Fired FBI Director James Comey said Thursday he respects the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General report slamming his unorthodox approach to the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
[READ: DOJ inspector general’s report on Hillary Clinton email investigation]
But in an opinion piece released shortly following the report was made public, Comey remained defiant, saying he stood by the decisions he made at the time because the DOJ’s internal watchdog found no evidence of political bias nor a prosecutable case against Clinton.
“I do not agree with all of the inspector general’s conclusions, but I respect the work of his office and salute its professionalism,” he wrote for the New York Times. “All of our leaders need to understand that accountability and transparency are essential to the functioning of our democracy, even when it involves criticism. This is how the process is supposed to work.”
Comey tweeted Thursday in defense of his tenure at the FBI as the bureau conducted its Clinton email probe during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“I respect the DOJ IG office, which is why I urged them to do this review. The conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some,” he tweeted. “People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently. I pray no Director faces it again. Thanks to IG’s people for hard work.”
I respect the DOJ IG office, which is why I urged them to do this review. The conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some. People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently. I pray no Director faces it again. Thanks to IG’s people for hard work.
— James Comey (@Comey) June 14, 2018
The report by Michael Horowitz found Comey was “insubordinate” and “affirmatively concealed” his intentions about the Clinton investigation from Justice Department leadership.
However, the report found there was no bias or improper motivations fueling the probe, instead describing “tensions” and “disagreements” within the ranks.
[Justice Department IG: James Comey, others used personal email to conduct FBI business]
