Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered a letter today to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey to request an update on whether the FBI is investigating potential illegal meddling in U.S. foreign affairs by individuals connected to the Donald Trump presidential campaign.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing with Director Comey on September 28, 2016, Congressman Deutch asked Director Comey if the FBI would investigate potential violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits interference with U.S. foreign relations by unauthorized individuals. Deutch asked about the potential for a Logan Act investigation into reported unauthorized meetings between Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page and Russian officials.
Congressman Deutch's letter to Director Comey can be found here, and the text is below.
Dear Director Comey:
At the House Judiciary Committee’s annual Federal Bureau of Investigation oversight hearing on September 28, 2016, I asked that you comment on FBI policy regarding investigations into violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits American citizens from interfering with foreign policy. At the time, you claimed that it would be inappropriate to answer questions about the circumstances that would trigger a Logan investigation. You testified that offering a response would come too close to confirming or denying whether an investigation was ongoing; that it “seems too close to real life.”
At the same hearing you made several statements defending your recommendation that no charges be filed against Secretary Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of the bureau’s investigation into her private e-mail server.
Subsequently, on October 28, 2016, you wrote a publicly distributed letter to Republican Committee leadership to provide an update regarding new information related to the Clinton investigation. You stated that the FBI would “take appropriate investigative steps” to review additional emails for classified information and pertinence to the bureau’s inquiry.
Your decision to share this information contradicted your previously stated reluctance to making public comments in a way that might suggest the status of an investigation. In the case of Secretary Clinton’s email practices, you felt compelled to update and supplement your testimony. While on the other hand, you refused to respond to questions regarding a Logan Act investigation related to connections between then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s advisers and Russian government officials.
Now, recent media reports have revealed new information concerning meetings between Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy campaign adviser, and Russian government officials, among other connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Given the seriousness and public policy implications of illegal meddling in U.S. foreign policy, I hope you will feel similarly compelled to supplement your testimony—as you did in the Clinton investigation—to offer a response to my questions related to Logan Act violations.
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing with Director Comey on September 28, 2016, Congressman Deutch asked Director Comey if the FBI would investigate potential violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits interference with U.S. foreign relations by unauthorized individuals. Deutch asked about the potential for a Logan Act investigation into reported unauthorized meetings between Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page and Russian officials.
Mr. DEUTCH. If an American citizen, Director Comey,
conducted meetings with a Russian individual who has been sanctioned by the United States about potential weakening of U.S. sanctions policy in violation of the Logan Act, would the FBI investigate? Mr. COMEY. I don’t think it is appropriate to answer that. That gets too close to confirming or denying whether we have an investigation. Seems too close to real life. So I am not going to comment. |
Congressman Deutch's letter to Director Comey can be found here, and the text is below.
Dear Director Comey:
At the House Judiciary Committee’s annual Federal Bureau of Investigation oversight hearing on September 28, 2016, I asked that you comment on FBI policy regarding investigations into violations of the Logan Act, which prohibits American citizens from interfering with foreign policy. At the time, you claimed that it would be inappropriate to answer questions about the circumstances that would trigger a Logan investigation. You testified that offering a response would come too close to confirming or denying whether an investigation was ongoing; that it “seems too close to real life.”
At the same hearing you made several statements defending your recommendation that no charges be filed against Secretary Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of the bureau’s investigation into her private e-mail server.
Subsequently, on October 28, 2016, you wrote a publicly distributed letter to Republican Committee leadership to provide an update regarding new information related to the Clinton investigation. You stated that the FBI would “take appropriate investigative steps” to review additional emails for classified information and pertinence to the bureau’s inquiry.
Your decision to share this information contradicted your previously stated reluctance to making public comments in a way that might suggest the status of an investigation. In the case of Secretary Clinton’s email practices, you felt compelled to update and supplement your testimony. While on the other hand, you refused to respond to questions regarding a Logan Act investigation related to connections between then-presidential candidate Donald Trump’s advisers and Russian government officials.
Now, recent media reports have revealed new information concerning meetings between Carter Page, a Trump foreign policy campaign adviser, and Russian government officials, among other connections between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
Given the seriousness and public policy implications of illegal meddling in U.S. foreign policy, I hope you will feel similarly compelled to supplement your testimony—as you did in the Clinton investigation—to offer a response to my questions related to Logan Act violations.
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