Mr. Gowdy. And you don't think that's because Flynn asked; you think that's because McCabe just volunteered? "You can have someone, but it will slow up the process."
Mr. Comey. My recollection could be wrong, of course, but my recollection is that the Deputy Director offered it to him and did not add that bit about slowing the process, but said, "If you wish to, you can have somebody there from the White House Counsel's Office."
Mr. Gowdy. All right. So we have two agents that you personally sent to interview General Flynn. You knew exactly what he had said. There was no counsel present. The Bureau did not go through White House Counsel when he was not advised ahead of time of the consequences of making a false statement to the FBI.
Mr. Comey. I'm hesitating, Mr. Gowdy, just because it's a question with a bunch of different pieces. I have to take issue with one at the beginning. It may seem a small thing, but I didn't personally send the agents. I didn't know what agents would go. I wanted Flynn interviewed as soon as possible.
Mr. Gowdy. Well, Director Comey, I'm trying to come to grips with what this three-word sentence means: "I sent them." What does that sentence mean to you when it's uttered by you?
Mr. Comey. Yeah, it means I wanted Flynn interviewed, which is why agents went and interviewed him at the White House. I took your question to mean that I knew the identity of the agents who were going to go. I didn't want to leave you with that
