Former FBI Director James Comey responds to reports of watchdog probe: "@ me bruh"
Former FBI Director James Comey appeared to respond to new reports that an independent watchdog at the Department of Justice had previously opened a probe into Comey for allegedly leaking classified information during his time at DOJ.
Outlets including The Associated Press, CNN and Fox News reported that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz previously referred Comey for potential prosecution for leaking classified information, but Justice had ultimately decided against prosecuting him. Comey, however, seemed unfazed by the action, tweeting: "I love transparency."
"I just wait for facts before I talk about them. I'm confident the results of all IG reports will show honest public servants worked hard to protect this country from a threat this president and his enablers won't acknowledge. And @ me next time, bruh," Comey added in a subtle nod to popular Twitter culture.
Comey had been criticized by many Republicans, including President Trump, in the wake of his dramatic firing and the subsequent Russia probe carried out by former special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr. Trump had repeatedly lambasted Comey as a "leaker" for revealing memos of his private conversations with the president which Comey had released just before his firing.
In his testimony before Congress, Comey revealed that he leaked his own memos to his friend, Daniel Richman, a professor at Columbia University's law school. Richman then provided the contents of the memo to a reporter at The New York Times who wrote about it. The former FBI chief said he hoped the leaking of the memo would prompt the selection of a special prosecutor to oversee the FBI's investigation into Russian interference. Comey said he had a right to leak the memos because they were his own recollections.
While Comey welcomed the scrutuny of the IG's office, House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows suggested the probe would paint a very different picture of Comey's actions in public service.
"The truth is coming. His actions will come to light. And the verdict won't be pretty," Meadows tweeted.
Asked about the DOJ's decision not to prosecute Comey, Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday: "I really don't know, I would be surprised, because what James Comey did was illegal but I don't know anything about that."
