A CNN panel devolved into a heated debate on Thursday as conservative talk show host Ben Ferguson called out Democrats for weaponizing the justice system against their political opponents.
The panelists debated on “CNN NewsNight” about whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has standing to indict former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey, who is currently charged with making a false statement to Congress and obstruction of justice. Tensions boiled over as Ferguson told the panelists they tried to “overthrow the will of the people” with the debunked allegations that Russia colluded with the then-candidate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016.
“You literally said the Steele dossier was user-generated at the FBI and then you weaponize it to go after Donald Trump to stage a coup against the sitting President of the United States of America. And you want to lecture me right now about right and wrong? Come on, man,” Ferguson told Harvard University Fellow Charles Blow. “The FBI said that Steele dossier was user-generated and you used it to go after him … Â I’m just gonna correct the record. You guys weaponized the government.”
“You are destroying the record. You’re muddying the waters,” Blow said, before Ferguson once again said Democrats weaponized the government.
WATCH:
The now-debunked Steele dossier, a report written by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, falsely alleged that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to increase Trump’s chances of defeating former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Following a lengthy investigation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller found there was no evidence that the Trump campaign or any Trump associates, including Roger Stone and Michael Cohen, conspired with Russia.
Johanna Maska, a former Obama-era White House official, claimed that the Trump administration is setting a “dangerous precedent” by indicting Comey. She visibly got angry and started shouting as Ferguson added that the Obama campaign allegedly spied on the 2016 Trump campaign.
“Okay, Russia tries to interfere in every election! Russia tries to interfere! So should we know what Russia is doing, yes, 100%,” Maska said.
“You accused Donald Trump of working with the Russians and you knew it was a lie,” Ferguson added.
CNN host Abby Phillip then interrupted Ferguson and told him that he “lost [his] chance” to respond.
A grand jury indicted Comey at the behest of White House aide Lindsey Halligan, who led the investigation into Comey’s alleged criminal perjury. The charges stem from Comey’s testimony to Congress in September 2020, when he told Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz that he never authorized the leak of information to the press.
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe previously said that Comey approved his leak of information surrounding an investigation into the Clinton Foundation to The Wall Street Journal.
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