Comey backs off legal challenge to subpoena, says he'll testify to House in private  by Melissa Quinn | December 02, 2018 | (washingtonexaminer.com)   Signaling a reversal, Comey indicated he reached an agreement with House Republicans in a tweet Sunday — one day before a judge was set to rule on his effort to block the subpoena as Comey hoped to convince lawmakers to allow a public hearing instead. James Comey | @Comey 10:36 AM - Dec 2, 2018   At around the same time, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., told Fox News in an interview that he believed Comey would withdraw his motion to quash the subpoena and sit for a private hearing.   A spokesperson for Goodlatte did not immediately return a request for comment. Comey filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week after he and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch received subpoenas from Goodlatte compelling them to sit for private depositions this week. The subpoenas are part of a joint investigation by outgoing Republicans on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees into decision-making by the Justice Department and FBI ahead of the 2016 presidential election.   Comey said he would only testify publicly, citing “selective leaking and distortion.” Last week, Goodlatte said he offered to Comey to have the transcript of his testimony released.   Lawyers for Comey and House Republicans appeared in court Friday, and the judge hearing the dispute said he would issue his decision on whether to block the subpoena from Republicans on Monday.   Washington Examiner Source Article Here