President Donald Trump made a mistake offering to testify under oath about his meetings with then-FBI Director James Comey, said Peter Wallison, former White House counsel in the Reagan administration.
President Donald Trump made a mistake offering to testify under oath about his meetings with then-FBI Director James Comey, said Peter Wallison, former White House counsel in the Reagan administration.
Wallison, who is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, made his comments in a column for The Wall Street Journal.
He maintained Comey’s recollections about the conversations with Trump offer no convincing evidence of wrongdoing by the president.
« For one thing, the facts are ambiguous, » Wallison writes. « Yes, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Comey to abandon the investigation of (Michael) Flynn, but he didn’t order it — something that, as president, he had the authority to do. »
He added: « Given what we know, there is very little chance Special Counsel Robert Mueller will bring an obstruction charge. »
But Wallison remains troubled by Trump’s offer to testify.
« Never one to leave well enough alone, Mr. Trump accused Mr. Comey of lying and offered to give his own testimony, » he said. « That sets up a conflict that the media will treat as a test of Mr. Trump’s honesty.
« Unless there are tapes — which would raise even more questions — this is a challenge the president will lose. His exculpatory recollections under oath, whatever they are, will not be more credible than Mr. Comey’s contemporaneous memorandums. »
And he said: « If that is Mr. Mueller’s finding, the president will have given his enemies the priceless opportunity to claim he lied under oath, an impeachable offense — at least in Republican eyes when President (Bill) Clinton was in the dock. »
But, Wallison noted, there is still a way for Trump to avoid testifying, but it all depends on Mueller.
« Mr. Mueller could still say the president’s testimony would change nothing and need not be taken, since Mr. Comey’s statements and memorandums simply do not make out a case of obstruction. Mr. Mueller would face merciless media and Democratic criticism for cutting this circus short.
« But if he is the man of integrity everyone has averred, he will follow this course for the good of the country. »
