James Comey says he's confused by Mueller's decision on the obstruction

March 27, 2019, 1:34 GMT

By Julia Ainsley

CHARLOTTE, N.-C. – Former FBI director James Comey told a hearing in Charlotte on Tuesday that he was confused by the decision of special advocate Robert Mueller not to accuse or exonerate President Donald Trump for obstructing justice.

"The problem is that I do not quite understand what is happening with the obstruction," said Comey to an audience of about 2,000 people gathered at the Belk Theater for an event sponsored by Queens University.

"And I have great confidence in Bob Mueller, but I just can not understand from the letter why he did not decide these issues while the reason for being a board Special is to make sure that politicians do not make the essential impeachment decisions, "said the former FBI chief.

Lester Holt will have an exclusive interview with Comey on Wednesday on NBC Nightly News at 18:30. ET / 5.30 pm CT.

Comey, who oversaw the start of the investigation on Russia before being fired by Trump in May 2017, said he had not seen the Mueller report.

He also rejected the logic of Attorney General William Barr in deciding not to lay charges of impeachment to the President, saying that he had found that part of Barr's letter summarizing Mueller's findings. "really confusing".

"The idea that obstruction cases are undermined by the lack of evidence of an underlying crime is not what I've known for 40 years and what "It's not the tradition of the Department of Justice." Crimes of obstruction matter no matter what you prove about the underlying crime, "said Comey.

In a Sunday letter, summarizing Mueller's findings in a four-page letter, the Attorney General stated that he found no evidence that Trump or anyone in his orbit and coordinated with the Russians Had not been able to establish their intention.

Barr wrote that "to obtain and maintain a conviction for obstruction, the government should prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a person, acting with corrupt intent, was engaging in obstructive driving."

Comey told the audience that he hoped the public knew that he "did not expect a particular result" from the Mueller probe.

"The advantage, it's that the special council was able to finish its work and come to a conclusion, it's very, very important for this country," said Comey. "The Russians really interfered in the 2016 election with the aim of hurting one candidate and helping the other." This was not a hoax. a reality."

Comey also insisted on the transparency of the Mueller investigation, stating that he hoped as much as possible would be made public.

On Tuesday, a Justice Department official announced that Barr would release details of the investigation that could be viewed by the public in "weeks, not months."