James Comey

"Comey" redirects here. For other people with the surname, seeComey (surname).

Not to be confused withJames Comer (disambiguation).

James Brien Comey Jr.(/ˈkoʊmi/;born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who was the seventhdirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) from 2013 untilhis terminationin May 2017.Comey was a registeredRepublicanfor most of his adult life but in 2016 he stated he wasunaffiliated.

James Comey
Official portrait,c. 2010–2013
7thDirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
In office September 4, 2013 – May 9, 2017
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump
Deputy	Sean M. Joyce Mark F. Giuliano Andrew McCabe
Preceded by	Robert Mueller
Succeeded by	Christopher A. Wray
31stUnited States Deputy Attorney General
In office December 9, 2003 – August 15, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Larry Thompson
Succeeded by	Paul McNulty
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
In office January 7, 2002 – December 15, 2003
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Mary Jo White
Succeeded by	David N. Kelley
Personal details
Born	James Brien Comey Jr. (1960-12-14)December 14, 1960 Yonkers, New York,U.S.
Political party	Independent(2016–present)
Other political affiliations	Republican(before 2016)
Spouse	Patrice Failor ​ (m.1987)​
Children	6
Education	College of William & Mary(BS) University of Chicago(JD)
Signature

During thepresidential administrationofGeorge W. Bush,Comey was theU.S. attorney for the Southern District of New Yorkfrom January 2002 to December 2003 and later theUnited States deputy attorney generalfrom December 2003 to August 2005. In August 2005, Comey left theU.S. Department of Justice(DOJ) to become a senior vice president ofLockheed Martinasgeneral counsel.In 2010, he became general counsel atBridgewater Associates.In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become a senior research scholar andHertogfellow on national security law atColumbia Law School.He served on the board of directors ofHSBC Holdingsuntil July 2013.

In September 2013,Barack Obamaappointed Comey to the position of Director of the FBI.In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the FBI's investigation of theHillary Clinton email controversy.His role in the2016 U.S. presidential electionwas highly controversial.Some analysts and some Clinton supporters claim his decisions shortly before the 2016 election might have cost her the presidency,particularly his decision to reopen the investigation into her emails less thantwo weeks before the election.On June 14, 2018, DOJ Inspector GeneralMichael E. Horowitzreleasedhis reporton the FBI's handling of the Clinton email investigation, which criticized Comey's actions during the 2016 election.

Donald Trumpfired Comey on May 9, 2017.Statements from Trump and the White House suggested that Comey had been fired to ease the "pressure" Trump was under due to theMueller investigation.Later that month, Comey arranged for a friend to leak to the press amemohe had written after a February 14, 2017, private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end the FBI's investigation intoMichael Flynn,the formernational security advisor.The dismissal, various memos detailing meetings with Trump, and Comey's subsequent Congressional testimony in June that same year were interpreted by some commentators as evidence ofobstruction of justiceon Trump's part and became part of the Mueller investigation.Horowitz found that Comey violated FBI policy regarding the leaked memos; however, added that there's "no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media". The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Comey.In August 2019, theOffice of the Inspector Generalfound Comey's retention, handling, and dissemination of the memos violated DOJ policies, FBI policies, and his FBI employment agreement.In December 2019, Horowitz released a report finding no political bias against Trump by Comey or other FBI officials.

Early life

Comey was born inYonkers, New York,to parents Joan Marie Comey (née Herald)and J. Brien Comey.His grandfather, William J. Comey, was an officer and later commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department.The family moved toAllendale, New Jersey,in the early 1970s.His father worked in corporate real estate and his mother was a computer consultant and homemaker.Comey is of Irish heritage.He attendedNorthern Highlands Regional High Schoolin Allendale.In 1977 he and his brother were victims of ahome invasionby a criminal called "The Ramsey Rapist".Comey graduated with honors from theCollege of William and Maryin 1982, majoring in chemistry and religion. In his senior thesis Comey analyzed the theologianReinhold Niebuhrand thetelevangelistJerry Falwell,emphasizing their common belief in public action.He received hisJuris Doctor(J.D.) from theUniversity of Chicago Law Schoolin 1985.

Early career (1985–1993)

After law school, Comey was alaw clerkfor then-United States district judgeJohn M. Walker Jr.inManhattan.Then, he was an associate forGibson, Dunn & Crutcherin their New York office. He joined theU.S. Attorney's Officefor theSouthern District of New York,where he worked from 1987 to 1993. While there, he was Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and helped prosecute theGambino crime family.

Clinton administration (1996–2001)

Assistant U.S. attorney

From 1996 to 2001, Comey was Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of theRichmondDivision of theUnited States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.In 1996, Comey acted as deputy special counsel to theSenate Whitewater Committee.He also was the lead prosecutor in the case concerning the1996 Khobar Towers bombingin Saudi Arabia.While in Richmond, Comey was an adjunct professor of law at theUniversity of Richmond School of Law.

Bush administration (2002–2005)

U.S. attorney

Comey as a US Attorney

Comey was theUnited States attorney for the Southern District of New York,from January 2002 to the time of his confirmation as Deputy Attorney General on December 11, 2003.Among his first tasks was to take over the investigation into PresidentBill Clinton'scontroversial pardonofMarc Rich,which Comey concluded involved no illegality.In November 2002, he led the prosecution of three men involved in one of the largestidentity fraudcases in American history.The fraud had lasted two years and resulted in thousands of people across the country collectively losing over $3 million.He also led the indictment ofAdelphia CommunicationsfounderJohn Rigasforbank fraud,wire fraud,andsecurities fraud.Rigas was convicted of the charges in 2004 and in 2005, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Adelphia Corporation was forced to file for bankruptcy after it acknowledged that it took $3.3 billion in false loans. It was "one of the most elaborate and extensive corporate frauds in United States history".

In February 2003, Comey was the lead prosecutor ofMartha Stewart,who was indicted on the charges ofsecurities fraud,obstruction of justice,and lying to an FBI agent.She sold 3,928 shares ofImCloneSystems, thereby avoiding a loss of $45,673. The next day, theFood and Drug Administrationrefused to accept the company's application forErbitux.In March 2003, he led the indictment of ImClone CEOSamuel Waksal,who pleaded guilty for avoiding paying $1.2 million in sales taxes on $15 million worth of contemporary paintings. The works were byMark Rothko,Richard Serra,Roy Lichtenstein,andWillem de Kooning.In April 2003, he led the indictment ofFrank Quattrone,who allegedly urged subordinates in 2000 to destroy evidence sought by investigators looking into his investment banking practices atCredit Suisse First Boston.In June 2003, he revealed "Operation Project Meltdown", which started in January 1999 by the El Dorado Task Force, that found a money laundering scheme avoidingsuspicious activity reports (SARS)from banks in which very large amounts of bothgoldanddiamondsfromWest 47th Street jewelersin New York City were shipped toColombiaas profits of aColombian narcotics cartel.This resulted in the arrests of eleven jewelry dealers and others including Luis Kuichis, owner of Alberto Jewelry, Jaime Ross, owner of Ross Refiners of 47 West 47th Street, and a father and son Roman and Eduard Nektakov, respectively, who are fromUzbekistanand immigrated to New York City in 1972 settling inForest Hillsand establishing Roman Jewelers in 1974 on West 47th Street.In November 2003, he led the prosecutions in "Operation Wooden Nickel", which resulted in complaints and indictments against 47 people involved inforeign exchangetrading scams.

Deputy Attorney General (2003–2005)

Plame affair

Comey appointedPatrick Fitzgeraldto be the special counsel to head thegrand jury investigationinto thePlame affairafter Attorney GeneralJohn Ashcroftrecused himself.

NSA domestic wiretapping

In early January 2006,The New York Times,as part of its investigation into theBush administration'swarrantless domestic surveillance program,reported on an incident in which Comey and other Justice Department officials refused to certify the legality of central aspects of theNational Security Agency(NSA) program.The DOJ had issued a finding that the domesticwiretappingunder theTerrorist Surveillance Program(TSP) was unconstitutional if such were done without a court warrant. Under White House procedures, DOJ approval was required in order for the program to be renewed.In early March 2004, FBI DirectorRobert S. Mueller IIIand Comey had prepared their resignations if the White House overruled the DOJ's finding that the program was unconstitutional.

On March 10, 2004, while the issue was still pending,United States Attorney GeneralJohn Ashcroftwas recovering in the intensive care unit at theGeorge Washington University Hospitalafter gall bladder surgery. His wife was with him. He had recused himself from any Justice Department decisions while recovering, designating Comey as acting attorney general. In his hospital room he was visited by White House officialsAlberto GonzalesandAndrew Card,who pressured him to sign papers reauthorizing the domestic surveillance program. Alarmed by the situation, his wife called for Comey to join them, and he summoned FBI Director Mueller and two other DOJ officials,Jack GoldsmithandPatrick Philbin.None of the four would agree to reauthorize the program, and Ashcroft refused to take any action while he was recused.In Goldsmith's 2007 memoir, he said Comey had come to the hospital to support Ashcroft in withstanding pressure from the White House.Comey later confirmed these events took place in testimony to theUnited States Senate Judiciary Committeeon May 16, 2007.Mueller's notes on the March 10, 2004, incident, which were released to a House Judiciary committee, confirm that he "Saw (the) AG, John Ashcroft in the room (who was) feeble, barely articulate, clearly stressed."

Comey and Mueller cancelled their plans to resign after meeting on March 12, 2004, directly with PresidentBush,who directed that requisite changes be made to the surveillance program.

Enhanced interrogation techniques

When Comey was Deputy Attorney General in 2005, he endorsed a memorandum that approved the use of 13 so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques"that includedwaterboardingand sleep deprivation for up to180 hours (7+1⁄2days), which would be used by the CIA when interrogating suspects.Comey objected to a second memorandum, drafted byDaniel Levinand signed bySteven G. Bradbury,which stated that these techniques could be used in combination.Comey was one of the few members of the Bush administration who had tried to prevent or limit the use of torture.

During his 2013 confirmation hearing, Comey stated that in his personal opinion, waterboarding was torture,and theUnited Nations Convention against Torturewas "very vague" and difficult to interpret as banning the practice.Even though he believed the practice was legal at the time,he strongly disagreed with the techniques and as a matter of policy, he opposed implementing them.His objections were ultimately overruled by theNational Security Council.

Private sector (2005–2013)

Comey left the Department of Justice in August 2005.In August 2005, it was announced that Comey would enter the private sector, becoming thegeneral counseland senior vice president forLockheed Martin,theU.S. Department of Defense's largestcontractor.Comey's tenure took effect on October 1, 2005,serving in that capacity until June 2, 2010, when he announced he would leave Lockheed Martin to join the senior management committee atBridgewater Associates,aConnecticut-basedinvestment managementfirm.Comey received a three million dollar payout from Bridgewater. His net worth estimated at 14 million dollars.

On February 1, 2013, after leaving Bridgewater, he was appointed byColumbia University Law Schoolas a senior research scholar and Hertog fellow on national security law.He was also appointed to the board of directors of the London-basedfinancial institutionHSBC Holdings,to improve the company's compliance program after its $1.9 billion settlement with the Justice Department for failing to comply with basicdue diligencerequirements formoney launderingregarding Mexicandrug cartelsandterrorism financing.Since 2012, he has also served on theDefense Legal Policy Board.

Testimony before congressional committees

Dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy

Timeline Summary of attorneys Congressional hearings List of dismissed attorneys All related articles

In May 2007, Comey testified before theSenate Committee on the Judiciaryand theHouse Judiciary subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Lawon theU.S. attorney dismissal controversy.His testimony contradicted that of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who had said the firings had been due to poor performance on the part of some of the dismissed prosecutors.Comey stressed that the Justice Department had to be perceived as nonpartisan and nonpolitical to function.

The Department of Justice, in my view, is run by political appointees of the President. The U.S. attorneys are political appointees of the President. But once they take those jobs and run this institution, it's very important in my view for that institution to be another in American life, that—because my people had to stand up before juries of all stripes, talk to sheriffs of all stripes, judges of all stripes. They had to be seen as the good guys, and not as either this administration or that administration.

Supreme Court considerations

Politicoreported in May 2009, White House officials pushed for Comey's inclusion on the short list of names to replaceAssociate JusticeDavid Souteron theU.S. Supreme Court.Politicolater reported liberal activists were upset about the possibility of Comey's name being included. John Brittain of theLawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Lawstated, "[Comey] came in with the Bushies. What makes you think he'd be just an inch or two more to the center than[John] Roberts?I'd be greatly disappointed. "

In 2013, Comey was a signatory to anamicus curiaebrief submitted to the Supreme Court in support ofsame-sex marriageduring theHollingsworth v. Perrycase.

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (2013–2017)

Comey, PresidentObama,and outgoing FBI DirectorRobert Muellerat Comey's nomination to become FBI Director, June 21, 2013

Comey at theOval Officefollowing theSan Bernardino attack,December 3, 2015

Obama receives an update from Comey and Homeland Security AdvisorLisa Monacoon theOrlando nightclub shooting,June 12, 2016

The May 2013 reports became official the following month when PresidentBarack Obamarevealed that he would nominate Comey to be the nextdirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,replacing outgoing directorRobert Mueller.Comey was reportedly chosen over another finalist,Lisa Monaco,who had overseen national security issues at the Justice Department during theattack on the U.S. consulateinBenghazi, Libya,on September 11, 2012.

On July 29, 2013, the Senate confirmed Comey to a full ten-year term as FBI director. He was confirmed by a vote of 93–1. Two senators voted present.He was sworn in as FBI director on September 4, 2013.Comey was dismissed by PresidentDonald Trumpon May 9, 2017.

Police and African Americans

Comey at annual FBI and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute conference, May 25, 2016

In February 2015, Comey delivered a speech atGeorgetown Universityin Washington, D.C., regarding the relationship between police and the African-American community.He said that, "At many points in American history, law enforcement enforced the status quo – a status quo that was often brutally unfair to disfavored groups", mentioning as an example his own Irish ancestors, who he said had, in the early 20th century, often been regarded by law enforcement as drunks and criminals. He added, "The Irish had some tough times, but little compares to the experience on our soil of black Americans", going on to highlight current societal issues such as lack of opportunities for employment and education which can lead young black men to crime.Comey stated:

Police officers on patrol in our nation's cities often work in environments where a hugely disproportionate percentage of street crime is committed by young men of color. Something happens to people of good will working in that environment. After years of police work, officers often can't help be influenced by the cynicism they feel. A mental shortcut becomes almost irresistible.

In October 2015, Comey gave a speech in which he raised concerns thatbody worn videoresults in less effective policing; this opinion contradicted the President's public position.Days later, President Obama met with Comey in the Oval Office to address the issue.

In an October 23 speech at theUniversity of Chicago Law School,Comey said:

I remember being asked why we were doing so much prosecuting in black neighborhoods and locking up so many black men. After all, Richmond was surrounded by areas with largely white populations. Surely there were drug dealers in the suburbs. My answer was simple: We are there in those neighborhoods because that's where people are dying. These are the guys we lock up because they are the predators choking off the life of a community. We did this work because we believed that all lives matter, especially the most vulnerable.

Comments on Poland and the Holocaust

In April 2015, Comey spoke at theUnited States Holocaust Memorial Museumin Washington, arguing in favor of moreHolocausteducation.AfterThe Washington Postprinted a version of his speech,Anne Applebaumwrote that his reference to "the murderers and accomplices of Germany, and Poland, and Hungary" was inaccurately saying that Poles were as responsible for the Holocaust as Germans.His speech was also criticized by Polish authorities, andStephen D. Mull,United States ambassador to Poland,was called to the PolishMinistry of Foreign Affairs.Applebaum wrote that Comey, "in a speech that was reprinted inThe Postarguing for more Holocaust education, demonstrated just how badly he needs it himself ".

Ambassador Mull issued an apology for Comey's remarks.When asked about his remarks, Comey said, "I regret linking Germany and Poland... The Polish state bears no responsibility for the horrors imposed by the Nazis. I wish I had not used any other country names because my point was a universal one about human nature."

OPM data hack

In June 2015, theUnited States Office of Personnel Management(OPM) announced that it had been the target of adata breachtargeting the records of as many as four million people.Later, Comey put the number at 18 million.TheWashington Posthas reported that the attack originated inChina,citing unnamed government officials.Comey said: "It is a very big deal from a national security perspective and from a counterintelligence perspective. It's a treasure trove of information about everybody who has worked for, tried to work for, or works for the United States government."

Hillary Clinton email investigation

Report of Investigation of Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey's Disclosure of Sensitive Investigative Information and Handling of Certain Memoranda

Main article:Hillary Clinton email controversy

On July 10, 2015, the FBI opened a criminal investigation intoHillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she wasSecretary of State.On June 29, 2016, Attorney GeneralLoretta Lynch,who was Comey's Boss, andBill Clintonmet aboard her plane on the tarmac of thePhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,leading to calls for her recusal. Lynch then announced that she would "fully" accept the recommendation of the FBI regarding the probe.On July 2, FBI agents completed their investigation by interviewing Hillary Clinton at FBI headquarters, following which Comey and his associates decided there was no basis for criminal indictments in the case.

Release of information about the investigation

On July 5, 2016, Comey announced the FBI's recommendation that theUnited States Department of Justicefile no criminal charges relating to theHillary Clinton email controversy.During a 15-minute press conference in theJ. Edgar Hoover Building,Comey called Secretary Clinton's and her top aides' behavior "extremely careless", but concluded that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case". It was believed to be the first time the FBI disclosed its prosecutorial recommendation to the Department of Justice publicly.On July 7, 2016, Comey was questioned by a Republican-led House committee during a hearing regarding the FBI's recommendation.

Comey's October letter

On October 26, 2016, two weeks before the presidential election, Comey learned that FBI agents investigating an unrelated case involving former congressmanAnthony Weinerhad discovered emails on Weiner's computer between his wife,Huma Abedin,and Clinton. Claiming he believed it would take months to review Weiner's emails, Comey decided he had to inform Congress that the investigation was being reopened due to new information.Justice Department lawyers warned him that giving out public information about an investigation was inconsistent with department policy, but he considered the policy to be "guidance" rather than an ironclad rule.He decided that to not reveal the new information would be misleading to Congress and the public.On October 28, Comey sent a letter to members of Congress advising them that the FBI was reviewing more emails. Members of Congress revealed the information to the public within minutes.Republican and Democratic lawmakers, as well as the Clinton and Trump campaigns, called on Comey to provide additional details.

TheClinton campaign,former officials, and political commentators criticized his decision to announce the reopened investigation, which was described as anOctober surprise,a "serious mistake", and an "error in judgment".Law professorRichard Painterfiled complaints with theUnited States Office of Special Counseland theUnited States Office of Government Ethicsover Comey's letter to Congress.

The investigators received additional resources so they could complete their review of the new emails before Election Day,and on November 6, 2016, Comey wrote in a second letter to Congress that "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July".

Comey was broadly criticized for his actions from both the right and the left.According to the Clinton campaign, the letters effectively stopped the campaign's momentum by hurting Clinton's chances with voters who were receptive to Trump's claims of a "rigged system".Polling authorityNate Silvercommented on Twitter that Comey had a "large, measurable impact on the race".Other analysts, such as Democratic strategistDavid Axelrod,said that Comey's public actions were just one of several cumulative factors that cost Clinton the election.On May 2, 2017, Clinton told CNN'sChristiane Amanpour:"I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and RussianWikiLeaksraised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off. "On May 3, 2017, Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that it "makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election", but that "honestly, it wouldn't change the decision" to release the information.

Investigations

On January 12, 2017, theUnited States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector Generalannounced a formal investigation into whether the FBI followed proper procedures in its investigation of Clinton or whether "improper considerations" were made by FBI personnel.

On July 27, 2017, theHouse Judiciary Committeedecided to request documents related to Comey, including the FBI investigation of Clinton, Comey's conduct during the 2016 election, and his release of his memo to the press.The committee's Republicans also wrote a letter to Attorney GeneralJeff Sessionsasking him to appoint a second special prosecutor to investigate these issues.

In September 2017, two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee,Chuck Grassley(R-IA) andLindsey Graham(R-SC), alleged that Comey planned to exonerate Clinton in her email scandal long before the agency had completed its investigation.The story was confirmed by the FBI in October, which released a Comey memo dated May 2. Comey had interviewed Clinton as part of his investigation on July 2. Former FBI official Ron Hosko reacted saying, "You tend to reach final conclusions as the investigation is logically ended. Not months before." Donald Trump called it "disgraceful". In contrast, former Department of Justice spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on Twitter, "The decision is never 'made' until the end, even when there's a 99% chance it is only going to go one way."

Comey's original draft of the exoneration stated that Clinton had committed "gross negligence", which is a crime. However, the language was later changed to "extreme carelessness".In December, it was revealed that the change had been made byPeter Strzok,an FBI official who would later join Mueller's probe and be dismissed after exchanging private messages with an FBI lawyer that could be seen as favoring Clinton politically.

On June 14, 2018, Inspector GeneralMichael Horowitzissuedhis reportcriticizing Comey's handling of the Clinton email probe as "insubordinate".Specifically, he stated that Comey made "a serious error in judgment", "usurped the authority of the Attorney General", "chose to deviate" from established procedures, and engaged "in his own subjective, ad hoc decision making" by publicly announcing that he wouldn't recommend any charges in the Clinton email investigation in July 2016 and later by sending a letter to Congress about reopening the case.The report found no evidence of political bias, although other high-ranking FBI officials showed "willingness to take official action" to negatively impact the Trump campaign.

Russian election interference investigation

See also:Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections

In late August 2016, the FBI acquired some reports from what would later be known as theSteele dossier.In late July, the FBI opened an investigation into the Trump campaign.Comey asked President Obama for permission to write anop-ed,which would warn the public that the Russians were interfering in the election. The president denied the request.CIA DirectorJohn O. Brennanthen gave an unusual private briefing on the Russians to Senate Minority LeaderHarry Reid;Reid then publicly referred to the briefing.Comey, however, refused to confirm—even in classified congressional briefings—that the Trump Campaign was under investigation.In early October, meetings were held in the White HouseSituation Room;National Security AdvisorSusan Riceargued that the information should be released, while Comey argued that disclosure was no longer needed.

In January 2017, Comey first met Trump when he briefed the president-elect on the Steele dossier.On January 27, 2017, Trump and Comey dined alone at the White House.According to Trump, Comey requested the dinner so as to ask to keep his job and, when asked, told Trump that he was not under investigation. Trump has stated that he did not ask Comey to pledge his loyalty. However, according to Comey's associates, Trump requested the dinner, asked Comey to pledge his loyalty, twice, to which Comey replied, twice, that he would always be honest, until Trump asked him if he would promise "honest loyalty", which Comey did.

On February 14, the day after President Trump firedMichael T. Flynn,Comey met with the president during a terrorism threat briefing in theOval Office.At the end of the meeting Trump asked the other security chiefs to leave, then told Comey to consider imprisoning reporters over leaks and that "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go."Comey, as is usual, immediately documented the meeting in amemoand shared it with FBI officials.In his congressional testimony, Comey clarified that he took Trump's comment to be "an order" to drop the Flynn investigation, but "that he did not consider this an order to drop the Russia investigation as a whole".

On March 4, Comey asked the Justice Department for permission, which was not given, to publicly refute Trump's claim that his phones had been wiretapped by then-President Obama.

On March 20, in testimony before theHouse Intelligence Committee,Comey confirmed that the FBI has been investigating possible coordination between theTrump campaignand Russia and whether any crimes were committed.During the hearing, the White House Twitter account posted "The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence the electoral process", which Comey, when he was read the tweet by CongressmanJim Himes,directly refuted.Comey refuted the President'sTrump Tower wiretapping allegations,testifying "I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside the FBI."

U.S. RepresentativeChris Stewart(R-UT) asked Comey in the hearing: "Mr.Clapperthen went on to say that to his knowledge there was no evidence of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and the Russians. We did not conclude any evidence in our report and when I say 'our report,' that is the NSA, FBI, and CIA with my office, the director of national intelligence said anything – any reflection of collusion between the members of Trump campaign and the Russians, there was no evidence of that in our report. Was Mr. Clapper wrong when he said that? "Comey responded:" I think he's right about characterizing the report which you all have read. "Press SecretarySean Spicerand a White House tweet then highlighted this testimony as proof that Clapper was "right" there was no evidence of collusion, causing Clapper to release a statement clarifying he had been referring to the evidence as gathered in January and that more investigation is needed.

On May 3, in testimony before theSenate Judiciary Committee,Comey said that Russia is the "greatest threat of any nation on Earth... One of the biggest lessons learned is that Russia will do this again. Because of 2016 election, they know it worked."He also said that Russia should pay a price for interfering.

In early May, a few days before he was fired, Comey reportedly asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in funding and personnel for the Russia probe.On May 11, 2017, Acting FBI DirectorAndrew McCabesaid to theSenate Intelligence Committeethat he was unaware of the request and stated, "I believe we have the adequate resources to do it and I know that we have resourced that investigation adequately."

Comey had been scheduled to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee on May 11, but after he was dismissed on May 9, committee chairSenator Richard Burr(R-NC) said that McCabe would appear instead.Comey spoke before the committee on June 8.His prepared opening statements were released by the Intelligence Committee on its website one day before the official hearings.

Government surveillance oversight

See also:Mass surveillance in the United States

In his July 2013 FBI confirmation hearing, Comey said that the oversight mechanisms of the U.S. government have sufficient privacy protections.In a November 2014New York Times Magazinearticle,Yalehistorian Beverly Gage reported that Comey kept on his desk a copy of the FBI request to wiretapMartin Luther King Jr."as a reminder of the bureau's capacity to do wrong".

In 2016, Comey and his agency were criticized for their request toApple Inc.to install a "back door" for U.S. surveillance agencies to use. Former NSA and CIA directorMichael Haydenstated: "Jim would like a back door available to American law enforcement in all devices globally. And, frankly, I think on balance that actually harms American safety and security, even though it might make Jim's job a bit easier in some specific circumstances."Comey, speaking at a cybersecurity conference in 2017, told the audience, "There is no such thing as absolute privacy in America; there is no place outside of judicial reach."

Dismissal

Main article:Dismissal of James Comey

Trump's letter firing Comey

President Trump formally dismissed Comey on May 9, 2017, less than 4 years into his 10-year term asDirector of the FBI.Comey first learned of his termination from television news reports that flashed on screen while he was delivering a speech to agents at the Los Angeles Field Office.Sources said he was surprised and caught off guard by the termination. Comey immediately departed for Washington, D.C., and was forced to cancel his scheduled speech that night at an FBI recruitment event.Trump reportedly called Deputy DirectorAndrew McCabethe next day, demanding to know why Comey had been allowed to fly back to Washington on an FBI jet after he had been fired.

On May 10, Comey sent a letter to FBI staff in which he said, "I have long believed that a president can fire an FBI director for any reason, or for no reason at all. I'm not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won't either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply."In the absence of a Senate-confirmed FBI director, McCabe automatically became Acting Director.

Reasons for dismissal

The White House initially stated the firing was on the recommendation ofUnited States Attorney GeneralJeff SessionsandDeputy Attorney GeneralRod Rosenstein,to both of whom Comey reported.Rosenstein had sent a memorandum to Sessions, forwarded to Trump, in which Rosenstein listed objections to Comey's conduct in the investigation intoHillary Clinton's emails.It allowed the Trump administration to attribute Comey's firing to Rosenstein's recommendation about the Clinton email controversy. It was later revealed that on May 8, Trump had requested Sessions and Rosenstein to detail in writing a case against Comey.Rosenstein's memo was forwarded to Trump on May 9 and was then construed as a recommendation to dismiss Comey, which Trump immediately did. In Trump's termination letter to Comey, he attributed the firing to the respective letters from Sessions and Rosenstein.On May 10, Trump told reporters he had fired Comey because Comey "wasn't doing a good job".White House press secretarySarah Huckabee Sandersadded that the FBI rank and file had lost faith in Comey and that she had "heard from countless members of the FBI... grateful and thankful for the president's decision."

By May 11, however, in a direct contradiction of the earlier statements by the White House, Vice PresidentMike Pence,and the contents of the dismissal letter itself, President Trump stated toLester Holtin anNBC Newsinterview that Comey's dismissal was in fact "my decision" and "I was going to fire [Comey] regardless of recommendation [by Jeff Sessions and Rod Rosenstein]."Trump later said of the dismissal "when I decided to just do it [fire Comey], I said to myself, I said 'You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.'"In the same televised interview, Trump labelled Comey "a showboat" and "grandstander".

On May 19,The New York Timespublished excerpts of an official White House document summarizing Trump's private meeting, the day after the firing, with Russian foreign ministerSergey Lavrovand the Russian ambassador to the United States,Sergey Kislyak,in the Oval Office. Trump told Kislyak and Lavrov that he "just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job". Trump added: "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off", further adding "I'm not under investigation."

According to reports, Trump had been openly talking to aides about finding a reason to fire Comey for at least a week before both the dismissal and the request of memoranda from Sessions and Rosenstein the day prior. Trump was angry and frustrated when, in the week prior to his dismissal, Comey revealed in Senate testimony the breadth of the counterintelligence investigation into Russia's effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He felt Comey was giving too much attention to the Russia probe and not enough to internal leaks to the press from within the government.Shortly before he was fired, Comey had requested additional money and resources to further expand the probe intoRussian interference into the Presidential election.Trump had long questioned Comey's loyalty to him personally and Comey's judgment to act accordingly.Moreover, Trump was angry that Comey would not support his claim that PresidentBarack Obamahad his campaign offices wiretapped.

Documenting meetings with Trump

On May 16, 2017, it was first reported that Comey had prepared a detailed set of notes following every meeting and telephone call he had with President Trump.

Reference to tapes

On May 12, President Trump tweeted "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!",which some political and legal analysts, as well as opposition politicians, interpreted as a threat to Comey.On June 8, when asked by theSenate Intelligence Committeeabout the existence of tapes, Comey replied "Lordy, I hope there are tapes!" He added that he would have no problem with the public release of any recordings.

On June 22, after theHouse Judiciary committeethreatened the White House with a potentialsubpoenafor the alleged tapes, Trump issued a tweet stating "I have no idea... whether there are 'tapes' or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings. "Hours later, when asked to clarify thenon-denial denialwording of Trump's tweet regarding the tapes, Principal Deputy White House Press SecretarySarah Huckabee Sandersstated that Trump's tweet was "extremely clear" and that she did "not have anything to add".Questions raised for clarification on Trump's tweet centered principally on whether Trump ever had knowledge of said tapes having ever existed and whether he is simply no longer privy to the knowledge of whether said tapes still exist; whether Trump currently has or ever had knowledge of a person or persons other than Trump having made said tapes or recordings; and whether Trump currently has or ever had knowledge of a person or persons other than Trump currently having or previously having had in their possession said tapes or recordings.U.S. representativeAdam Schiff(D-CA), stated that Trump's tweet "raises as many questions as it answers", and that in any event, the tweet did not comply with the June 23 deadline, and that Schiff would move forward with subpoenas for the tapes, adding that "[r]egardless of whether the President intends his tweets to be an official reply to the House Intelligence Committee, the White House must respond in writing to our committee as to whether any tapes or recordings exist."

On October 4, 2019, allegations of a possible White House recording system resurfaced after House Democrats, who have controlled US House of Representative since the2018 election,issued a subpoena for White House documents, including any possible audio tapes,following theTrump–Ukraine scandal,setting the stage for a legal battle which could go as far as the US Supreme Court.

Aftermath

Former FBI Director James Comey's memos

Comey's termination was immediately controversial. It was compared to theSaturday Night massacre,PresidentRichard Nixon's termination of special prosecutorArchibald Cox,who had been investigating theWatergate scandal,and to thefiring of Acting Attorney GeneralSally Yatesin January 2017. Many members of Congress expressed concern over the firing and argued that it would put the integrity of the investigation into jeopardy.Critics accused Trump ofobstruction of justice.

In the dismissal letter, Trump stated that Comey had told him "on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation".Fact checkers reported that while they had no way of knowing what Comey may have told Trump privately, no such assertion was on the public record at that time of Comey directly stating that Trump was not personally under investigation.However, in later Congressional testimony, Comey confirmed that on three occasions he volunteered to Trump that the latter was not personally under FBI investigation.

According to Comey associates interviewed by news organizations, Trump had asked Comey in January to pledge loyalty to him, to which Comey demurred, instead offering him "honesty".Comey indicated he was willing to testify about his dismissal but only in an open hearing.He declined an invitation from theSenate Intelligence Committeeto testify before aclosed-door session.

On May 11, Acting Director McCabe testified before theUnited States Senate Select Committee on Intelligencethat "Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does" and that "the vast majority of FBI employees enjoyed a deep and positive connection to Director Comey". This contradicted White House spokeswomanSarah Huckabee Sanders,who said she had heard from "countless" FBI agents in support of the firing.

On May 16,The New York Timesrevealed the existence of a memo Comey had written after a February 14 meeting with Trump. It said that Trump had asked him to drop the FBI's investigation intoMike Flynn,who had been fired as National Security Advisor the day before.Comey later explained that he had arranged, through a friend, for the memo to be shared with the press in hope it might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.

On June 8, 2017, Comey gave public testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about his firing.When asked why thought he had been fired, he said he had been confused by the shifting explanations for it but that "I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation."He said that he had made contemporaneous notes about several of his conversations with the president because "I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting so I felt the need to document it."He said he had not done so with the two previous presidents he had served.

On April 19, 2018, the Justice Department released 15 pages of documents to Congress which comprise partially declassifiedmemosthat Comey made after his meetings with Trump. The memos were released by Assistant Attorney GeneralStephen Boydin both a classified and unclassified versions. The unclassified version was obtained by Mary Clare Jalonick of theAssociated Presson April 19 and published the next day.

In June 2018, DOJ inspector generalMichael Horowitztold theSenate Judiciary Committeethat he had received a referral from the FBI regarding Comey's release of his Trump meeting memos toDaniel Richman,parts of which were classified "confidential" after the fact.The DOJ decided in July 2019 to not prosecute Comey, with Fox News quoting one official saying, "Everyone at the DOJ involved in the decision said it wasn't a close call. They all thought this could not be prosecuted."

In a second report released August 29, 2019, IG Horowitz found that Comey violated agency policies when he retained a set of memos he wrote documenting meetings with President Donald Trump early in 2017, and caused one of them to be leaked to the press.Though Comey is said by the report to have set a "dangerous example" for FBI employees in an attempt to "achieve a personally desired outcome", the Inspector General has found "no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media", and the Department of Justice declined to prosecute Comey.

In July 2022,The New York Timesreported that both Comey and McCabe had been selected for the most invasive type of IRS audit after they had been fired from the FBI. The matter was referred to a Treasury Department inspector general on the day after the report.The Timessaid that the odds of anyone being selected for such an audit are very low, and the odds of the two top former FBI officials both being selected by chance were "minuscule".According to tax experts, both had an increased change of being randomly selected for research audits because their incomes increased after their FBI careers ended – Comey by his book deals and paid speeches, and McCabe by his CNN punditry.TheTimesreported in November 2022 that Trump's former chief of staffJohn Kellysaid the president told him Comey and McCabe were among his perceived political enemies he wanted to "get the IRS on".Trump denied being involved in the audits.The inspector general's report found no wrongdoing. According to the report, in overall, IRS audit processes "worked as designed".

Writings

Macmillan Publishers' Flatiron Books announced in August 2017 that it had acquired the rights to Comey's first book,A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership,in which he discusses ethics, leadership, and his experience in government.Several publishers had submitted bids in an auction conducted by literary agency Javelin.The release date was moved up from May 1, 2018 to April 17, 2018, due to scrutiny faced by the FBI during theSpecial Counsel investigation.

A month before Comey's book was released, presale orders made it the top seller on Amazon.The boom was attributed to a series of Twitter attacks on Comey by Trump, in which Trump claimed that Comey "knew all about the lies and corruption going on at the highest levels of the FBI!"In response, Comey tweeted, "Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not."Comey's autobiography was well-received, withThe New York Timescalling it "very persuasive" and describing the book as "absorbing" in its book review.

Additionally, Comey has written the foreword for a biography ofFranklin D. RooseveltentitledA Christian and a Democrat: A Religious Biography of Franklin D. Rooseveltpublished byWilliam B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.Comey has authored a second book,Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust,which will also be published by Macmillan Publishers' Flatiron Books.

In 2017, a pseudonymous Twitter account called @projectexile7 (later changed to @formerbu), which uses "Reinhold Niebuhr"as its display name, was speculated to be operated by Comey, and he subsequently confirmed it to be his.

In 2023, Comey's first novel, a legal thriller entitledCentral Park West,was published byMysterious Press.He toldThe Washington Postthat he was working on more novels, saying "I want this to be my job".In 2024 he published his second novel,Westport.

Post-government life

In the summer of 2017, Comey gave the convocation speech and a series of lectures atHoward University,ahistorically black universityin Washington, D.C., In the fall of 2018, Comey returned to his alma mater, theCollege of William & Mary,to teach a course on ethical leadership. He became an executive professor in education, a non-tenured position at the College. Comey joined assistant professor Drew Stelljes to teach the course during the 2018–2019 academic year.

In February 2019, in the midst of controversy surrounding ablackfacepicture in new Virginia governorRalph Northam's medical schoolyearbook,and a national debate about theremoval of Confederate monuments and memorials,Comey published anop-edinThe Washington Post,suggesting that Virginia should get rid ofthe Confederate statues in Richmond:"Expressing bipartisan horror at blackface photos is essential, but removing the statues would show all of America that Virginia really has changed."

In a May 2019 op-ed published in theNew York Times,as Attorney GeneralWilliam Barrwas scheduled to be questioned in congressional hearings, Comey wrote: "Accomplished people lacking inner strength can't resist the compromises necessary to survive Mr. Trump and that adds up to something they will never recover from. It takes character likeMr. Mattis's to avoid the damage, because Mr. Trump eats your soul in small bites. "He concluded with, "Of course, to stay, you must be seen as on his team, so you make further compromises. You use his language, praise his leadership, tout his commitment to values. And then you are lost. He has eaten your soul."

In 2020, Comey's tenure as the FBI director has been depicted in theShowtimeTV mini-seriesThe Comey Rule;he was portrayed byJeff Daniels.

Party affiliation

Comey was a registeredRepublicanfor most of his life. He donated to SenatorJohn McCain'scampaignin the2008 presidential electionand to GovernorMitt Romney'scampaignin the2012 presidential election.He disclosed during congressional testimony in July 2016 that he was no longer registered with any party.In an interview withABC Newsin April 2018, Comey said that the Republican Party "left me and many others", and that "these people don't represent anything I believe in".In July 2018, Comey urged voters to vote for Democratic candidates in the2018 midterm electionsthrough Twitter. He wrote, "This Republican Congresshas proven incapable of fulfilling the Founders' design that 'Ambition must... counteract ambition.' All who believe in this country's values must vote for Democrats this fall. Policy differences don't matter right now. History has its eyes on us. "He donated to the campaign of Virginia Democratic candidateJennifer Wextonin the 2018 elections and canvassed for Wexton.He donated to SenatorAmy Klobuchar'scampaignin the2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries;following the suspension of her campaign, he then endorsed former Vice PresidentJoe Biden.

Personal life

Comey is ofIrishdescent and was raised in aRoman Catholichouseholdbut now belongs to theUnited Methodist Church,where he has taughtSunday school.He is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) tall.

Comey met his wife, Patrice Failor, when they were both students at the College of William and Mary. They married in 1987 and are the parents of five children,and a son who died in infancy. He has said that he learned to make something good happen after a tragedy.They have also beenfoster parents.As of 2023,Comey and his wife reside inMcLean, Virginia.

Their oldest daughter, Maurene, graduated fromHarvard Law Schoolin 2013 and is currently anassistant U.S. attorneyin theU.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

In his bookDonald Trump v. The United States,Michael S. Schmidtrevealed that Comey was diagnosed with stage 3colon cancerin 2006.Comey had a malignant tumor removed from his colon in 2006.

See also

• Inspector General report on FBI and DOJ actions in the 2016 election

Further reading

• Ackerman, Spencer (June 27, 2013)."James Comey remained at Justice Department as monitoring went on".The Guardian.
• Murphy, Laura (June 21, 2013)."Let's check James Comey's Bush years record before he becomes FBI director".The Guardian.
• Roberts, Riley (September 11, 2016)."The Case Against James Comey".Politico.
• Wittes, Benjamin."In Defense of Jim Comey: Politico's Bizarrely Shoddy Attack on the FBI Director".Lawfare Blog.September 14, 2016.

External links

• James ComeyonTwitter
• Department of Justice Farewell Address
• James B. Comey – White House Biography
• AppearancesonC-SPAN
• James B. Comey Professional Biography,United States Department of Justice
• Transcript of James Comey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, May 15, 2007
• "Intelligence Under the Law", a speech delivered by James Comey to the National Security Agency on Law Day, May 20, 2005
• "Corporate Counsel article –" Attention Must Be Paid "".law. January 1, 2008.
• Profile on Columbia Law School
• James Comey's opening statement preceding the June 8, 2017 Senate Intelligence Committee hearing