Station:    KOA, 850 a.m.

Show:        Colorado’s Morning News

Guests:     Buck, Ken

Link:         http://koanewsradio.iheart.com/onair/colorados-morning-news-6691/

Date:         June 8, 2017

Topics:      James Comey testimony, Senate Intelligence Committee, Donald Trump, Loyalty, General Michael Flynn, Investigation, FBI Director

ZESBAUGH:  Creeping closer to testimony from James Comey, the fired FBI director, expected to step before the Senate intelligence committee at 8 o’clock this morning and we will carry that live.  Let’s get into what he will say, and what he wants to hear him say with Republican Congressman Ken Buck on our live line. Good morning?

UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN FROM COLORADO’S FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, KEN BUCK:  Good morning!

ZESBAUGH: You’ve read or heard about the Comey transcript by now. What would you ask him if you were on that committee?

BUCK:  Well, I would want to know the context. Uh, first, I want to know what the statement was from the President. And then I want to know the context. Was the President perhaps contacted first by General Flynn’s lawyers? If not, that indicates that he wasn’t trying to probe on behalf of Gen. Flynn. Was he — did he ask specifics about the case, or just generally about how resources are deployed at the FBI? I think a lot of people have jumped to conclusions prematurely in this issue, and I think it’s really important that the senators make sure that the American public has a context with which — in which the conversation occurred.

ZESBAUGH: In the transcript, we hear a lot about the president asking for Comey’s loyalty, and Speaker Paul Ryan read that yesterday and came out saying, you know, it’s obviously wrong for the president to have asked for that. Do you agree that was inappropriate?

BUCK:  Yeah, — again, I think it’s the context. I think what we have to understand is this is a president who has not been involved in politics, and that’s one of the reasons why the American public elected him, because I think the American public is so sick and tired of politicians in Washington DC and elsewhere. And so when we use the word “loyalty”, someone may say, “Well, you’re asking someone to compromise on their principles or not do the right thing.”  I don’t think the president has the background in politics to necessarily view that same statement.  He’s talking from a business context, and he’s using the term “loyalty” in terms of someone who going to work hard and do other things. So again, I would want to know more about what the — what the conversation was. And I think we will get that information today.

ZESBAUGH: Again and again, we hear the FBI director position is a nonpartisan one. Do you think James Comey has been nonpartisan?

BUCK:  Uh, you know, he has done things that that former FBI directors did not do. He entered the realm of politics. I’m not saying he took one side or the other, but when he announced that the investigation of President — of candidate Clinton was closed and yet there was obviously further evidence that was out there, I think he got involved politically, where other other FBI directors did not.  When he announced that it was reopened, he got involved politically, where other directors were not. He directly violated an order from the Department of Justice – from the Atty General — not to announce publicly that the investigation was reopened. So, I think he has gotten involved in politics in ways that previous FBI directors did not.

ZESBAUGH: Thanks so much for coming on, Congressman. We appreciate it!

BUCK:  Thank you!