Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) on Sunday suggested recording a private interview with James Comey after the former FBI director said he would comply with a House Judiciary Committee subpoena only if it meant holding a public hearing.
Gowdy, who has presided over several congressional hearings as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” that he agreed with Comey’s point that private hearings are susceptible to selective leaks.
“The remedy for leaks is not to have a public hearing where you are supposed to ask about 17 months worth of work in five minutes. I think the remedy is to videotape the deposition, videotape the transcribed interview,” he said.
Gowdy suggested the interview could be scrubbed for classified information, then released to the public.
{mosads}”I am sensitive to leaks,” Gowdy added. “I think they undercut the authenticity of the investigation. The remedy is not to have a professional wrestling-type, carnival atmosphere, which is what congressional public hearings have become.”
He noted that a public hearing with Comey could be particularly contentious, as members of both parties have been critical of the former FBI director’s conduct.
Gowdy said the decision on how to handle Comey’s testimony will ultimately fall to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.).
Comey, who was fired by President Trump in May 2017, tweeted on Thanksgiving that he received a subpoena from House Republicans to testify.
“I’m still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a ‘closed door’ thing because I’ve seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion,” Comey tweeted. “Let’s have a hearing and invite everyone to see.”