROUBLE.
HE'S EXPECTING THERE TO BE A
PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE
PRESIDENT COULD ARE FIRED HIM
FOR BEING TOO TALL AND HE WOULD
BE WITHIN HIS RIGHTS.
THE MINDSET OF THIS MAN IS
DIFFERENT THAN MOST OF SENIOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE I HAVE
RUN ACROSS.
THE BIGGER PART OF THE PROBE,
JOHN DURHAM.
LOOKING INTO THE ORIGINS OF THE
TRUMP INVESTIGATION.
HOW WAS THE FISA COURT EITHER
MISLED OR NOT.
AND THE USE OF THE CHRISTOPHER
STEELE DOSSIER AND THE USE OF
CHRISTOPHER STEELE AFTER HE HAD
BEEN FIRED FOR LEAK TOGETHER
PRESS.
THEY ARE THE TIMES OF THINGS WE
SHOULD WANT TO SEE IN DAYLIGHT
TO KNOW WHETHER THE FBI WAS
OPERATING WITHIN THE BOUNDS.
LIZ: THIS IS ABOUT THE PRECEDENT
OF USE THE INTELLIGENCE
APPARATUS, THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, TO SPY ON AN
OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.
THAT'S THE DANGER ZONE HERE.
JAMES COMEY WAS BASICALLY FIRED
FOR HIS HANDLING OF THE HILLARY
CLINTON EMAIL PROBE.
NOW THE ALLEGATION COMING IN IS
HE TOOK MEMOS OUT OF THE FBI
OFFICES AFTER HE WAS FIRED.
AND HE HAD CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION IN HIS PERSONAL
HOME.
SO WAYS YOUR REACTION TO JAMES
COMEY ON THIS FRONT?
>> IT'S THE DEPARTMENT IRONY.
HERE IS THE GUY WHO PASSED
JUDGMENT ON HILLARY CLINTON AND
HER INTENT WHEN IT CAME TO THE
USE OR MISUSE OF EMAILS AND
SERVERS.
NOW WE ARE HEARING MAYBE HE WAS
MISEUTION OR POSSESSING THINGS
HE SHOULDN'T POSSESS AT HIS
HOME.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A CULTURAL
PROBLEM AT THE VERY TOP REACHES
OF THE FBI, COMEY, McCABE,
STRZOK, THEY ALL CREATED A
COMFORT IN CREATING RULES FOR
THEMSELVES THAT DIDN'T APPLY TO
ANYONE ELSE IN THE RANK AND
FILE.
LIZ: THE COMEY MEMORANDUM WERE
USED IN THE MUELLER PROBE REPORT
AS EVIDENTIARY PROOF.
BUT NOT YOU FEELING THAT COMEY
WAS BIASED, SO HE WAS WRITING
THOSE MEMOS GOING AFTER TRUMP.
WE'LL NEVER KNOW THE TRUE
ANSWER.
THOSE ARE THE CRITICISMS OF
JAMES COMEY.
WE KNOW THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
FBI ARE HONORABLE, PATRIOTIC.
I TALKED TO MANY OFFICIALS WHO
SAY THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT'S GOING
NOT WASHINGTON BUREAU, THE D.C.
BUREAU, THEY FEEL THEY ARE A LAW
UNTO THEMSELVES.
>> I THINK THAT'S LARGELY RIGHT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF RANK AND FILE
PEOPLE.
IT WOULD NEVER DAWN ON THEM TO
GO ON "THE VIEW" OR WRITE KISS
AND TELL BOOKS.
IT'S WHAT YOU DON'T WANT IN
PLACE FOR THE MOST OF SENSITIVE
CORRUPTION PROBES YOU CAN
IMAGINE.
LOOKING INTO PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON IN 2016.
YOU EXPECT AND DESERVED BEST AS