WASHINGTON (AP) – Despite White House claims to the contrary, fired FBI Director James Comey was highly respected and trusted within the bureau during his nearly four-year tenure, according to internal survey results released Wednesday.
The data detailing bureau attitudes about Comey contradict White House assertions that Comey, fired by President Donald Trump in May, had lost the confidence of the bureau’s rank and file.
Comey was abruptly dismissed as he was overseeing the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and any potential ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
At the time of his firing, Trump called Comey a “showboat” and a White House spokeswoman said she had personally heard from “countless” agents who had complained about Comey’s leadership.
At a congressional hearing shortly after Comey’s dismissal, the then-acting FBI director, Andrew McCabe, testified that Comey “enjoyed broad support within the FBI and still does to this day.”