Comey vows to resist the Republicans' House summons for a closed session: NPR

Former FBI director James Comey is sworn in at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in June 2017.

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Alex Brandon / AP

Former FBI director James Comey is sworn in at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in June 2017.

Alex Brandon / AP

James Comey, the former FBI leader who was fired by President Trump, said he would oppose a subpoena to appear in camera before the House Judiciary Committee, unless he is allowed to testify in public.

The committee, which also issued a subpoena to former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is studying how the FBI was handling Hillary Clinton's e-mail inquiry.

"I'm always happy to sit in the light and answer all the questions," tweeted Comey. "But I will resist the" closed door "because I've seen enough of them leaks and selective distortions."

"Let's have an audience and invite everyone to see," he added.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House, Virginia Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte, issued the subpoenas for Comey and Lynch. Comey would appear privately in front of the body on December 3 and Lynch the next day.

"Although the authority on subpoenas in Congress is broad, it does not cover the right to misuse in camera hearings as a political stop to promote political agendas as opposed to to legislative agendas, "said Comey's lawyer, Daniel Richman, in the aftermath of the assassination. published Wednesday.

"The subpoena issued yesterday is an abuse of process, a departure from the rules of the House and a presumption of transparency," he said.

Comey, who oversaw an investigation into the use by the then applicant of a personal email account and a private server while she was secretary of the company. State, severely criticized his behavior, but found that it was not the measure of an offense punishable.

Despite this, some Republicans contend that the Justice Department and the FBI conspired against the Trump candidate, hoping to launch the poll in Clinton. Democrats say the government hopes to use this case to derail or discredit the investigation of Special Adviser Robert Mueller on a possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Whatever the goal of Republicans in the House, they probably feel the need to act quickly before the Democrats, who took control of the House in the elections earlier in the month, take over in January.

"It is unfortunate that the outgoing majority has resorted to these tactics," New York representative Jerrold Nadler, the most Democratic of the committee, said in a statement.

"A few months ago, the director of Comey and Attorney General Lynch both indicated their willingness to voluntarily answer the questions of the president," writes Nadler. "From what I understand, the Republicans have had no contact with the director or the Attorney General since."