WATER, THEY
WON'T DROP LOW ENOUGH.
>> Sandra: FORMER FBI DIRECTOR
JAMES COMEY TESTIFIED BEFORE THE
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
TODAY.
HE WAS FIRED AS FBI DIRECTOR ON
MAY 9 AND SAID HIS FIRING DIDN'T
MAKE SENSE AND APOLOGIZED TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TESTIFY HE
FOUND NOTHING LINKING RUSSIA TO
TAMPERING WITH THE U.S.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
AND HE LEAKED MEMOS IN HOPES OF
GETTING A SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR
THE INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIA.
>> Devin: ANDY ARENA JOINS US
LIVE.
BEFORE I GET TO A LOT OF OTHER
QUESTIONS.
LET ME GIVE YOU YOUR CHUM NAIL,
AS SOME WHO SPENT A CAREER IN
THE FBI, WHAT WERE YOUR
TAKE-AWAYS TODAY?
>> IT WAS ENLIGHTENING TO SAY
THE LEAST.
THERE WEREN'T REALLY ANY
BOMBSHELLS BUT DRAMA TELEVISION
AT ITS BEST.
JIM COMEY AND I HAVE TO PREFACE
IT BY SAYING I'VE KNOWN HIM MANY
YEARS AND I LIKE THE MAN.
HE CAME OFF AT STRAIGHTFORWARD,
SELF-EFFACING AT TIMES.
AND TOOK T HIT FOR THINGS HE
COULD HAVE DONE BETTER.
>> Devin: AND HE TALKED ABOUT
HIMSELF AS A LEAK, THAT HE
LEAKED INFORMATION THROUGH A LAW
PROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA THAT HE
WANTED TO GET OUT INTO THE PRESS
AND SAID IT WAS TO PROTECT THE
REPUTATION OF THE BUREAU.
THAT WAS ASTONISHING, WASN'T IT?
>> OBVIOUSLY THERE'S DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF LEAKS.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, WHICH
THIS WAS NOT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT
LEVEL.
BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT
DISAPPOINTING.
LEAKS ARE WHAT DRIVES
WASHINGTON.
THE BIGGEST LEAKERS OF THEM ALL,
CONGRESS.
>> Devin: NO DOUBT.
ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER OR
NOT THIS WAS OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE, MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE IN
WASHINGTON ARGUED CORRECTLY,
EVEN THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORTERS,
THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS DIDN'T
AMOUNT TO OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE, BUT ONCE HE FIRED HIM,
AFTER COMEY DIDN'T GO ALONG,
THAT SEEMS TO TAKE HIM TO A NEW
LEVEL, DOESN'T IT?
>> YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
TOTALITY.
ON ITS FACE, THE MEETINGS WERE
HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO HAVE THOSE COMMENTS WITH THE
DIRECTOR OF THE FBI.
ON ITS FACE, DOES IT CONSTITUT
OBSTRUCTION?
NO.
BUT THE FIRING AND WANTS TO MEET
WITH THE DIRECTOR PRIVATELY,
THAT'S AN INVESTIGATION FOR BOB
MUELLER.
>> Devin: IF WE WERE HOPING
TODAY WOULD GIVE US AN
AGREED-UPON GROUP OF FACTS, IT'S
STILL AN INK BLOT.
PEOPLE SEE IN IT WHAT THEY WANT
TO SEE.
I'M NOT SURE THIS GIVES US A LOT
OF CLARITY, YET.
>> NO, AND I DIDN'T EXPECT IT
GOING IN.
TO ME, IT WAS REALITY TV AT ITS
BEST.
THOSE SENATORS, BASED ON THEIR
POLITICAL AFFILIATION, THAT'S
THE WAY THEY'LL POINT THEIR
QUESTIONS.
THE TRUTH WILL COME FROM THE
INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, FROM BOB
MUELLER.
THAT'S WHERE THE TRUTH FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL COME.
THIS WAS GREAT DRAMA.
>> Devin: AND SOME OF THE MORE
INTERESTING THINGS COMEY HAD TO
SAY TODAY WAS HOW OFTEN HE SAID,
I ONLY NEED TO TELL YOU THAT
AWAY FROM PUBLIC RECORD IN
CLOSED DOOR COMMENTS, THERE WAS
A LOT OF THAT.
SO THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF
SMOKE HERE, ISN'T THERE?
>> AND I THINK -- I WORKED FOR
BOB MUELLER.
HE IS ONE TOUGH S. O. B.
AND WORKING ON THE FLINT WATER
CRISIS, YOU DON'T WANT KEY
WITNESSES OUT THERE TALKING
PUBLICLY.
I'M SURE BOB MUELLER SAID LIMIT
IT TO THESE THINGS AND STAY AWAY
FROM OTHER THINGS.
>> Devin: IT WAS INTERESTING
THAT H ALLOWED HIM TO TESTIFY
AT ALL AT THIS POINT, ISN'T IT?
>> I WAS A BIT SURPRISED.
KNOWING BOB MUELLER THE WAY I
DO, I WAS SURPRISED.
BUT I THINK HE SAW THE NECESSITY
OF GETTING THIS -- IT WAS
PARTIALLY OUT THERE, BUT IT WAS
CLEAR, HE LIMITED WHAT WAS GONNA
BE GETTING OUT.
>> Devin: WE TURN TO YOU TIME
AND AGAIN FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON
THESE THINGS AND APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME TODAY.