what did james comey do

James Comey is an American lawyer who served as the 7th director of the FBI from 2013 until he was fired in May 2017. His notable actions include leading major prosecutions as a U.S. attorney in New York, including those against Martha Stewart and major corporate frauds. As FBI director, Comey oversaw the high-profile investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. He made a controversial decision to publicly announce the reopening of this investigation shortly before the 2016 presidential election, a move some believe influenced the election outcome. During the 2016 election, Comey also confirmed the FBI's investigation into potential collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia but did not disclose these details publicly at the time. He was fired by President Donald Trump in 2017. Recently in 2025, Comey has been indicted on charges related to allegedly giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding concerning his testimony before Congress in 2020.