'Gross overreach': Trump admin accused of 'playing dirty pool' with new Comey move
FILE PHOTO: James Comey, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is seen in a frame grab from a video feed as he is sworn in remotely from his home during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing exploring the FBI's investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign and Russian election interference in Washington, U.S., September 30, 2020. U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
Late Sunday night, October 19, Politico reported that federal prosectors "may seek to boot" Patrick Fitzerald — former FBI Director James Comey's main defense lawyer in the indictment against him — from the case because of "alleged involvement in disclosures to the media shortly after President Donald Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017."
"In a submission Sunday evening," according to Politico reporters Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney, "prosecutors suggested to U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff that Fitzgerald, Comey's lawyer and close friend, could have an insurmountable conflict of interest as a result of the disclosures. Fitzgerald is representing Comey in a criminal case ordered up by Trump and brought last month in Virginia, where Comey faces two felony charges for making a false statement and obstructing a federal proceeding."
Politico's reporting is generating a lot of comments on X, formerly Twitter.
Self-described "lifelong Democrat" Thomas Reich tweeted, "They'll probably prosecute Fitzpatrick as well. Meanwhile, most of the Jan 6th Insurrectionists walk free. Prosecutors may move to oust James Comey’s defense lawyer."
X user Diana Price wrote, "lol the real 'conflict of interest' is Fitzgerald being a really good lawyer who they don't want to face in court."
Referring to Lindsey Halligan — the Trump loyalist who is prosecuting the cases against Comey and New York State Attorney General Letitia James — physician Sue Jones commented, "A beauty pageant is saying her opinion on lawyers. Prosecutors may move to oust James Comey's defense lawyer."
X user Recumbent Rider posted, "This is a gross over reach and injustice - They are playing dirty pool to rob Comey of Due process. Source: Politico."
Another X user, Adam E. Moreira, argued, "The motion against Halligan must be decided first. If she's ineligible to be the prosecutor, and because she participated in the grand jury phase, the indictment is void and the case is essentially over."
Read the full Politico article at this link.
