James Comey faced pressure from the president, Gretchen Carlson faced sexual harassment from Roger Ailes. Standing up for themselves was difficult for both, but they found ways to reveal the truth.
Former FBI director James B. Comey stands at an imposing 6-foot, 8-inches, but he shrank at one point during his historic testimony. He sounded like a woman whose powerful boss had harrassed her — and she said nothing.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Fla., posed the question women are often asked after they finally get the nerve or are angry enough to claim sexual or verbal harassment: “Why didn’ t you say anything?”
Why, Feinstein wondered, did Comey not say anything to President Trump about his request to drop the crminial investigation of former national security advisor Michael Flynn?
“You’ re big. You’ re strong, ” said Feinstein. “I know the Oval Office, and I know what happens to people when they walk in. There is a certain amount of intimidation. But why didn’ t you stop and say, “Mr. President, this is wrong. I cannot discuss this with you”?
Comey, a 56-year-old former chief prosecutor in Manhattan, didn’ t know.
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“Maybe if I were stronger, I would have, ” said Comey. “I was so stunned by the conversation that I just took it in … Maybe other people would be stronger in that circumstance but that’s how I conducted myself. I hope I’ ll never have another opportunity. Maybe if I did it again, I would do it better.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., also pressed Comey about his silence when Comey clearly knew what the president was asking was out of bounds.
“At the time, did you say anything to the president about [how] that is not an approprate request?” said Rubio. “Or did you tell the White House counsel that is not an appropriate request, someone needs to go tell the president that he can’ t do these things?”
No, he didn’ t.
“I don’ t know whether, even if I had the presence of mind, ” said Comey, “I would have said to the president, ‘Sir, that’s wrong.’ ”
Comey’s reaction is akin to that of former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson and a slew of other women who have felt intimidated or afraid when those with power clearly act out of line. After years of former Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes ogling Carlson’s legs, suggesting she wear tight-fitting dresses and coming on to her, Carlson sued Ailes, 77. Two weeks later, after Fox began an investigation, Ailes was fired. (Ailes died May 18 .)
Like Comey, Carlson went public after she had been fired.
Many, including myself, wondered why Carlson didn’ t say anything sooner. But with all the attention lately on sexual harassment and workplace intimidation — especially at Fox, it’s easier to understand why Comey and Carlson stayed quiet. Both clearly felt pressured by superiors to do something — which they didn’ t end up doing — to keep their jobs.
Ailes, who started Fox News in 1996, and Trump were and are two of the most powerful and influential men in the country.
When Carlson and Comey did try to stand up, they were attacked. After Carlson complained about newsroom harrassment, Ailes said she was a “man hater” and a “killer.” Trump called Comey a “ showboat” and “a grandstander.” Some at Fox News banded together and trashed their former colleague. Just as some high-profile Republicans are now attacking Comey’s integrity.
When the Financial Times tweeted Thursday that Comey’s testimony put the president’s character on trial, Donald Trump Jr, tweeted back, “I’m pretty sure that Comey’s testimony put his own “character” on trial. Leaks, admitted weakness, Lynch double standard. Come on now.”
CNN Contributor Amy Holmes tweeted: “Comey sounds like a 13-year-old girl.”
But both Comey and Carlson managed to find surreptitious ways to stand up for themselves. Comey wrote detailed memos after each interaction with the president because he was afraid Trump was going to “lie” about their private conversations. Carlson secretly taped her interactions with Ailes for a year using her iPhone.
Comey gave unclassified memos of his conversations with Trump to a law professor friend to be shared with the media in order to protect himself. “I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel, ” he said.
“The president tweeted on Friday after I got fired that I’ d better hope there are not tapes, ” Comey testified. Comey hopes there are tapes, saying they would corroborate his story. In the meantime, there are memos.
Why didn’ t Comey say anything? Either because he felt he couldn’ t or simply didn’t know what to do. Or perhaps both he and Carlson wanted to keep their jobs. But Comey, like Carlson, found other ways to speak.
Fox eventually settled with Carlson for $20 million. And Comey got his special prosecutor. Robert Mueller was appointed on May 17, and is looking into whether the president of the United States obstructed justice.
Alicia Shepard is a veteran media writer and a former ombudsman for NPR. Follow her on Twitter @Ombudsman.
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