WASHINGTON (CBS) — Former FBI director James Comey said Sunday he will comply with a congressional subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee for a closed-door hearing on the FBI’s actions during the 2016 election. Comey initially went to court to fight it.
“Grateful for a fair hearing from judge. Hard to protect my rights without being in contempt, which I don’t believe in,” Comey said in a tweet. “So will sit in the dark, but Republicans agree I’m free to talk when done and transcript released in 24 hours. This is the closest I can get to public testimony.”
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Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, June 8, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A committee aide confirmed Comey will appear before lawmakers this week and the interview will be transcribed. According to his attorney David Kelley, Comey has agreed to sit for a voluntary interview on Dec. 7. The committee will give Comey a full transcript of that testimony within 24 hours, which he is free to make public.
READ MORE: Golden Gate Fields Races to Make Up for Missed Vaccine AppointmentsIn exchange for agreeing to testify, the committee will drop the subpoena. “Mr. Comey will join us for a closed-door transcribed interview later this week,” Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte said in a statement. “We will release the transcript of his interview to the public as soon as possible after the interview, in the name of our combined desire for transparency.”
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