Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) defended former FBI Director James Comey’s actions on Bold TV, asserting that Comey was not under any “legal obligation” to formally report the details of his meetings with President Trump. Watch here or on our Facebook page.
“Because you believe that someone did something wrong, that day you don’t issue an arrest warrant for them or an indictment,” Plaskett said. “You gather as many facts as you can.”
Plaskett, who serves on the House Oversight Committee, added that Comey’s release of his memo to Columbia Law professor Daniel Richman was “not a leak” and was not illegal because the memo was never classified.
According to Plaskett, Comey’s public hearing did not seem to offer up much new information. Nevertheless, the Congresswoman maintained, the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are moving “full-speed ahead” with their private investigations.
Following her discussion of the Comey hearing, Plaskett addressed the state of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are currently in the midst of a financial crisis. When asked about potential congressional involvement in “bailouts,” Plaskett expressed contempt for Congress’s lack of action.
“This is the first time we’ve seen that Congress has neglected that responsibility [to take care of territories],” Plaskett said. “They have treated the territories infinitely like second-class individuals.”
Representatives from U.S. territories cannot vote in Congress. Plaskett is committed to ensuring that the islands’ problems are publicized so that others may stand up for territories as a result. Ensuring that federal healthcare programs are accessible to members of the territories is one of Plaskett’s primary goals.
