who was james comey

James Brien Comey Jr. (born December 14, 1960) is an American attorney and former government official who served as the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2013 until his dismissal in May 2017. He was appointed FBI director by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. His tenure as FBI director is notable for his involvement in several high-profile investigations, including the 2016 investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. His public announcements regarding the reopening and closing of that investigation just before the 2016 presidential election were highly controversial. Before becoming FBI director, Comey served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and as deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush. He also worked in the private sector as general counsel for Lockheed Martin and Bridgewater Associates. Comey was fired by then-President Donald Trump in May 2017 during the investigation into possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. Recently, he has been indicted on charges related to allegedly making false statements and obstruction during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020. He has written memoirs and is known for his outspoken views on ethics and leadership.