Former FBI Director James Comey’s speech in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday will be opined and scrutinized by many experts, talking heads in the media, and the American people as a whole.
A local expect has already weighed in on whether or not President Donald Trump obstructed justice in the Russian meddling allegations. Notre Dame law professor Jimmy Gurulé spoke to Vox this week and feels Trump crossed a line.
“It is difficult to construe President Trump’s statements on February 14 to former FBI Director Comey as anything other than a request to terminate the FBI investigation of Gen. Flynn for reasons other than the merits of the case,” Gurulé told Vox. “This is an attempt to endeavor and influence the due administration of justice under the federal obstruction of justice statute.”
Gurulé, who served as assistant attorney general under President George W. Bush as well as undersecretary of the Treasury for enforcement under the 43rd President, feels that Trump may have violated federal obstruction of justice laws: when he fired Comey, when he asked Comey to back off an investigation of Michael Flynn, and an alleged conversation with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, where he allegedly asked the former Indiana Senator if he could get Comey to back off of the Flynn investigation.
Gurulé feels that, even if Comey’s firing was justified, it doesn’t absolve Trump of any other questions surrounding his conversations with Comey or Coats.
