Blumenthal Questions Westport's James Comey On Gun Control At FBI Hearing

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. - During hearings to confirm James Comey as the new FBI director, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced the Westport resident and asked about his position on gun control.

President Barack Obama talks with James Comey, left, and FBI Director Robert Mueller in the Oval Office prior to announcing Comey's nomination to succeed Robert Mueller as FBI director on Friday.
Photo Credit: *Official White House Photo by Pete Souza*

by Alissa Smith

07/11/2013 5:00 a.m.

In his introduction, Blumenthal, D-Conn. emphasized Comey’s service to the country and the town of Westport, as well as his and his wife’s work as foster parents to infants and toddlers. If confirmed, Comey, a native of Yonkers, N.Y., would be the seventh director of the FBI and serve a 10-year term.

When asked by Blumenthal what he would bring to enforcing gun violence prevention laws, Comey said, "I think, in general, the enforcement of those laws is essential to crime reduction, especially violent crime.

"I’ve always believed that a gun in the possession of a felon or a drug dealer or a drug user is a homicide that hasn’t happened yet, and so I think it’s important that the government as a whole approach that very aggressively. ... But I have a passion for this across the board, and I will ensure that we continue to do what Director [Robert] Mueller has done, [which] is look at those seriously in the context of this complex gang case stuff."

Blumenthal praised Comey's passion on the issue.

"I think it’s tremendously important, because as you know one of the arguments made against the improvement of these kinds of laws is that not enough prosecutions are undertaken under existing laws, and I strongly support stronger and more frequent prosecutions under existing laws even as we move forward to improve those laws," said Blumenthal.

A Republican, Comey, 52, served as deputy attorney general from December 2003 through August 2005 under former President George W. Bush. He was U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York before that.

From 2005 to 2010, he worked as general counsel at Lockheed Martin Corp. In 2010, Comey became general counsel of the Westport-based hedge fund Bridgewater Associates. Earlier this year, he became senior research scholar and Hertog Fellow on National Security at Columbia University Law School in New York.

Comey was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 21. Read about the White House announcement here on The Daily Voice.

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