James Comey: We Didn’t Have Any Indication Abedin Had a Sense What She Was Doing Was in Violation of Law

COMEY With respect to ░░░░░░░░ Abedin in particular we ░░░░░░░░ t have any indication ░░░░░░░░ had had a sense ░░░░░░░░ she was doing was ░░░░░░░░ violation of the law ░░░░░░░░ t prove any sort ░░░░░░░░ criminal intent Really the ░░░░░░░░ problem we have with ░░░░░░░░ whole e mail investigation ░░░░░░░░ proving that people knew ░░░░░░░░ secretary and others knew ░░░░░░░░ that they were communicating ░░░░░░░░ classified information in a ░░░░░░░░ that they shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ and proving that they ░░░░░░░░ some sense that they ░░░░░░░░ doing something unlawful That ░░░░░░░░ our burden And we ░░░░░░░░ t able to meet ░░░░░░░░ KENNEDY So she thought ░░░░░░░░ was okay to send ░░░░░░░░ husband the information COMEY ░░░░░░░░ I think I don ░░░░░░░░ want to get too ░░░░░░░░ into what she thought ░░░░░░░░ could not prove that ░░░░░░░░ people sending the information ░░░░░░░░ in that case or ░░░░░░░░ the other case with ░░░░░░░░ secretary were acting with ░░░░░░░░ kind of mens rea ░░░░░░░░ any kind of criminal ░░░░░░░░ KENEDDY Assume for a ░░░░░░░░ again I m not ░░░░░░░░ United States senator I ░░░░░░░░ working for a presidential ░░░░░░░░ And I m contacted ░░░░░░░░ a Russian agent And ░░░░░░░░ just wants to look ░░░░░░░░ about the campaign in ░░░░░░░░ and strategy Am I ░░░░░░░░ a crime COMEY Harder ░░░░░░░░ answer One I probably ░░░░░░░░ t want to answer ░░░░░░░░ in a hypothetical given ░░░░░░░░ work we are doing ░░░░░░░░ Let me try it ░░░░░░░░ way Let s assume ░░░░░░░░ I m not a ░░░░░░░░ States senator I m ░░░░░░░░ for a presidential campaign ░░░░░░░░ I m contacted by ░░░░░░░░ Russian agent who says ░░░░░░░░ ve got some hacked ░░░░░░░░ mails here and I ░░░░░░░░ to visit with you ░░░░░░░░ them Am I committing ░░░░░░░░ crime COMEY Also senator ░░░░░░░░ think I should resist ░░░░░░░░ that hypothetical KENEDDY Okay ░░░░░░░░ you explain to me ░░░░░░░░ the law but just ░░░░░░░░ your personal opinion when ░░░░░░░░ techniques become torture COMEY ░░░░░░░░ mean not the law ░░░░░░░░ That s right COMEY ░░░░░░░░ is a statute that ░░░░░░░░ torture in the United ░░░░░░░░ and so that as ░░░░░░░░ lawyer and as a ░░░░░░░░ of law enforcement organization ░░░░░░░░ is where I would ░░░░░░░░ that the definition of ░░░░░░░░ is laid out in ░░░░░░░░ statutes I m not ░░░░░░░░ I understand what you ░░░░░░░░ beyond that KENEDDY I ░░░░░░░░ just asking your personal ░░░░░░░░ about what you think ░░░░░░░░ torture where you personally ░░░░░░░░ draw the line drawing ░░░░░░░░ your substantial experience COMEY ░░░░░░░░ d say in general ░░░░░░░░ contact that involves the ░░░░░░░░ infliction of physical pain ░░░░░░░░ discomfort in order to ░░░░░░░░ information is in the ░░░░░░░░ sense torture May not ░░░░░░░░ torture under the statute ░░░░░░░░ Congress chose to define ░░░░░░░░ a fairly high level ░░░░░░░░ as a human being ░░░░░░░░ FBI director I consider ░░░░░░░░ infliction of physical pain ░░░░░░░░ discomfort to be by ░░░░░░░░ large colloquial torture KENEDDY ░░░░░░░░ kind of physical pain ░░░░░░░░ discomfort Suppose you just ░░░░░░░░ someone bad food COMEY ░░░░░░░░ tricky for us because ░░░░░░░░ FBI is very careful ░░░░░░░░ to inflict intentionally inflict ░░░░░░░░ pain or discomfort of ░░░░░░░░ sort to try to ░░░░░░░░ somebody KENNEDY I understand ░░░░░░░░ So I d say ░░░░░░░░ that is conduct you ░░░░░░░░ say way clear of ░░░░░░░░ s also ineffective frankly ░░░░░░░░ that s a whole ░░░░░░░░ deal.”