Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey went beyond his Instagram post.
Host Kristen Welker said, “A grand jury has indicted the former FBI director for this Instagram post. I want to put it up. I think a lot of folks have seen it at this point. 86 47 and sea seashells, which the indictment says, quote, a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the president of the United States. How does that image of seashells amount to a serious threat against the president’s life?”
Blanche said, “Well, every case requires an investigation. And what you just showed is, is one part of that investigation. What you just showed is the Instagram post. Rest assured that the career assistant United States attorneys in North Carolina, the career FBI agents, the career Secret Service agents that investigated this case, didn’t just look at the Instagram post to walk away. That’s why you saw an indictment last week, not withstanding the fact that it was last May that the post was made. So I am not permitted to get into the details of what the grand jury heard or found, as you know. But rest assured that it’s not just the Instagram post that leads somebody to get indicted.”
Welker said, “How do you prove intent, Mr. Blanche, when Mr. Comey himself said he didn’t understand that some people would look at that and think about violence?”
Blanche said, “You prove intent like you always prove intent. You prove intent with witnesses, you prove intent with documents, with materials. So again, this is not just about a single Instagram post. This is about a body of evidence that the grand jury collected over the series of about 11 months. That evidence was presented to the grand jury. And it’s not the government. It’s not the Department of Justice. It’s not Todd Blanche that returns an indictment against James Comey. It’s the grand jury.”
Welker said, “Are there, are you in fact saying that there are facts beyond this Instagram post that clearly establish an intent to threaten the president’s life?”
Blanche said, “I’ve said repeatedly this was an investigation that lasted 11 months.If the only facts that existed was the posting of the Instagram, obviously that wouldn’t have taken 11 months. And so when Mr. Turley talks about whether it’s facially unconstitutional absent unknown facts or circumstances, we will necessarily have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, at trial, every element of this crime — which we’re prepared to do.”
Welker said, “Can you and will you let the public know what any of those other facts are?”
Blanche said, “Absolutely. It’s called a trial. That’s what happens at every single case. We indict thousands of cases every year. Every one of those cases, there’s an indictment and then eventually there is a trial or some sort of disposition. At the trial, a public trial, that will be open to the public, everybody in this country will know exactly what evidence the government has against Mr. Comey.”
Welker said, “It is worth noting that on Amazon.com — we looked this up — there are dozens of products with the same terminology, we’re showing it right here, 86 47 being sold and purchased right now. Should individuals selling or buying ’86 47′ merchandise be concerned that they’re going to be prosecuted by the DOJ?”
Blanche said, “This isn’t about a single incident, OK. I mean, of course not. That’s posted constantly. That phrase is used constantly. There are constantly men and women who choose to make threatening statements against President Trump. Every one of those statements do not result in indictments, of course. There are facts, there are circumstances, there are investigations that have to take place. And we have charged dozens and dozens of men and women this year with threatening President Trump and others. So this isn’t a new charge we’re bringing.”
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