What James Comey Regrets-And What He Doesn't

Former FBI Director James Comey speaks out on Trump and why he’s still “optimistic about America.”
by Kevin Johnson, National Press Foundation
Former FBI Director Jim Comey has some regrets from a public life often spent in the eye of a hurricane.
But the decision to re-open the contentious inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server days before the 2016 election that ushered in Donald Trump, is not one of them.
Nearly seven years later, Comey - abruptly fired just five months into Trump’s term after disclosing the FBI’s inquiry into Russia’s ties to the former president’s campaign - remains “at peace” with the decision that some assert tilted the election to Trump.
“I've thought about the decisions I've made, a thousand times is probably not enough,” Comey told the National Press Foundation’s Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship class. “And I'm very proud of the way the decisions were made and I'm comfortable with the decisions even though I see thoughtful people who see it differently, and that's OK. So, I'm at peace with those decisions… (It) was never my goal to be famous.”
In a wide-ranging discussion, Comey did not mince words about his former boss, saying “it's really important that he not be president of the United States again.”
He described a personal “frustration” at the Justice Department’s decision not to immediately explain the decision to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Florida resort last year as part of the federal inquiry into the former president’s unlawful retention of classified documents.
When Attorney General Merrick Garland did address that action three days later, Comey said the void had been filled by a stream of conspiracy theories and false depictions of a rogue FBI.
“If I'm going to maintain the faith and confidence of people, I got to show them the work,” Comey said. “It's the reason I was so frustrated watching the silence that followed the court authorized search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. Three days of silence, except not silence, because a lot of lies were told about the FBI and the Justice Department, yet those organizations were silent.
“And I am not in touch with those leaders, so I don't know what their thinking was. But I remember thinking from the sideline: ‘You got to get out there. You've got to explain to people why you're doing what you're doing because in the absence of your voice, that spot is being filled.’"
Among his regrets, Comey cited his handling of a very public fight with Apple Inc., and the FBI’s attempt to gain the tech giant’s assistance in unlocking the encrypted iPhone of an attacker in the 2015 mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.
“I screwed up the public beginning of the encryption debate,” Comey said, adding that the dispute was largely cast as a personal conflict between the FBI director and Apple chief Tim Cook.
“And so that's an easy narrative for people to follow and to write about instead of what it should have been, which is a much more complex and nuanced and difficult conversation where I share values on both sides of that equation. And so, I totally screwed it up.”
What Comey said on Trump’s new campaign:
“No matter where people are in the political spectrum, if they take the time to think about what it would mean if Donald Trump were president again… people will spend time thinking about that armed with more knowledge about how he could do more to accomplish his retributive goals through places like the military and law enforcement, the intelligence community. So, I think it's really important that he not be president of the United States again, but that's a choice for the American people to make."
On transparency in government:
“I don't want to be famous. I was never, ever, ever, and still, never, ever, ever going to run for office. I didn't love a lot of public engagement. There were plenty of days when I was like, ‘Shit, I got to go sit and talk to these (reporters) again.’ And yet I did it even when I didn't feel like doing it because I think it's my job. And I used to argue with Bob Mueller, my predecessor about this because he saw it differently than I did. And I would accuse him of being a dinosaur and being old school. …. I still in hindsight think I'm right, that we are best served by people understanding the work, and they can only understand the work if we offer a maximum transparency.”
The case for optimism:
“The justice system at the federal level I think is going to be fine. …. I believe there are quality people leading the United States Department of Justice now, people of character and integrity. I would do things differently in terms of interacting with the public."
The Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship is funded through the National Press Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner.
This video was produced within the Evelyn Y. Davis studios.
National Press Foundation website: nationalpress....

[@rigae2]

Thanks for getting us in this mess. Hope you’re enjoying the resulting spotlight and all the financial incentive that comes along

[@styreful]

Can see quite what you’re saying. It was simply your wish to have been impartial. Let’s get real - you, as the head of the FBI, had access to all of the dirty linen about both candidates. You knew your power. And you dumped on Hillary. I’ll never forgive your timing or your choice.

[@Anthony-zt1zs]

I would be surpised that a man so despised, by so many who know of him, could have best-selling novels.

[@marinaoppenheimer1023]

I can’t believe what this guy did to America, and still has the courage to speak in public.

[@rigae2]

Yea he is pretty arrogant or dumb, or both. He got us all in this mess

[@christopherleja2224]

Wait msnbc is right of center? Or did he just misspeak?

[@TinkMarshae]

Give yourself Comey. You did your best. That’s all that matters. Your dignity and integrity is in tact. A lot of people in your position would’ve been sold their souls. You remained grounded and true to yourself.

[@LindaCovell]

A disgrace!

[@petersanmiguel1164]

Check out General Flynn’s recent interview with Eric Metaxas.

[@edtoomey433]

Politics is a sin, get it right!

[@mariemelgar5601]

You can tell he hasn't been sleeping well at all with the bags under his eyes. Self righteous people like this guy don't do well at all. His conscience will be the end of himself. You just know he lied sometimes in his life. And he does not know how to reconcile that. Sleep well. ✌

[@Ashley.Hunt.]

Don't worry. I gave up the fight. Everyone should be safe now. Tell President Biden i stopped reaching out.

[@searcherholic3473]

He was on telly this evening. Let's hope its not the last we see of him

[@firstliaralwayswins7690]

Well we all know much better now.

[@MrStratbat]

SoB helped a russian government select a US president....

[@raymondcoronarubalcabaiii5975]

Your the man Mr. Comey

[@papi5377]

Pakuj rodzinę i przenieść się.

[@papi5377]

Dokończyłam dzieła w sposób dość dosadny. Za podziękujmy ludziom osobą które brały wręcz czynny udział w poszukiwaniu prawdy.

[@ArslanOtcular]

Young Michael Rodriguez Sandra Gonzalez Mary

[@jenniferl9784]

I love when KH comes from DC to see my daughter and I at her high school play in Pittsburgh suburb.

[@jenniferl9784]

Or is it Catherine with a C? She was my favorite coorespondent.

[@jmsdeco]

F James comes. That pos belongs in prison.

[@bennguyen9847]

Flip flop

[@mr.balloffur]

I disagree with him on Trump. We didn't think he'd get elected the first time, if he does get elected a second time with no guardrails. America will lose any type of credibility we have in the world. Our constitution will be lost and it will take generations to get back to 2015

[@papi5377]

Comey v wygrał.