GLOMAR

[GliderGuider]

It turns out that there was one leak from the classified meeting that James Comey held with the House Democrats on January 13. It was of the fact that he refused to say whether or not there was an FBI investigation of Trump/Russia connections underway.

This was a "Neither confirm nor deny" position, known as a Glomar response. It was named after the CIA deep-water drillship named "Glomar Explorer" that was built in 1974, in an effort to recover a sunken Soviet submarine.

Reporters Louise Mensch and Greg Olear have both pointed this out. Olear wrote this on January 24:

Wikipedia explains: “In United States law, the term Glomar response refers to a ‘neither confirm nor deny’ (NCND) response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. There are two types of instances in which a Glomarization has been used. The first is in a national security context, where to deny a request on security grounds would provide information that the documents or programs which the requester is seeking indeed exist.”

How does this apply to Comey? Mensch explains it best, in her “Chess” piece: “Democrats, including Democrats in Obama’s government who ought to know better, have asked if James Comey had ‘a double standard’ over the investigations into Clinton and Trump. Yes, he did, and he does. He may talk about a criminal investigation. He may not talk about a current, ongoing investigation into espionage, bribery, money laundering and so forth that affects U.S. national security.” To do the latter would be unlawful, and Comey doesn’t do unlawful.

In short, Comey cannot legally comment on any aspect of the Russia/Trump investigation, because it is a threat to national security. To even confirm that the investigation exists jeopardizes the investigation. This is important to understand."

So Comey gave a Glomar response even in a classified briefing. That is what pissed the Democrats off so much. They interpreted it as Comey stonewalling them as part of a cover-up. However his response was more likely grounded in the fact that there were indeed investigations going on (as we now know) and he didn't want to spook the horses.

I am now more convinced than ever that James Comey is wearing a white hat.

The leak:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/13/fbi-investigation-donald-trump-russia-james-comey-congress

Mensch on Glomar:
https://patribotics.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/dear-mr-putin-lets-play-chess-louise-mensch-trump-russia/

Olear on Glomar:
http://www.theweeklings.com/golear/2017/01/24/dah-donald-russian-blood-money-and-the-fbis-case-against-trump/

[JTFrog]

1. Fuck that white hat.

No one wearing a fucking white hat does what he did to Hillary and then covers up the Russia bullshit.

Not buying it for one millionth of a second.

[GliderGuider]

2. Have you read Mensch's article? She explains why he was probably forced to do that. nt

[JTFrog]

3. Not buying it.

Comey is complicit.

[yallerdawg]

4. If the FBI Director had held Hillary to the same standards as everyone else...

we would have heard nothing from Comey.

End of story.

[brush]

6. Comey may believe he did what he did to save the country in the long term by tilting the election...

Last edited Mon Feb 20, 2017, 11:17 AM - Edit history (1)

to trump in the short term so his investigation would not be compromised, but come the fuck on.

THAT'S BULLSHIT. We know it and Comey should've known it.

trump is now the president because Comey made the wrong decision.

His investigations allegedly will continue, but trump now has free reign to continue his bumbling ways.

Just what the country needs, another month like this first one of the trump administration.

God help us.

[get the red out]

13. I read it

Very compelling.

[Duppers]

5. Most interesting.

Staying tuned.

[malthaussen]

7. Yeah, I read that.

We shall see.

The problem with "national security" is that it is a great way to justify cover-ups as well as a legitimate concern. Only ex post facto can one determine its legitimacy.

-- Mal

[wishstar]

8. Comey got Sally Yates to sit on revealing Flynn's lies until after Inauguration-

Interesting that he succeeded in getting her to stall on briefing Trump about Flynn until after Inauguration when he finally went along with tipping off White House . So Flynn was officially installed in WH and the secret plan involving Ukraine dropped on his desk.

Seems Comey perhaps wanted to give Flynn and collaborators more time to hang themselves.

[underpants]

9. GLOMAR

I'd never heard of that before. Thanks.

[Volaris]

10. Comey is either guilty up to his eyeballs

Or he's the FBI equivalent of Severus Snape.

And I for one, am ready for the last damned book to be published.

[yodermon]

14. I've been comparing Comey to Darth Vader

Only he can throw the empower into the pit and bring balance to the force.

Unfortunate that he had to explode Alderaan/Hillary along the way.

[Volaris]

18. Yeah. But like most Republicans, it had to effect one of 'his own' before he would act.

Anybody ELSES kid would have been left on the floor to get killed.

[GliderGuider]

11. Keep this in mind when judging Comey

in 2004, he was the man who stood with John Aschcroft in the hospital room against the pressure of Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card. As acting AG, Comey stood up to them and refused to re-authorize the warrantless NSA domestic wiretap program.

That doesn't sound to me like a man who would disregard the fate of the nation, or sell a candidate down the river unless the fate of the nation was in peril if he did not.

I understand that there is a lot of high emotion attached to what happened to Hillary. The temptation to accuse a villain is overwhelming. But we shouldn't let it overwhelm the fair-mindedness and critical thinking abilities for which Democrats are known.

https://thinkprogress.org/comey-breaks-silence-white-house-tried-to-force-incapacitated-ashcroft-to-back-spying-program-66fb293ac29

[BumRushDaShow]

16. The story you posted was why Obama picked him.

However what is going on now is a whole different ballgame. Much larger in scope and in $$$$.

As they say, follow the money.

[delisen]

12. Letting Trump take office would seem greater danger The power to pardon

of a president, as well as damage Trump can dot national security in the meantime?.

Comey's interference with the election by his actions regarding Clinton were a separate issue and wrong..

[BumRushDaShow]

15. This

By interfering, he compromised the "investigations" because now they have hundreds of congressional conspirators to help cover the tracks of the perps. And when you add those in the congressional leadership to the ones being outed now, the whole thing becomes "too big to fail" (or prosecute). I.e., they could have investigated in the background and took out the Drumpfs and Cohens and Slaters and all the rest. Now those guys have access to state secrets and the protection of 2 of the 3 branches of government.

[JTFrog]

17. Right? How do you put out a fire that big with another fire?

Hey, democracy is on fire, someone grab the gas!