User Clip: Comey Sworn Testimony Sr. Official Hasn't held up Investigation

SEN. HIRONO: SPEAKING OF INDEPENDENCE, OF NOT JUST OF JUDICIARY, BUT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO CLARIFY THE FBI'S INDEPENDENCE FROM THE DOJ APPARATUS. CAN THE FDA -- CAN THE FBI CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION INDEPENDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OR DOES THE FBI HAVE TO GET THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S CONSENT? DIR. COMEY: WE WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, WHETHER THAT IS MAIN JUSTICE OR U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICES ON ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS. WE WORK WITH THEM. SO IN A LEGAL SENSE, WE ARE NOT INDEPENDENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. WE ARE SPIRITUALLY, CULTURALLY A PRETTY INDEPENDENT GROUP. THAT IS THE WAY YOU WOULD WANT IT. WE WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN ALL OF OUR INVESTIGATIONS. SEN. HIRONO: ARE THERE SENIOR OFFICIALS -- SO IF A SENIOR OFFICIAL OPPOSES AN INVESTIGATION, CAN THEY HOLD THAT FBI INVESTIGATION? DIR. COMEY: IN THEORY, YES. SEN. HIRONO: HAS IT HAPPENED? DIR. COMEY: NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE A BIG DEAL TO TILL THE FBI JUST OF DOING SOMETHING WITHOUT ITN APPRO close