(CNN) — The House released Tuesday the second round of former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony, one day after he slammed congressional Republicans when he emerged from the closed-door interview on Monday.
The transcript was released by House Republicans following the five-hour interview, just as they did following Comey’s first appearance earlier this month, which was part of the agreement Republicans struck with the former FBI director to secure his testimony.
Leaving the interview, Comey accused Republicans of failing to stand up to President Donald Trump’s attacks on the FBI.
“People who know better, including Republican members of this body, have to have the courage to stand up and speak the truth, not be cowed by mean tweets or fear of their base. There is a truth and they’re not telling it,” Comey told reporters. “Their silence is shameful.”
But Republicans had a starkly different view of Comey’s testimony and his public comments. Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina criticized Comey for saying he bore no responsibility for the FBI’s damaged reputation.
“All you need to know about Dir. Comey’s sanctimonious lecture to Americans today is the fact he takes no responsibility for the erosion of trust in the FBI and DOJ,” Meadows tweeted. “The rampant process abuses and breaches of protocol occurred on his watch. He refuses to be transparent about it.”
And White House press secretary Sarah Sanders responded by tweeting that “Republicans should stand up to Comey and his tremendous corruption – from the fake Hillary Clinton investigation, to lying and leaking, to FISA abuse, and a list too long to name.”
In Comey’s first interview, he defended the FBI’s handling of both the Hillary Clinton and Russia investigations, although Republicans expressed frustration that an FBI lawyer prevented Comey from answering certain questions about the Russia probe.
