DOJ Inspector General preparing separate report on Comey

Byron York reports that Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s inspector general, is preparing a report on the conduct of fired FBI Director James Comey. This report will be separate from Horowitz’s larger report on the DOJ’s handling of the Trump-Russia probe.

According to Byron’s sources, the separate report on Comey will deal with his handling of several memos he wrote memorializing conversations with President Trump. Byron observes:

Comey’s memos were, at the least, confidential FBI documents, and at most, in some cases, classified. Comey told Congress that he sent some of the memos to a friend for the purpose of being leaked to the New York Times. Comey hoped media reports would set off a firestorm that would ultimately result in the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Trump-Russia matter.

Which they did, to Trump’s detriment and, I would argue, the country’s.

Horowitz previously referred the matter of at least one leaked memo to the Justice Department for possible prosecution. DOJ officials declined to prosecute Comey.

As I understand it, Comey wrote that particular memo after Trump had fired him. Byron’s report indicates that the memos to be encompassed by Horowitz’s report were written earlier, when Comey was still the FBI director.

It’s not clear what conclusions Horowitz will reach regarding these memos. However, if I were Comey I’d be worried that, at a minimum, the report will be highly critical of him.

I doubt Comey will be prosecuted, but the IG’s report will likely cast the holier-than-thou former director in a bad light, and add to the public’s understanding of how the deep state unethically attempted to subvert Donald Trump’s presidency.

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