Jail time is being ruled out for James Comey.
An 83-page report from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) has been released, and it contains some harsh words for the former FBI director. Despite this, the DOJ has decided not to prosecute, according to NPR.
“A dangerous example”
The IG’s probe came after Comey provided memos from his meetings with President Donald Trump to Columbia law professor Daniel Richman, according to Fox News. Richman, in turn, passed them on to The New York Times.
Comey’s decision to remove the memos, keep them in a safe at his home, and provide them to an outside party were all deemed examples of misconduct — and they received a scathing characterization.
“By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment,” the report stated, “and by using it to create public pressure for official action, Comey set a dangerous example for the over 35,000 current FBI employees — and the many thousands more former FBI employees — who similarly have access to or knowledge of non-public information.”
What’s more, the report noted that Comey understood the danger leaking posed. He reportedly told President Trump “that the FBI’s ability to conduct its work is compromised ‘if people run around telling the press what we do.'”
Others at the FBI also recognized the significance of Comey’s actions, with reports saying senior figures were “surprised,” “stunned,” and “shocked” by the news.
It’s not over yet
The ex-FBI director attempted to justify his actions by claiming they were “something I [had] to do if I love this country…and I love the Department of Justice, and I love the FBI.” But the IG report’s authors didn’t regard this as an excuse.
They explained that “Comey’s own, personal conception of what was necessary was not an appropriate basis for ignoring the policies and agreements governing the use of FBI records, especially given the other lawful and appropriate actions he could have taken to achieve his desired end.”
Despite the condemnation, Comey remained defiant, according to Vice. “I don’t need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a ‘sorry we lied about you’ would be nice,” Comey wrote in a tweet on Thursday, blasting “all those who spent two years talking about me ‘going to jail’ or being a ‘liar and a leaker.’”
But it’s not over yet for Comey. This report’s scope was limited to the mishandling of classified memos; another inspector general’s report on illegally obtained FISA warrants is yet to be released — and Comey is expected to feature prominently in it.
Maybe jail time will be in James Comey’s future after all.
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