Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is praising FBI Director James Comey for his “independence” while investigating politicians on both sides of the political spectrum and for not kowtowing to political pressure during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In a short piece published Thursday honoring him as part of the Time 100 Most Influential People list, the Arizona Republican referred to Comey’s “integrity” and argued that it “never wavered” over the past year, despite the presidential campaign that made him a household name.
“Integrity is a word that doesn’t get used a lot in Washington anymore. But that is the quality that has defined James Comey’s service to our nation,” McCain wrote, pointing to Comey’s career prior to joining the FBI before touching on his decisions over the past year.
“[W]e saw it during one of the most extraordinary elections in our history, in which he confronted circumstances unlike those faced by any of his predecessors, when FBI Director Comey followed the law, spoke the truth and did what he believed was right,” McCain said.
“Shifting political winds have blown criticism James Comey’s way from different partisan directions,” he continued. “But his independence has never faltered. His integrity has never wavered. And I know that in the pursuit of justice, it never will.”
Comey has come under fire from both Republicans and Democrats over the past year. For Republicans, some have criticized the FBI director for his investigation into Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election and President Trump’s potential ties to the Russians. They also criticized him for his announcement last summer that the FBI would not be charging Hillary Clinton with a crime over the issues surrounding her private server.
As for Democrats, many blame Comey as the reason Clinton lost the election to Trump last November after he announced only weeks before election day that new information had come to light that they would be investigating. Clinton herself believes Comey’s involvement was a main reason she lost the election.
