South by Southwest announced today that embattled FBI director James Comey is scheduled to speak at a panel on “the tensions between privacy and national security.” This comes just months after Comey helped nudge Donald Trump into office with an eleventh-hour investigation disclosure that re-focused the election on Hillary Clinton’s emails while simultaneously failing to mention that Donald Trump was also under investigation for alleged secret ties to, and possible collusion with, Russian operatives.
Though you might think that Comey would lay low after inadvertently swinging a presidential election in favor of a white nationalist sympathizer and proud sexual harasser, Comey is nonetheless set to appear in conversation with Jeffrey Herbst, CEO of media freedom and First Amendment institution Newseum, on March 13. SXSW shared the following press release on their website:
In partnership with the Newseum, SXSW’s conference programming will include a conversation with FBI Director James Comey and Newseum CEO Jeffrey Herbst.
“The Newseum is the premier national institution that promotes the freedoms of the First Amendment and the right of free expression,” said Newseum CEO Jeffrey Herbst. “At SXSW, we will conduct a unique conversation examining the tensions between privacy and national security. Being able to share a high level conversation with FBI Director James Comey and the audience in Austin will help us all understand the challenges to our rights in the age of disruption.”
SXSW has always been committed to facilitating conversations that inform, inspire, and challenge. At a time when the nation’s top law enforcement agency has been at the center of international news, SXSW looks forward to an enlightening and productive discussion.
James Comey indeed knows more about “challenges to our rights” than most people.
[Austin Chronicle]
