A former top FBI official, James Comey, faces accusations of misleading Congress during a 2020 hearing. The charges stem from Comey’s testimony about authorizing someone to speak anonymously to the media.
The heart of the matter involves questions about how Comey and his team handled investigations into whether Russia aided Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, as well as the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was Secretary of State.
Prosecutors say Comey lied when he said he didn’t allow anyone at the FBI to be an anonymous source for news stories. They claim he instructed someone to talk to reporters.
During the hearing, Republican Senator Ted Cruz questioned Comey about the role of Comey’s deputy, Andy McCabe, in leaking information to the Wall Street Journal about the Clinton email investigation. Cruz pointed out that Comey had previously stated he hadn’t authorized anyone to speak to the media. Cruz then noted that McCabe had admitted to leaking information and claimed Comey was aware and had authorized it.
Comey stood by his earlier testimony. He had previously been asked if he had ever authorized anyone at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports about the Trump or Clinton investigations. Comey answered, “No.”
The person Comey is accused of authorizing to speak to the media, known as “Person 3” in the indictment, appears to have been discussing an investigation related to Clinton.
Following his firing by President Trump in 2017, Comey shared a memo detailing his interactions with the president with a friend, Daniel Richman. Comey admitted that he had authorized Richman to share the memo with journalists, hoping it would lead to the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Trump.
The indictment comes after years of public disagreement between Trump and Comey. Trump has criticized Comey for starting the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Comey has also been critical of Trump. After the indictment, Comey stated that he and his family knew there would be “costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” adding that he is innocent.
