Is Comey’s Culpability A Simple Question of Math? Senate Presses Justice Department On Classification of Memos

I have previously expressed my skepticism over the claims of James Comey that he had a right to remove memos from the FBI and leak them to the media through a friend.  As I have previously written, Comey was in clear violation of FBI rules and may have knowingly removed classified material.  According to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, there is growing evidence to suggest that Comey not only violated FBI guidelines (which is clear) but that he violated federal law in the removal and disclosure of classified material.  Indeed, it may come down to simple math.  Four of the memos that Comey removed are now believed to be classified.  He reportedly gave four memos to his friend to leak to the media.  That would suggest that at least one memo given to Columbia University Professor Daniel Richman was classified.

I recently wrote a column about the lack of objectivity in the media in the coverage of the Russian investigation, and specifically, the conduct of former FBI director James Comey. I have raised professional and legal concerns over Comey’s removal of memos from the U.S. Justice Department and his leaking of at least one memo to the media.

Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stating that he and his staff had reviewed the Comey memos in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) at the FBI and the Senate. The use of the SCIF was made necessary because of the classified content of most of the memos.  He specifically noted that “of the seven memos, four are marked classified at the ‘SECRET’ or ‘CONFIDENTIAL’ levels.” Since”only three did not contain classified information,” it would seem that a delivery of four of the seven memos by definition means that Comey not only removed classified FBI material but leaked at least one classified memo to an uncleared individual.

“If it’s true that Professor Richman had four of the seven memos, then in light of the fact that four of the seven memos the Committee reviewed are classified, it would appear that at least one memo the former FBI director gave Professor Richman contained classified information.”

Math can be a real menace.