Finding the tip of the iceberg, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz found 58-year-old former FBI Director James Comey guilty of violating FBI policy regarding personal notes and declassified information. After 73-year-old President Donald Trump fired Comey May 9, 2017, Comey passed on confidential FBI documents to a friend who, in turn, gave them to the New York Times. Comey retaliated for getting fired, essentially accusing Trump of obstruction of justice. Comey’s personal memos that Horowitz said were FBI property were fed to the media for the purpose of discrediting the president for firing him. In announcing Comey breached policy, Horowitz also said that the DOJ would not prosecute Comey for breaching FBI policy. Comey dismissed Horowitz’s findings, highlighting the fact that he was not charged with a crime for violating FBI policy.
Trump called Comey a “dirty cop,” Jan. 19, giving his reason in firing him May 9, 2017. Comey led a counterintelligence investigation against Trump during the 2016 campaign, authorized by former President Barack Obama, Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch and National Security Adviser Susan Rice, all of whom approved an investigation into Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. Disgraced-and-fired former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, who led the Hillary Rodham Clinton email investigation, told CBS’ “60 Minutes” host Anderson Cooper Feb. 20 that “it’s possible Trump was a Russian asset.” Comey informed Trump in 2017 that he was being investigated for his alleged ties to Russia outlined in the now discredited Christopher Steele dossier. Comey relied heavily on the debunked Steele dossier, implicating Trump in activities with Russian government during-and-after the 2016 presidential campaign.
Horowitz spared no mercy finding Comey guilty of violating FBI policy but stopping short of prosecuting him for breaching classified information. “By not safeguarding sensitive information obtained during the course of his FBI employment, and by using it to create public pressure for officials action, Comey set a dangerous example for over 35,000 FBI employees—who similarly have access to or knowledge of non-public information,” said the IG’s report. Horowitz’s rebuke of Comey validates Trump’s statement that Comey was a “dirty cop.” Comey was at the heart of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into Trump built off of Hillary’s paid campaign opposition research AKA “the dossier.” Comey can no longer deny that he held bias against Trump during and after the 2016 campaign. Fired for his job May 9, 2017, Comey’s been out to get Trump ever since.
Once the IG’s report came out Aug. 29, Trump didn’t waste any time on Twitter. “Perhaps never in the history of our country has someone been more thoroughly disgraced and excoriated than James Comey in the just released Inspector General’s Report. He should be ashamed of himself.” Trump has been saying since former Depurty Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as Special Counsel May 17, 2017 that the Russian collusion investigation was a hoax. Trump’s detractors in the Democrat Party and media put Comey on a pedestal, blaming Trump for obstructing justice. With Horowitz’s report, it’s more clear than ever that the basis to the Special Counsel’s report was built on fake evidence contained in the Steele dossier. Yet Mueller proceeded knowing, at least a year before his March 24 Final Report, that there was no evidence of Russian collusion.
Horowitz continues to work on the origins of the FBI counterintelligence probe and Mueller investigation. Due out shortly, Horowitz could blow up Congressional Democrats attempts to charge Trump with obstruction. House Judiciary Chairman Jerold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) have done everything possible to proceed with impeachment hearings. Horowitz’s report throws into question the origin of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation and 22-months Mueller probe. Once rebuked by the IG, Comey went immediately on the defense. “I don’t need a public apology from those who defamed me, but a quick message with a ‘sorry we lied about you,’ would be nice,” showing that he takes no responsibility for violating FBI policy on numerous occasions. Horowitz’s report gives Trump all the justification he needs to claim “witch-hunt” in the Special Counsel probe.
Horowitz’s Aug. 29 report shows that Comey abused his power at the FBI, turning an FBI investigation into his own personal vendetta. “What was not permitted was the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive investigative information, obtained during the course of FBI employment, in order to achieve a persona desired outcome,” Horowitz wrote, explaining how Comey breached FBI protocol. Horowitz said Comey violated the “rule of law,” politicizing the FBI to advance his agenda of hurting Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign and after he took office. Comey insisted his memos were personal, something Horowitz strongly disagreed with. Whatever Horowitz finds with regard to the Special Counsel’s investigation, it’s clear that FBI officials stepped out-of-line dealing with the Russian collusion probe. Calling Comey a “dirty cop,” Trump swore to fight back against the Democrat Party and media.
