One of the most startling things about the reports on former FBI director James Comey’s memo detailing how Donald Trump pressured him to stop investigating recently resigned national security adviser Michael Flynn is that it finally spurred some action from a leading congressional Republican. When the reports of Comey’s memo broke, soon-to-retire House Oversight Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz quickly sent the FBI a letter requesting all of Comey’s documentation of his meeting with Trump:
According to the report, “Mr. Comey created similar memos—including some that are classified—about every phone call and meeting he had with the president. If true, these memoranda raise questions as to whether the President attempted to influence or impede the FBI’s investigation as it relates to Lt. Gen. Flynn. So the Committee can consider that question, and others, provide, no later than May 24, 2017, all memoranda, notes, summaries, and recordings referring or relating to any communications between Comey and the President. (emphasis added)
Chaffetz also tweeted Tuesday evening that “@GOPOversight is going to get the Comey memo, if it exists. I need to see it sooner rather than later. I have my subpoena pen ready.”
One thing we’ve learned is that congressional Republicans cannot be trusted to put anything before their party loyalty, so it’s too early to get optimistic about Chaffetz’ intentions here. He may be looking to hunt down leakers above all else. But this is a more promising response than we’ve seen from Republicans like Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Richard Burr, who didn't mention his own subpoena power, instead claiming that “the burden is on the New York Times, if they're reporting it and they've got somebody who's got the document. They need to get the document and get it released.”