Although a South Carolina federal judge dismissed perjury charges against former FBI Director James Comey, Democrat consultant Julian Epstein told Newsmax on Monday the legal outcome misses the point.
Epstein told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" the perjury allegations are the lesser of the two issues.
He insisted Comey's real transgression was a campaign — along with former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper — to sell the American public and Congress a false narrative about President Donald Trump's involvement with alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
"I've always thought this case was sort of the tail wagging the dog," Epstein said. "I think the bigger story on Comey is not the perjury issue.
"It is the fact that he was involved, along with Brennan and Clapper, in a campaign to sell to the public and to Congress that Russiagate was much more significant than it was, that the interference was much greater than it was, and that Trump was criminally involved in some way."
Epstein argued that although the decision by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, a Clinton appointee, touches on perjury and possible leaks in 2017 and 2019, the more consequential damage was the distortion of intelligence and law enforcement institutions.
"And all of that was wrong," Epstein said. "And I think Comey knew it was wrong. And I think he and the other national security officials tried to sell that to the public. And that is a real perversion of the system."
Epstein said he had warned Democrats they might face blowback from the very "lawfare" tactics they used during the Biden administration.
He noted that the Department of Justice's delayed pursuit of Trump, and its tendency to bring expansive and politicized cases, sets a precedent that could now be used against them.
"Where I think the real bias was, was the Justice Department waiting four years to go after Trump and then pursuing cases that should have never been pursued," he said.
"The case in New York, for example. So, I think there's plenty of examples of bias that have been used against Trump and Republicans. And I think Democrats are on the receiving side of this now with Letitia James."
Also Monday, Currie tossed a federal mortgage fraud indictment against James, the Democrat New York attorney general. Currie ruled Lindsey Halligan, the prosecutor who brought the charges, was illegally appointed by the DOJ. The DOJ is appealing the rulings.
"And I warned a long time that this was going to come around to bite them if they continued participating in this lawfare," Epstein said. "And that's exactly what's happening."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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