Comey on Kavanaugh: ‘Small lies matter’
Former FBI director James Comey said Thursday that small lies matter, even ones about yearbooks, in apparent reference to statements Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh made during senate hearings.
“Small lies matter, even about yearbooks,” Comey, a frequent and vocal critic of the Trump administration, tweeted.
He added, “From the standard jury instruction: ‘If a witness is shown knowingly to have testified falsely about any material matter, you have a right to distrust such witness’ other testimony and you may reject all the testimony of that witness …'”
Small lies matter, even about yearbooks. From the standard jury instruction: “If a witness is shown knowingly to have testified falsely about any material matter, you have a right to distrust such witness' other testimony and you may reject all the testimony of that witness …”
— James Comey (@Comey) September 28, 2018
Comey’s statements seemed to be in reference to remarks Kavanaugh made during Senate Judiciary Hearings on a sexual assault allegation Christine Blasey Ford made against the nominee.
Comey as FBI Director by President Trump and released a book earlier this year about his dismissal.
{mosads}Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) questioned Kavanaugh about things he wrote in his high school yearbook.
The senator led by asking Kavanaugh if he was familiar with “Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus” which is a legal principle that dictates jurors can rule a witness to be false in everything if he says one thing that is not true.
He then asked Kavanaugh if his written yearbook comment about a female friend of his was meant to mock her sexual exploits, potentially with Kavanaugh.
“She said she and I never had sexual interactions,” Kavanaugh replied. “Your question is based on a false premise and really does great harm to her, I don’t know why you’re bringing this up, frankly. Doing great harm to her by even bring her name up here.”
“She’s a great person, she’s always been a great person,” Kavanaugh said. “We never had any sexual interaction. By bringing her name up you’re just dragging her through the mud.”
Kavanaugh apologized about his written yearbook comment in his opening remarks.
HAPPENING NOW: Judge Kavanaugh must honestly answer my questions about the serious accusations of sexual assault made against him. The American people deserve to know the true about this #SCOTUS nominee. https://t.co/4mQtHSScUd
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) September 27, 2018
Ford and Kavanaugh both appeared before the committee to testify earlier Thursday.
Ford has accused Kavanaugh of attempting to sexually assault her at a party in the summer of 1982.
Kavanaugh unequivocally denied the allegation and presented his calendars from that time, which seemed to show no trace of the party.
All three people Ford has said also attended the event have said that they never went to a party even similar to what she described.
The committee is set to vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation Friday morning.
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