Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) seemed to encourage Attorney General Pam Bondi to expand the investigation into former FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday.
The South Carolina Republican grilled the attorney general about a number of topics before zeroing in on the "Crossfire Hurricane" counterintelligence investigation opened into Donald Trump's first presidential campaign in summer 2016. He suggested that Comey and others should face criminal liability for their roles in the operation.
"In July [2016], they opened up 'Crossfire Hurricane' and in August they have a discussion in front of [then-Vice] President [Joe] Biden that there's intel that maybe this is generated by his political opponent," Graham said. "Nothing happened [and] in September, are you aware of the fact that the intelligence community sent a memo to the FBI director detailing intelligence that suggests it's [Hillary] Clinton's campaign behind the idea that Trump is colluding or cooperating with the Russians?"
Bondi agreed those details had been reported, and then he asked her about previous testimony by former FBI agent Peter Stzrok about the timeline.
"That wasaddressed to the FBI directorand Mr. Strzok, this memo, areyou aware that he told thiscommittee?" Graham said. "I don't recall thatthe FBI director – well, I can tell you this.What the hell would you recall?You're the sitting FBIdirector. There's a campaignfor president going on. You'veopened up an investigation,believing that the Republicancandidate may be a Russianasset, and now all of a sudden,less than a month later, twomonths later, you have twoinquiries, two events to suggestit may be his politicalopponent? Did anybody in the FBIinform the FISA court or anyoneelse about this activity thatyou know of?"
Bondi said she was unable to discuss the matter, and Graham continued his buildup.
"Isthere a requirement by lawenforcement to tell the court if a warrant is being sought ora defendant that there'sexculpatory information outthere about you in general?" Graham asked, and Bondi said there was.
"So, to the country, the FBIdirector gets a memo from theintel community [saying] this may be alla political plot by hisopponent. They didn't do athing. Are you familiar with theSteele dossier? That was a dossier preparedand paid for by the Clintoncampaign. Are you aware that itwas, that document was used toget a warrant on five differentoccasions against Carter Page,an American citizen?"
Bondi indicated she was familiar with the document produced by former British spy Christopher Steele indicating that Trump and his campaign might have improper ties to Russian entities, but federal investigators were unable to substantiate some of the claims made by witnesses.
"Are you aware of the fact in February 2017, after Trump ispresident, the person who gave Christopher Steele theinformation, the Russian guytold the FBI, the information Iprovided you was all bar talk,hearsay and not reliable – areyou aware of that?" Graham said, and Bondi agreed that she was. "Was there ever an effort bythe FBI to tell the FISA courtabout evidence that the man whohelped prepare the documentretracted his statement? Should there have been?"
"You wonder why we're lookingat Comey?" Graham added, pounding the table and his voice cracking. "Give me a break! Whyare we looking at Comey? Becausehe ran an FBI and personallyknew about exculpatoryinformation and let it slide.How in the hell can two FBIagents interview a man who saysthe document you're usingagainst a sitting president tosuggest he may be a Russianagent or Carter Page that is nowno longer reliable? How doesthat not get to the court? Canyou tell me how that doesn't getto to court you can't, can you?"