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101-509: James Brien Comey Jr. ( / ˈ k oʊ m i / ; born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who was the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until his termination in May 2017. Comey was a registered Republican for most of his adult life but in 2016 he stated he was unaffiliated . During the presidential administration of George W. Bush , Comey

202-507: A Colombian narcotics cartel . This resulted in the arrests of eleven jewelry dealers and others including Luis Kuichis, owner of Alberto Jewelry, Jaime Ross, owner of Ross Refiners of 47 West 47th Street, and a father and son Roman and Eduard Nektakov, respectively, who are from Uzbekistan and immigrated to New York City in 1972 settling in Forest Hills and establishing Roman Jewelers in 1974 on West 47th Street. In November 2003, he led

303-647: A "serious mistake", and an "error in judgment". Law professor Richard Painter filed complaints with the United States Office of Special Counsel and the United States Office of Government Ethics over Comey's letter to Congress. The investigators received additional resources so they could complete their review of the new emails before Election Day, and on November 6, 2016, Comey wrote in a second letter to Congress that "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July". Comey

404-506: A case against Comey. That directive was forwarded to Trump as a recommendation to dismiss Comey the following day, which Trump did. Comey first learned of his termination from television news reports that flashed on screen while he was delivering a speech to agents at the Los Angeles Field Office. Sources said he was surprised and caught off guard by the termination. Comey immediately departed for Washington, D.C., and

505-748: A case". It was believed to be the first time the FBI disclosed its prosecutorial recommendation to the Department of Justice publicly. On July 7, 2016, Comey was questioned by a Republican-led House committee during a hearing regarding the FBI's recommendation. On October 26, 2016, two weeks before the presidential election, Comey learned that FBI agents investigating an unrelated case involving former congressman Anthony Weiner had discovered emails on Weiner's computer between his wife, Huma Abedin , and Clinton. Claiming he believed it would take months to review Weiner's emails, Comey decided he had to inform Congress that

606-512: A court warrant. Under White House procedures, DOJ approval was required in order for the program to be renewed. In early March 2004, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III and Comey had prepared their resignations if the White House overruled the DOJ's finding that the program was unconstitutional. On March 10, 2004, while the issue was still pending, United States Attorney General John Ashcroft

707-526: A home-invasion robbery in rural Holcomb , Kansas. The murders were detailed in Truman Capote 's "nonfiction novel" In Cold Blood . However, the perpetrators were convicted of murder, not home invasion. The BTK Killer – Between 1974 and 1991, a series of sexual assaults and murders was carried out in the Wichita, Kansas area. In most of the attacks, the offender broke into or forced his way into

808-623: A house in December 2000, robbed the five residents, forced them into sex with each other and the attackers and then drove them to a snowy soccer field to be shot execution-style. One woman survived and testified against them in court, where they were given the death penalty. Two paroled criminals were each charged with three counts of capital murder during a home invasion into the Petit family home in Cheshire, Connecticut , on July 23, 2007. During

909-451: A hugely disproportionate percentage of street crime is committed by young men of color. Something happens to people of good will working in that environment. After years of police work, officers often can't help be influenced by the cynicism they feel. A mental shortcut becomes almost irresistible. In October 2015, Comey gave a speech in which he raised concerns that body worn video results in less effective policing; this opinion contradicted

1010-587: A letter to Congress about reopening the case. The report found no evidence of political bias, although other high-ranking FBI officials showed "willingness to take official action" to negatively impact the Trump campaign. In late August 2016, the FBI acquired some reports from what would later be known as the Steele dossier . In late July, the FBI opened an investigation into the Trump campaign. Comey asked President Obama for permission to write an op-ed , which would warn

1111-531: A price for interfering. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , a United States federal law enforcement agency , and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI director is appointed for a single 10-year term by the president of the United States and confirmed by

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1212-546: A report finding no political bias against Trump by Comey or other FBI officials. Comey was born in Yonkers, New York , to parents Joan Marie Comey (née Herald) and J. Brien Comey. His grandfather, William J. Comey, was an officer and later commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department. The family moved to Allendale, New Jersey , in the early 1970s. His father worked in corporate real estate and his mother

1313-492: A residence, then killed one or more people. Joseph James DeAngelo – A serial killer and rapist who was active in California in the 1970s and 1980s, who is known to have murdered thirteen people between 1975 and 1986. His modus operandi was to break into the homes of his victims in the middle of the night and attack them as they slept. The Night Stalker – A series of home invasion murders, rapes, and robberies plagued

1414-493: A senior research scholar and Hertog fellow on national security law at Columbia Law School . He served on the board of directors of HSBC Holdings until July 2013. In September 2013, Barack Obama appointed Comey to the position of Director of the FBI. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing the FBI's investigation of the Hillary Clinton email controversy . His role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election

1515-518: A speech that was reprinted in The Post arguing for more Holocaust education, demonstrated just how badly he needs it himself". Ambassador Mull issued an apology for Comey's remarks. When asked about his remarks, Comey said, "I regret linking Germany and Poland ... The Polish state bears no responsibility for the horrors imposed by the Nazis. I wish I had not used any other country names because my point

1616-550: A statement clarifying he had been referring to the evidence as gathered in January and that more investigation is needed. On May 3, in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee , Comey said that Russia is the "greatest threat of any nation on Earth ... One of the biggest lessons learned is that Russia will do this again. Because of 2016 election, they know it worked." He also said that Russia should pay

1717-426: A ten-year term unless they resign, die, or are removed, but in practice, since Hoover, none have served a full ten years, except Mueller who served twelve years with the leave of Congress. The director of the FBI can be removed from office by the president of the United States. After removal and until a replacement is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the deputy director automatically acts in the role. The appointment of

1818-547: A version of his speech, Anne Applebaum wrote that his reference to "the murderers and accomplices of Germany, and Poland, and Hungary" was inaccurately saying that Poles were as responsible for the Holocaust as Germans. His speech was also criticized by Polish authorities, and Stephen D. Mull , United States ambassador to Poland , was called to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs . Applebaum wrote that Comey, "in

1919-439: A very big deal from a national security perspective and from a counterintelligence perspective. It's a treasure trove of information about everybody who has worked for, tried to work for, or works for the United States government." On July 10, 2015, the FBI opened a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton 's use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State . On June 29, 2016, Attorney General Loretta Lynch , who

2020-596: Is appointed by the president and, since 1972, subject to confirmation by the Senate . J. Edgar Hoover , appointed by President Calvin Coolidge to the predecessor office of Director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924, was by far the longest-serving director, holding the position from its establishment under the current title in 1935 until his death in 1972. In 1976, in response to Hoover's lengthy tenure and during

2121-443: Is as follows: Since the office's inception, only two directors have been dismissed: William S. Sessions by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and James Comey by President Donald Trump in 2017. Just before Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States on January 20, 1993, allegations of ethical improprieties were made against Sessions. A report by outgoing Attorney General William P. Barr presented to

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2222-694: Is never 'made' until the end, even when there's a 99% chance it is only going to go one way." Comey's original draft of the exoneration stated that Clinton had committed "gross negligence", which is a crime. However, the language was later changed to "extreme carelessness". In December, it was revealed that the change had been made by Peter Strzok , an FBI official who would later join Mueller's probe and be dismissed after exchanging private messages with an FBI lawyer that could be seen as favoring Clinton politically. On June 14, 2018, Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued his report criticizing Comey's handling of

2323-624: Is not a legally defined federal offense throughout the United States, but is in several states, such as Georgia , Michigan , Connecticut , Illinois , Florida, Texas , Louisiana , and Nevada . Home invasion laws also have been introduced in the South Carolina General Assembly and in the State of Maryland . On March 15, 2011, a bill making home invasion deaths a capital crime in New Hampshire passed

2424-678: Is run by political appointees of the President. The U.S. attorneys are political appointees of the President. But once they take those jobs and run this institution, it's very important in my view for that institution to be another in American life, that—because my people had to stand up before juries of all stripes, talk to sheriffs of all stripes, judges of all stripes. They had to be seen as the good guys, and not as either this administration or that administration. Politico reported in May 2009, White House officials pushed for Comey's inclusion on

2525-769: The Oxford English Dictionary is an article in The Washington Post on 1 February 1912, with an article in the Los Angeles Times on 18 March 1925 clearly indicating the modern meaning. "Home-invasion robberies" were highlighted in June 1995, when the term appeared in the cover story of The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin in an article written by Police Chief James T. Hurley of the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, area, later republished on bNet,

2626-617: The Bush administration 's warrantless domestic surveillance program , reported on an incident in which Comey and other Justice Department officials refused to certify the legality of central aspects of the National Security Agency (NSA) program. The DOJ had issued a finding that the domestic wiretapping under the Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP) was unconstitutional if such were done without

2727-577: The Justice Department that month by the Office of Professional Responsibility included criticisms that he had used an FBI plane to travel to visit his daughter on several occasions, and had a security system installed in his home at government expense. Janet Reno , the 78th Attorney General of the United States , announced that Sessions had exhibited "serious deficiencies in judgment." Although Sessions denied that he had acted improperly, he

2828-467: The Los Angeles, California area in the mid-1980s. In all, twelve murders were committed in southern California as part of this series. Mr Cruel – An Australian paedophilic serial rapist who entered houses and attacked three girls in the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne , Victoria in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wichita Massacre – brothers Jonathan and Reginald Carr entered

2929-535: The Saturday Night Massacre , President Richard Nixon 's termination of special prosecutor Archibald Cox , who had been investigating the Watergate scandal , and to the firing of Acting Attorney General Sally Yates in January 2017. In the dismissal letter Trump stated that Comey had asserted "on three separate occasions that I am not under investigation" which was later confirmed by Comey to

3030-605: The Senate . The FBI is an agency within the Department of Justice (DOJ), and thus the director reports to the attorney general of the United States . The director briefed the president on any issues that arose from within the FBI until the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 was enacted following the September 11 attacks . Since then, the director reports in an additional capacity to

3131-751: The Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Judiciary subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law on the U.S. attorney dismissal controversy . His testimony contradicted that of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who had said the firings had been due to poor performance on the part of some of the dismissed prosecutors. Comey stressed that the Justice Department had to be perceived as nonpartisan and nonpolitical to function. The Department of Justice, in my view,

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3232-829: The Senate Whitewater Committee . He also was the lead prosecutor in the case concerning the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia. While in Richmond, Comey was an adjunct professor of law at the University of Richmond School of Law . Comey was the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York , from January 2002 to the time of his confirmation as Deputy Attorney General on December 11, 2003. Among his first tasks

3333-722: The Southern District of New York , where he worked from 1987 to 1993. While there, he was Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and helped prosecute the Gambino crime family . From 1996 to 2001, Comey was Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney in charge of the Richmond Division of the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia . In 1996, Comey acted as deputy special counsel to

3434-589: The Trump campaign and Russia and whether any crimes were committed. During the hearing, the White House Twitter account posted "The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence the electoral process", which Comey, when he was read the tweet by Congressman Jim Himes , directly refuted. Comey refuted the President's Trump Tower wiretapping allegations , testifying "I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside

3535-454: The Watergate era , by an amendment to the 1968 Omnibus Crime Control Act , Congress limited the term of future FBI directors to ten years, "an unusually long tenure that Congress established to insulate the director from political pressure." This rule was waived by the Senate for Robert Mueller on July 27, 2011, due to serious security concerns at that time. Since 1976, directors serve

3636-570: The director of national intelligence , as the FBI is also part of the United States Intelligence Community . The current director is Christopher A. Wray , who assumed the role on August 2, 2017, after being confirmed by the United States Senate , taking over from Acting Director Andrew McCabe after the dismissal of former Director James Comey by President Donald Trump . The FBI director

3737-481: The televangelist Jerry Falwell , emphasizing their common belief in public action. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985. After law school, Comey was a law clerk for then-United States district judge John M. Walker Jr. in Manhattan . Then, he was an associate for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in their New York office. He joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for

3838-459: The 2016 election. Donald Trump fired Comey on May 9, 2017. Statements from Trump and the White House suggested that Comey had been fired to ease the "pressure" Trump was under due to the Mueller investigation . Later that month, Comey arranged for a friend to leak to the press a memo he had written after a February 14, 2017, private meeting with the president. It said Trump had asked him to end

3939-528: The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was established in 1908, its head was called Chief of the Bureau of Investigation. It was changed to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation in the term of William J. Flynn (1919–1921) and to its current name when the BOI was renamed FBI in 1935. The FBI became an independent service within the Department of Justice in 1935. In the same year, its name was officially changed to

4040-524: The Clinton email probe as "insubordinate". Specifically, he stated that Comey made "a serious error in judgment", "usurped the authority of the Attorney General", "chose to deviate" from established procedures, and engaged "in his own subjective, ad hoc decision making" by publicly announcing that he wouldn't recommend any charges in the Clinton email investigation in July 2016 and later by sending

4141-566: The FBI investigation of Clinton, Comey's conduct during the 2016 election, and his release of his memo to the press. The committee's Republicans also wrote a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking him to appoint a second special prosecutor to investigate these issues. In September 2017, two Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), alleged that Comey planned to exonerate Clinton in her email scandal long before

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4242-418: The FBI was reviewing more emails. Members of Congress revealed the information to the public within minutes. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, as well as the Clinton and Trump campaigns, called on Comey to provide additional details. The Clinton campaign , former officials, and political commentators criticized his decision to announce the reopened investigation, which was described as an October surprise ,

4343-411: The FBI's investigation into Michael Flynn , the former national security advisor . The dismissal, various memos detailing meetings with Trump, and Comey's subsequent Congressional testimony in June that same year were interpreted by some commentators as evidence of obstruction of justice on Trump's part and became part of the Mueller investigation. Horowitz found that Comey violated FBI policy regarding

4444-547: The FBI." U.S. Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT) asked Comey in the hearing: "Mr. Clapper then went on to say that to his knowledge there was no evidence of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and the Russians. We did not conclude any evidence in our report and when I say 'our report,' that is the NSA, FBI, and CIA with my office, the director of national intelligence said anything – any reflection of collusion between

4545-634: The Flynn investigation, but "that he did not consider this an order to drop the Russia investigation as a whole". On March 4, Comey asked the Justice Department for permission, which was not given, to publicly refute Trump's claim that his phones had been wiretapped by then-President Obama. On March 20, in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee , Comey confirmed that the FBI has been investigating possible coordination between

4646-518: The New Hampshire House without debate. Many U.S. states (particularly those that endorse the castle doctrine ) include defending oneself against forcible entry of one's home as part of their definition of justifiable homicide without any obligation to retreat . Home invasion as such is not defined as a crime in most countries other than the US, with offenders being charged according to

4747-487: The President's public position. Days later, President Obama met with Comey in the Oval Office to address the issue. In an October 23 speech at the University of Chicago Law School , Comey said: I remember being asked why we were doing so much prosecuting in black neighborhoods and locking up so many black men. After all, Richmond was surrounded by areas with largely white populations. Surely there were drug dealers in

4848-430: The Senate while under oath. This is disputed by reporting from multiple news agencies with multiple sources. According to the reporting, Trump had been openly talking about firing Comey for at least a week before his dismissal. Trump and Democratic leaders had long questioned Comey's judgment. Moreover, Trump was angry that Comey would not support his claim that President Barack Obama had his campaign offices wiretapped,

4949-591: The White House Situation Room ; National Security Advisor Susan Rice argued that the information should be released, while Comey argued that disclosure was no longer needed. In January 2017, Comey first met Trump when he briefed the president-elect on the Steele dossier. On January 27, 2017, Trump and Comey dined alone at the White House. According to Trump, Comey requested the dinner so as to ask to keep his job and, when asked, told Trump that he

5050-670: The White House. Comey later confirmed these events took place in testimony to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on May 16, 2007. Mueller's notes on the March 10, 2004, incident, which were released to a House Judiciary committee, confirm that he "Saw (the) AG, John Ashcroft in the room (who was) feeble, barely articulate, clearly stressed." Comey and Mueller cancelled their plans to resign after meeting on March 12, 2004, directly with President Bush , who directed that requisite changes be made to

5151-566: The actual crimes committed once inside the building, such as armed robbery , rape or murder . In English law, offenders who commit burglary while carrying a weapon can be convicted of the offence of aggravated burglary even if the weapon is not actually brandished or used. In Canada, section 348 of the Criminal Code provides that home invasion can be considered an aggravating circumstance in cases of The Lindbergh Kidnapping – In 1932, one-year-old Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.

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5252-537: The agency had completed its investigation. The story was confirmed by the FBI in October, which released a Comey memo dated May 2. Comey had interviewed Clinton as part of his investigation on July 2. Former FBI official Ron Hosko reacted saying, "You tend to reach final conclusions as the investigation is logically ended. Not months before." Donald Trump called it "disgraceful". In contrast, former Department of Justice spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on Twitter, "The decision

5353-580: The crime and given sentences ranging from 18 years to life imprisonment. In December 2015, a man gained entry to a house in the Swiss town of Rupperswil . After forcing the mother to get him money, he raped her 13-year-old son and then murdered them and another son and his girlfriend, before setting the house ablaze. The man was convicted in 2018 of murder and other crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Three men in Louisville, Kentucky were charged for

5454-435: The deputy director is not a presidential appointment and does not require Senate confirmation. The president can appoint an interim director pending Senate confirmation or nominate a permanent director. Along with the deputy director, the director ensures that cases and operations are handled correctly. The director also is in charge of staffing the leadership in any one of the FBI field offices with qualified agents. When

5555-442: The domestic surveillance program. Alarmed by the situation, his wife called for Comey to join them, and he summoned FBI Director Mueller and two other DOJ officials, Jack Goldsmith and Patrick Philbin . None of the four would agree to reauthorize the program, and Ashcroft refused to take any action while he was recused. In Goldsmith's 2007 memoir, he said Comey had come to the hospital to support Ashcroft in withstanding pressure from

5656-444: The early 20th century, often been regarded by law enforcement as drunks and criminals. He added, "The Irish had some tough times, but little compares to the experience on our soil of black Americans", going on to highlight current societal issues such as lack of opportunities for employment and education which can lead young black men to crime. Comey stated: Police officers on patrol in our nation's cities often work in environments where

5757-701: The election", but that "honestly, it wouldn't change the decision" to release the information. On January 12, 2017, the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General announced a formal investigation into whether the FBI followed proper procedures in its investigation of Clinton or whether "improper considerations" were made by FBI personnel. On July 27, 2017, the House Judiciary Committee decided to request documents related to Comey, including

5858-430: The election. On May 2, 2017, Clinton told CNN's Christiane Amanpour : "I was on the way to winning until a combination of Jim Comey's letter on October 28 and Russian WikiLeaks raised doubts in the minds of people who were inclined to vote for me and got scared off." On May 3, 2017, Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that it "makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on

5959-423: The feet of householders against the fireplace, to torture them into revealing the hiding places of valuables. Responsible for as many as 18 murders, three of the gang were executed on September 22, 1909. The fourth died on the penal colony on Devil's Island . One well-known home invasion is the November 15, 1959, quadruple murder of the Clutter family by Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Edward Smith during

6060-458: The indictment of Adelphia Communications founder John Rigas for bank fraud , wire fraud , and securities fraud . Rigas was convicted of the charges in 2004 and in 2005, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Adelphia Corporation was forced to file for bankruptcy after it acknowledged that it took $ 3.3 billion in false loans. It was "one of the most elaborate and extensive corporate frauds in United States history". In February 2003, Comey

6161-558: The indictment of Frank Quattrone , who allegedly urged subordinates in 2000 to destroy evidence sought by investigators looking into his investment banking practices at Credit Suisse First Boston . In June 2003, he revealed "Operation Project Meltdown", which started in January 1999 by the El Dorado Task Force, that found a money laundering scheme avoiding suspicious activity reports (SARS) from banks in which very large amounts of both gold and diamonds from West 47th Street jewelers in New York City were shipped to Colombia as profits of

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6262-499: The invasion, the mother died of asphyxiation due to strangulation and the two daughters died of smoke inhalation after the suspects set the house on fire. The men were charged with first-degree sexual assault, murder of a kidnapped person, and murder of two or more people at the same time. The state attorney sought the death penalty against the suspects. The first defendant, Steven Hayes, was found guilty of 16 of 17 counts including capital murder on October 5, 2010, and on November 8, 2010,

6363-448: The investigation was being reopened due to new information. Justice Department lawyers warned him that giving out public information about an investigation was inconsistent with department policy, but he considered the policy to be "guidance" rather than an ironclad rule. He decided that to not reveal the new information would be misleading to Congress and the public. On October 28, Comey sent a letter to members of Congress advising them that

6464-409: The investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections . Many members of Congress, mostly Democrats, expressed concern over the firing and argued that it would put the integrity of the investigation into jeopardy. Comey's termination was immediately controversial, even being characterized as corrupt by news commentators. It was compared, by the aforementioned news outlets, to

6565-467: The leaked memos; however, added that there's "no evidence that Comey or his attorneys released any of the classified information contained in any of the memos to members of the media". The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Comey. In August 2019, the Office of the Inspector General found Comey's retention, handling, and dissemination of the memos violated DOJ policies, FBI policies, and his FBI employment agreement. In December 2019, Horowitz released

6666-412: The members of Trump campaign and the Russians, there was no evidence of that in our report. Was Mr. Clapper wrong when he said that?" Comey responded: "I think he's right about characterizing the report which you all have read." Press Secretary Sean Spicer and a White House tweet then highlighted this testimony as proof that Clapper was "right" there was no evidence of collusion, causing Clapper to release

6767-414: The online blog posted by Harvard Business School. Hurley posited that, at the time, the crime could be considered an alternative to bank or convenience store robberies, which were becoming more difficult to carry out due to technological advances in security. In the same article, Hurley recommended educating the public about home invasion. Before the term "home invasion" came into use, the term "hot burglary"

6868-404: The present-day Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with J. Edgar Hoover receiving the current title of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since 1972, the United States Senate has had to confirm the nomination of a permanent officeholder. Frank Johnson had been nominated by Jimmy Carter in 1977, but withdrew for health reasons. The line of succession for the director of the FBI

6969-494: The president during a terrorism threat briefing in the Oval Office . At the end of the meeting Trump asked the other security chiefs to leave, then told Comey to consider imprisoning reporters over leaks and that "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go." Comey, as is usual, immediately documented the meeting in a memo and shared it with FBI officials. In his congressional testimony, Comey clarified that he took Trump's comment to be "an order" to drop

7070-422: The prosecutions in "Operation Wooden Nickel", which resulted in complaints and indictments against 47 people involved in foreign exchange trading scams. Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald to be the special counsel to head the grand jury investigation into the Plame affair after Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself. In early January 2006, The New York Times , as part of its investigation into

7171-433: The public that the Russians were interfering in the election. The president denied the request. CIA Director John O. Brennan then gave an unusual private briefing on the Russians to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid ; Reid then publicly referred to the briefing. Comey, however, refused to confirm—even in classified congressional briefings—that the Trump Campaign was under investigation. In early October, meetings were held in

7272-442: The recommendation of United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein . Rosenstein's memorandum to Sessions objected to Comey's conduct in the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails . This was contradicted by multiple unnamed sources to news outlets, who said that Trump and high-level officials personally asked for Comey to be fired. Comey was fired after he asked for more money for

7373-403: The same way as aggravated robbery—personally taking from someone by force—is differentiated from mere larceny (theft alone). In some jurisdictions, there is a defined crime of home invasion; in others, there is no crime defined as home invasion, but events that accompany the invasion are charged as crimes. Where home invasion is defined, the definition and punishments vary by jurisdiction. It

7474-401: The senior management committee at Bridgewater Associates , a Connecticut -based investment management firm. Comey received a three million dollar payout from Bridgewater. His net worth estimated at 14 million dollars. On February 1, 2013, after leaving Bridgewater, he was appointed by Columbia University Law School as a senior research scholar and Hertog fellow on national security law. He

7575-566: The short list of names to replace Associate Justice David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court . Politico later reported liberal activists were upset about the possibility of Comey's name being included. John Brittain of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law stated, "[Comey] came in with the Bushies. What makes you think he'd be just an inch or two more to the center than [John] Roberts ? I'd be greatly disappointed." In 2013, Comey

7676-632: The suburbs. My answer was simple: We are there in those neighborhoods because that's where people are dying. These are the guys we lock up because they are the predators choking off the life of a community. We did this work because we believed that all lives matter, especially the most vulnerable. In April 2015, Comey spoke at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, arguing in favor of more Holocaust education. After The Washington Post printed

7777-558: The surveillance program. When Comey was Deputy Attorney General in 2005, he endorsed a memorandum that approved the use of 13 so-called " enhanced interrogation techniques " that included waterboarding and sleep deprivation for up to 180 hours ( 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 days), which would be used by the CIA when interrogating suspects. Comey objected to a second memorandum, drafted by Daniel Levin and signed by Steven G. Bradbury , which stated that these techniques could be used in combination. Comey

7878-696: The techniques and as a matter of policy, he opposed implementing them. His objections were ultimately overruled by the National Security Council . Comey left the Department of Justice in August 2005. In August 2005, it was announced that Comey would enter the private sector, becoming the general counsel and senior vice president for Lockheed Martin , the U.S. Department of Defense 's largest contractor . Comey's tenure took effect on October 1, 2005, serving in that capacity until June 2, 2010, when he announced he would leave Lockheed Martin to join

7979-516: Was Comey's boss, and Bill Clinton met aboard her plane on the tarmac of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport , leading to calls for her recusal. Lynch then announced that she would "fully" accept the recommendation of the FBI regarding the probe. On July 2, FBI agents completed their investigation by interviewing Hillary Clinton at FBI headquarters, following which Comey and his associates decided there

8080-536: Was a computer consultant and homemaker. Comey is of Irish heritage. He attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. In 1977 he and his brother were victims of a home invasion by a criminal called "The Ramsey Rapist". Comey graduated with honors from the College of William and Mary in 1982, majoring in chemistry and religion. In his senior thesis Comey analyzed the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and

8181-523: Was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case. The May 2013 reports became official the following month when President Barack Obama revealed that he would nominate Comey to be the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , replacing outgoing director Robert Mueller . Comey

8282-451: Was a universal one about human nature." In June 2015, the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced that it had been the target of a data breach targeting the records of as many as four million people. Later, Comey put the number at 18 million. The Washington Post has reported that the attack originated in China , citing unnamed government officials. Comey said: "It is

8383-607: Was also appointed to the board of directors of the London-based financial institution HSBC Holdings , to improve the company's compliance program after its $ 1.9 billion settlement with the Justice Department for failing to comply with basic due diligence requirements for money laundering regarding Mexican drug cartels and terrorism financing . Since 2012, he has also served on the Defense Legal Policy Board . In May 2007, Comey testified before

8484-531: Was broadly criticized for his actions from both the right and the left. According to the Clinton campaign, the letters effectively stopped the campaign's momentum by hurting Clinton's chances with voters who were receptive to Trump's claims of a "rigged system". Polling authority Nate Silver commented on Twitter that Comey had a "large, measurable impact on the race". Other analysts, such as Democratic strategist David Axelrod , said that Comey's public actions were just one of several cumulative factors that cost Clinton

8585-526: Was dismissed by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. In February 2015, Comey delivered a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., regarding the relationship between police and the African-American community. He said that, "At many points in American history, law enforcement enforced the status quo – a status quo that was often brutally unfair to disfavored groups", mentioning as an example his own Irish ancestors, who he said had, in

8686-523: Was forced to cancel his scheduled speech that night at an FBI recruitment event at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. In the absence of a Senate-confirmed FBI director, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe automatically became the acting director, serving until the confirmation of Christopher Wray . Home invasion The first published use of the term "home invasion" recorded in

8787-414: Was frustrated when Comey revealed in Senate testimony the breadth of the counterintelligence investigation into Russia's effort to sway the 2016 U.S. presidential election and that Comey was giving too much attention to the Russia probe and not to internal leaks within the government. On May 8, 2017, he gave Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein a directive to explain in writing

8888-451: Was highly controversial. Some analysts and some Clinton supporters claim his decisions shortly before the 2016 election might have cost her the presidency, particularly his decision to reopen the investigation into her emails less than two weeks before the election . On June 14, 2018, DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz released his report on the FBI's handling of the Clinton email investigation, which criticized Comey's actions during

8989-587: Was kidnapped from his family's home in East Amwell, New Jersey and later murdered. The offender perpetrated the crime by using a ladder to enter a second floor bedroom of the Lindbergh residence while the family was asleep. The Chauffeurs de la Drôme (The Heaters of Drôme) were a gang of four men who carried out a series of attacks on remote dwellings in the Department of Drôme in south-west France between 1905 and 1908. They became notorious for roasting

9090-451: Was no basis for criminal indictments in the case. On July 5, 2016, Comey announced the FBI's recommendation that the United States Department of Justice file no criminal charges relating to the Hillary Clinton email controversy . During a 15-minute press conference in the J. Edgar Hoover Building , Comey called Secretary Clinton's and her top aides' behavior "extremely careless", but concluded that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such

9191-435: Was not under investigation. Trump has stated that he did not ask Comey to pledge his loyalty. However, according to Comey's associates, Trump requested the dinner, asked Comey to pledge his loyalty, twice, to which Comey replied, twice, that he would always be honest, until Trump asked him if he would promise "honest loyalty", which Comey did. On February 14, the day after President Trump fired Michael T. Flynn , Comey met with

9292-410: Was often used in the literature. Early references also use "burglary of occupied homes" and "burglar striking an occupied residence." In 2008 Connecticut Congressman Chris Murphy proposed making home invasion a federal crime in the United States. Home invasion differs from burglary in that its perpetrators have a violent intent apart from the unlawful entry itself, specific or general, much

9393-554: Was one of the few members of the Bush administration who had tried to prevent or limit the use of torture. During his 2013 confirmation hearing, Comey stated that in his personal opinion, waterboarding was torture, and the United Nations Convention against Torture was "very vague" and difficult to interpret as banning the practice. Even though he believed the practice was legal at the time, he strongly disagreed with

9494-416: Was pressured to resign in early July, with some suggesting that President Clinton was giving Sessions the chance to step down in a dignified manner. Sessions refused, saying that he had done nothing wrong, and insisted on staying in office until his successor was confirmed. As a result, President Clinton dismissed Sessions on July 19, 1993, five and a half years into a ten-year term. Clinton's public explanation

9595-504: Was recovering in the intensive care unit at the George Washington University Hospital after gall bladder surgery. His wife was with him. He had recused himself from any Justice Department decisions while recovering, designating Comey as acting attorney general. In his hospital room he was visited by White House officials Alberto Gonzales and Andrew Card , who pressured him to sign papers reauthorizing

9696-481: Was reportedly chosen over another finalist, Lisa Monaco , who had overseen national security issues at the Justice Department during the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya , on September 11, 2012. On July 29, 2013, the Senate confirmed Comey to a full ten-year term as FBI director. He was confirmed by a vote of 93–1. Two senators voted present. He was sworn in as FBI director on September 4, 2013. Comey

9797-482: Was sentenced to death. His co-defendant, Joshua Komisarjevsky, was convicted of all 17 counts against him in October 2011, and was also sentenced to death. Both men later had their sentences commuted to life without parole when Connecticut abolished the death penalty in 2015. Another home invasion occurred on November 26, 2007, when Washington Redskins star Sean Taylor was murdered during an overnight home invasion of his suburban Miami home. Five men were convicted of

9898-486: Was that there had been a loss of confidence in Sessions' leadership, and then-Attorney General Reno recommended the dismissal. Clinton nominated Louis Freeh to be FBI Director on July 20. Then-FBI deputy director Floyd I. Clarke , who Sessions suggested had led a coup to force his removal, served as acting director until September 1, 1993, when Freeh was sworn in. On May 9, 2017, President Trump dismissed Comey after

9999-437: Was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York from January 2002 to December 2003 and later the United States deputy attorney general from December 2003 to August 2005. In August 2005, Comey left the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to become a senior vice president of Lockheed Martin as general counsel . In 2010, he became general counsel at Bridgewater Associates . In early 2013, he left Bridgewater to become

10100-691: Was the lead prosecutor of Martha Stewart , who was indicted on the charges of securities fraud , obstruction of justice , and lying to an FBI agent. She sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems, thereby avoiding a loss of $ 45,673. The next day, the Food and Drug Administration refused to accept the company's application for Erbitux . In March 2003, he led the indictment of ImClone CEO Samuel Waksal , who pleaded guilty for avoiding paying $ 1.2 million in sales taxes on $ 15 million worth of contemporary paintings. The works were by Mark Rothko , Richard Serra , Roy Lichtenstein , and Willem de Kooning . In April 2003, he led

10201-415: Was to take over the investigation into President Bill Clinton 's controversial pardon of Marc Rich , which Comey concluded involved no illegality. In November 2002, he led the prosecution of three men involved in one of the largest identity fraud cases in American history. The fraud had lasted two years and resulted in thousands of people across the country collectively losing over $ 3 million. He also led

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