Page:Comey-Interview-12-7-18-Redacted.pdf/179

179 Question: You said it would look like that to the public. Did you believe that that's what actually was going on?

The answer: The President was trying to put his finger on the scale. Yes, that's what I thought was going on.

Do you agree with Mr. Baker's assessment that President Trump was trying to put his finger on the scale by asking you to drop Flynn's investigation?

Mr. Potentially. As I said earlier, I would want to understand more about the President's intent before I reached a conclusion.

Ms. And so you think potentially, not affirmatively?

Mr. Well, it would look like the President was trying to put his finger on the scale, but I understand the term "put his finger on the scale" to mean obstructing justice. And as I said earlier, I'd want to know more of the facts, which I'm sure the special counsel's work to understand, about the President's intent before I reached that conclusion.

Ms. And you don't believe that the statement on public television "it was a Russia thing" is an affirmative statement without qualification by the President of the United States? It was a Russia thing that I fired Mr. Comey on.

Mr. Oh, I do. And the only thing I added, though, is since then he has said other things trying to, it seems, walk that back. And so again, I rely on his words. I saw him say