Former FBI Director James Comey admitted he has little faith in the media’s reporting on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
He made the comment Thursday during an event in Toronto as he declined to say whether he thinks the probe will result in impeachment or criminal charges against President Trump.
“I can’t rely on anything I see in the media because there are no leaks coming out of Robert Mueller’s operation, so I don’t know what he knows,” Comey said, according to the Star. “I really don’t know what he has. What I do know is that he and his team are an all-star team of pros.”
Comey’s remarks echo a statement issued by Mueller’s team last month, which warned many stories that have emerged about the Russia probe are inaccurate.
“What I have been telling all reporters is that many stories about our investigation have been inaccurate,” a Mueller spokesperson said, per the Daily Caller. “Be very cautious about any source that claims to have knowledge about our investigation and dig deep into what they claim before reporting on it. If another outlet reports something, don’t run with it unless you have your own sourcing to back it up.”
The statement came after McClatchy News published a report that said Mueller had proof that Michael Cohen, President Trump’s personal attorney, traveled to Prague in 2016 — affirming an allegation made in the so-called “Trump dossier.”
Cohen has denied that assertion, claiming to have “never been to Prague in my life” in a tweet that featured a photo of his passport.
In the past, Comey has challenged the authenticity of media reports about the federal Russia investigation and others that pertained to classified information. In June 2017 before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Comey said there were many false reports concerning intelligence material.
Comey was fired by President Trump in May 2017. Trump initially said Comey was fired per the suggestion of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, but then said shortly thereafter the “Russia thing” was a factor.
After Sessions recused himself from all 2016 election inquiries last year, Rosenstein took over to oversee Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election and whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin.
Comey has been promoting his recent book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, that was released last month.
