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The irony of Trump using Comey's pink slip to try to clear himself on Russia: it did the opposite.
As TPM reported:
Trump Claims FBI Director Told Him He Wasn’t Under Investigation
...
Here’s what Trump told Comey — and projected to the entire world — in his letter firing him:
On March 20, Comey confirmed under oath to the House Intelligence Committee that the FBI was “investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.”
“That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts,” he said.
Comey declined to answer whether Trump himself was under investigation. Indeed, that information would be a closely guarded secret — that’s what makes Trump’s clearing of his own name, using the ousted FBI Director’s credibility, so surprising.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-says-james-comey-he-wasnt-under-investigation
...
Here’s what Trump told Comey — and projected to the entire world — in his letter firing him:
While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.
On March 20, Comey confirmed under oath to the House Intelligence Committee that the FBI was “investigating the Russian government’s efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.”
“That includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts,” he said.
Comey declined to answer whether Trump himself was under investigation. Indeed, that information would be a closely guarded secret — that’s what makes Trump’s clearing of his own name, using the ousted FBI Director’s credibility, so surprising.
Trump's "thanks for clearing me" line, an obvious lie, raised the Russia investigation as the real reason for Comey's firing, thus contradicting the three-page attached justification memo citing Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation. And it spurred the media to remind the public that Comey actually confirmed to Congress there was an investigation into Trump campaign collusion with Russia, and that Comey conspicuously refused to clear Trump.
My favorite comment from the comments section to the article:
That part of the letter reads suspiciously like the letter Trump's doctor "wrote" attesting to his health. He obviously insisted on sticking that in there thinking it would somehow officially clear him. On top of his mental illness and encroaching dementia, this is just a very dumb man.
