Former GOP House Intel chairman: I believe Comey’s testimony is ‘credible’

Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said Sunday he believes former FBI Director James Comey was truthful in his testimony earlier this year, in which he claimed President Trump asked him to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Comey’s testimony on Trump has returned to the spotlight in light of Flynn pleading guilty Friday to lying to the FBI. Trump spent the weekend defending Flynn and criticizing Comey.

“I think his testimony is going to be credible,” Rogers predicted of Comey on CNN. “And I don’t think he’s done here.”

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“I think given the plea deal with Gen. Flynn, I think Comey will play another role in this. Though I’m sure they’ll bring him back, about that process of what he knew leading into the election,” Rogers, who previously served as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“I do believe James Comey. I think James Comey is a very good man. The FBI agents loved James Comey. I think that’s really important to separate this,” he continued.

Rogers said that he believes the FBI chief made some poor judgment calls related to his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, but that his testimony at the end of the day is “credible.”

“I think he made some mistakes. Should they have been fatal or not, I don’t know. But certainly, I think he made some mistakes along the way. But I think his testimony is going to be credible. And I don’t think he’s done here,” the former FBI official said.

Rogers’ remarks come after Trump denied that he asked Comey, then FBI director, to stop investigating Flynn as part of his ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!” Trump tweeted earlier Sunday, contradicting the account Comey gave when he testified under oath in June.

The president, who has repeatedly criticized the former FBI chief, continued to attack Comey’s integrity on Sunday morning.

“After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness,” he tweeted in a subsequent tweet.

Trump fired Comey earlier this year, citing his handling of the Clinton email probe but also making comments indicating it was related to the Russia probe.