In the months before his eventual firing, Comey documented several instances that became key episodes in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether President Trump obstructed justice.
One such memo recounted a private Oval Office meeting during which Comey said Trump urged him to drop the FBI’s investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Following his firing, Comey told Congress he revealed his memos in order to prompt the appointment of a special counsel, and after a tweet from President Trump that said Comey “better hope that there are no ‘tapes’ of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!”
The OIG determined that disclosure, as well as Comey’s continued possession of the memos after his firing, amounted to a violation of FBI and DOJ policy.
The inspector general’s office argued that Comey’s actions set a “dangerous example for the over 35,000 current FBI employees—and the many thousands more former FBI employees” who have been entrusted with classified information.
“Even when these employees believe that their most strongly-held personal convictions might be served by an unauthorized disclosure, the FBI depends on them not to disclose sensitive information,” the report said. “Former Director Comey failed to live up to this responsibility.”
Inspector General Horowitz is expected to release in the coming months a more extensive report examining the origins of the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.
(MORE: Transcript: James Comey’s interview with ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos )
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
