JAMES COMEY HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO CONGRESS AND OBSTRUCTION OF A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING.

 

THE FORMER FBI DIRECTOR HAS BEEN SCRUTINIZED OVER THE YEARS BY BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.

 

COMEY, A FORMER REPUBLICAN WHO IS NO LONGER REGISTERED WITH A POLITICAL PARTY, SPENT 15 YEARS AS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR BEFORE SERVING IN THE GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

 

HIS OFFICE BROUGHT THE CASE THAT LED TO MARTHA STEWART’S CONVICTION ON OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND LYING TO GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATORS.

 

SOUNDBITE: (English) James Comey, Manhattan U.S. Attorney.

"Martha Stewart is being prosecuted not because of who she is, but because of what she did.”

 

AS AN ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY IN THE SAME VIRGINIA OFFICE THAT LATER PROSECUTED HIM, HE HANDLED THE INVESTIGATION OF THE 1996 BOMBING OF THE KHOBAR TOWERS HOUSING COMPLEX IN SAUDI ARABIA THAT KILLED 19 MEMBERS OF THE U.S. MILITARY.

 

IN 2013, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA NOMINATED COMEY TO HEAD THE FBI.

 

SOUNDBITE: (English) James Comey, FBI Director:

"Mr. President, I am so grateful for this honor and this opportunity to serve with the men and women of the FBI.”

 

HE THEN SKYROCKETED IN PUBLIC INTEREST IN 2016, WHEN HE LOBBED A STINK BOMB INTO THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE JUST BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTION BY ANNOUNCING INVESTIGATORS HAD FOUND MORE EMAILS THAT MIGHT — OR MIGHT NOT — RELATE TO HILLARY CLINTON’S USE OF A PRIVATE EMAIL SETUP AS SECRETARY OF STATE.

 

SOUNDBITE (English) James Comey, Former FBI Director:

"Look this was terrible, it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election, but honestly, it wouldn't change the decision.”

 

HE WAS FBI DIRECTOR WHEN TRUMP WAS INAUGURATED IN JANUARY OF 2017, WHERE HE OVERSAW A AN INQUIRY INTO TIES BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TRUMP’S SUCCESSFUL 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

 

COMEY WAS FIRED MONTHS INTO TRUMP’S FIRST ADMINISTRATION AND SINCE THEN HAS REMAINED A TOP TARGET FOR TRUMP SUPPORTERS SEEKING RETALIATION RELATED TO THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. 

 

SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

“I guess they started it because I fired Comey which was a great thing I did for our country.”

 

TRUMP HAS FOR YEARS DERIDED THAT INVESTIGATION AS A “HOAX” AND A “WITCH HUNT” DESPITE MULTIPLE GOVERNMENT REVIEWS SHOWING MOSCOW INTERFERED ON BEHALF OF THE REPUBLICAN’S CAMPAIGN, AND HAS MADE CLEAR HIS DESIRE FOR RETRIBUTION.

 

THE RECENT INDICTMENT AGAINST COMEY ACCUSES HIM OF HAVING LIED TO A SENATE COMMITTEE IN 2020 WHEN HE SAID HE NEVER AUTHORIZED ANYONE TO SERVE AS AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE TO A REPORTER ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION.

 

BEFORE THE CHARGES EMERGED, TRUMP TOLD REPORTERS THAT COMEY WAS A “BAD PERSON.” HE LATER REVELED IN NEWS OF THE INDICTMENT.