DONALD TRUMP

Judge to Rule Monday on Comey's Challenge of House Subpoena

James Comey's lawyers said in court papers that they fear a closed-door setting would lead to "selective leaking"

A federal judge delayed his ruling Friday afternoon on former FBI Director James Comey's challenge of a subpoena from the House of Representatives.

Comey was subpoenaed to appear before the Republican led-House Judiciary Committee to discuss decisions made by the FBI in 2016, including a call not to recommend criminal charges against Democrat Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server and the FBI's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and Republican Donald Trump's campaign.

Comey, who has testified about the matters several times, has said he would appear in a public hearing but he is seeking to block the subpoena because it would require him to appear in a private, closed-door interview on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden had scheduled a hearing for Friday in Washington, D.C., but asked for more briefs on the issue to be filed over the weekend and scheduled another hearing for Monday to announce his decision. That delayed the committee interview to Tuesday.

Comey's lawyers said in court papers that they fear a closed-door setting would lead to "selective leaking."

In court documents, they wrote that House committees had been leaking to "support a false political narrative, while subjecting the witnesses to a variety of abuse."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte, who sent the subpoena, tweeted Thursday evening that Comey "believes he deserves special treatment, as he is the only witness refusing to either appear voluntarily or comply with a subpoena."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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