Page:Comey-interview-12-17-18-redacted.pdf/39

39 falsehood, you didn't believe that it was appropriate to tell the President of the United States that there was no national security risk where you would actually convey that to the President of the United States? Is that your testimony?

Mr. That is correct. We had an --

Mr. I just find that --

Mr. Let him finish the answer.

Mr. We had an open investigation, criminal investigation, counterintelligence investigation. There was no way I would discuss that with the President.

Now, I was aware that the Deputy Attorney General had gone and voiced the Department of Justice's concerns about his susceptibility to blackmail at a high level to the White House.

But, during this dinner, it did not -- I did not and would not talk about a pending criminal investigation with the President.

Mr. Well, was it a criminal investigation at that point or a counterintelligence investigation?

Mr. It was both. Every counterintelligence investigation has, as an aspect, criminal --

Mr. It has potential criminal -- but it was opened as a counterintelligence investigation.

Mr. Correct.

Mr. And so, was there a criminal investigation opened at this point?