Shameless Comey Tries To Spin IG Report, Claims He's Owed an Apology
He might deserve a hand just for the chutzpah.
After Thursday’s Justice Department inspector general’s report became public, blasting former FBI Director James Comey for his handling of FBI information and orchestrating a leak meant to damage President Donald Trump, Comey decided to go on the offensive to demand an apology from those he said had “defamed” him.
He shouldn’t be expecting one any time soon.
Comey took to social media on Thursday only minutes after the release of the IG report, which concluded in no uncertain terms that Comey had violated FBI policies while he was still its director by keeping personal memos of his conversations with Trump that had been produced on government equipment.
The report found that Comey had shared some of these memos with his personal attorneys and was behind the leak of one of the memos to The New York Times, in hopes of sparking the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate the Trump White House.
In a normal world, a man who’d once held a position like Comey’s would be disgraced by such a document — which concluded he’d not only violated the policies he was duty-bound to enforce, but had set a despicable example for thousands of FBI employees.
But nothing is normal for anti-Trump zealots, and Comey’s shamelessness was on display for the whole world in his response to the report.
See, by Comey’s reasoning, the IG report found that he hadn’t disseminated classified information, so all those meanies who’ve been attacking him for the past two years have been doing him wrong.
DOJ IG “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.” 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.
— James Comey (@Comey) August 29, 2019
And to all those who’ve spent two years talking about me “going to jail” or being a “liar and a leaker”—ask yourselves why you still trust people who gave you bad info for so long, including the president.
— James Comey (@Comey) August 29, 2019
Seriously?
The guy has just been painted as an unscrupulous backstabber, caught out at playing the old Washington game of selective leaks to selected news outlets to damage attack an opponent, and he wants an apology because it wasn’t classified information?
Fox News’ Brit Hume had one of the best responses:
So Comey wants an apology because while he violated department policy and his contractual obligations by leaking, he didn’t leak classified info. How about a “sorry I leaked that information in violation of both policy and my contract?” https://t.co/Ny3Oxe8p7t
— Brit Hume (@brithume) August 29, 2019
Judging by the reaction on social media, plenty of users agreed with Hume.
This guy! Hey @Comey how about an apology for infusing politics into the premier law enforcement agency in the world and permitting 2 tiered justice for those favored by those on 7th floor? I hope they are just getting started with you.
— Dana Skaggs (@DanaSkaggs1) August 29, 2019
He knows the “orange man bad” stooges will use this tweet to claim he is innocent of any and all wrongdoing. They are not very bright and think what they are told to think. He is free to put out misinformation because the liberal activist media will cover for him and spread lies.
— Cornmill Intel (@Clint49127635) August 29, 2019
How about a “I’m sorry I got caught for abusing the trust of the people because I wasn’t really working for them”?
— Jeffrey Whelchel (@jeffreywhelchel) August 29, 2019
That last one really nails it.
Even if Comey was choir-boy pure in his opposition to Trump, and even if he orchestrated the leak of a memo to The New York Times for the noblest of purposes, the fact of the matter is that he did it.
He’s admitted he did it, the inspector general of the Justice Department just blasted him for violating FBI policies on documents and information and accused him of setting a bad example for the bureau he once led.
It was an abuse of the public trust on a massive scale.
And now Comey wants an apology?
He deserves a hand for chutzpah, and then to disappear into disgrace.
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