Pete King: Comey 'Had an Obligation' to Report Interference if it Occurred

Former FBI Director James Comey "had an obligation" to report to the Justice Department if he thought President Donald Trump was trying to interfere with his department's investigation of ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, Rep. Pete King said Wednesday.

"That could be considered a crime, and as director of the FBI, he had an obligation to make that known," the New York Republican, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program.

"As far as I know, he didn't. When Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was testifying last week, he said there has been no interfering or obstruction of the investigation whatsoever."

In addition, King pointed out, Comey testified before both the House and Senate intelligence committees, and he did not say to anyone that there was interference an investigation of Flynn.

King also Wednesday called on the FBI to "do its job" and start conducting "intense investigations" on people leaking information from the White House — while saying the leakers could be members of the intelligence community itself.

"We don't know who leaked the information on Gen. Flynn," King said. "That was a serious violation of law. As far as what happened in the White House the last several days, it is important for the White House to get its act together. They have to have somebody in the White House who will be able to have control over who has access, who doesn't. Who could be leaking. This is national security. They have to start making an example of people. Find out who did it, fire them and have them prosecuted."

The leaks, said King, are "a real national security issue, whether you support President Trump or not."

The congressman said he does believe that 99 percent of the intelligence community are "outstanding, patriotic Americans," but there are also people in the intelligence community who are holdovers from the Obama administration and "working against this president."

"It is absolutely disgraceful and dangerous," King said. "I wouldn't care if it was Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders in the White House, you can't have these types of leaks against the president of the United States."

Moreover, King said he's not sure which investigation is under discussion when it comes to Comey and his dismissal.

"There is the Russian investigation that the FBI was conducting, but also an investigation, I believe, even from press accounts of what Gen. Flynn told the Russian ambassador and what he told the FBI agents later," King said.

King, though, insisted he doesn't know what Trump could have said to Comey, but "if this was as serious as it is now being made out to be, why has Director Comey been so silent for the next few months?"

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