Investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson on Sunday divulged on Twitter that once upon a time, fired FBI director James Comey allegedly had a “cult-following” of loyal FBI sycophants who had “Comey’s Homey” T-shirts and coffee mugs.
A source of mine told me that Comey was, at times, showered with cult-like admiration inside the @FBI esp. at upper levels. This source said some FBI'ers even had mugs with Comey's photo on it that said "Comey's Homeys." #TrueStory pic.twitter.com/LAjGprwy2D
— Sharyl Attkisson🕵️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) April 16, 2018
HuffPo: FBI employees wear 'Comey is my homey' T-shirts to bureau's Family Dayhttps://t.co/uXhJ9oLFm7
— Uri Blago (@UriBlago) April 16, 2018
But it’s becoming increasingly clear that not everyone in the FBI has been a fan of his conduct while he was at the FBI and especially after he was fired. It’s quite likely, in fact, that he’s lost some fans due to behavior many of his former colleagues consider completely inappropriate.
FBI employees, both current and retired, are panning the book and blasting Comey’s unseemly interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that aired Sunday night. “He’s an absolute mess,” said one former FBI agent to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
According to Daily Beast reporter Jana Winter, no less than six FBI insiders reached out to her during and immediately after the broadcast and voiced their disapproval.
“There was a lot of anger, frustration, and even more emojis—featuring the thumbs-down, frowny face, middle finger, and a whole lot of green vomit faces,” wrote Winter. Not to mention a poop emoji from one particularly disgusted agent.
White said that some of the emojis started off fairly cheerfully, but then became “increasingly angry and despondent as the hourlong interview played out.”
“Hoover is spinning in his grave,” said a former FBI official. “Making money from total failure.”
When a promo aired announcing Comey’s upcoming appearance on The View, the official lost it. “Good lord, what a self-serving self-centered jackass,” he said. “True to form he thinks he’s the smartest guy around.”
A current FBI official told Winter he thought it was bizarre that Comey seemed so pleased with himself. “It’s how happy he looked on TV while cashing in on the biggest mistake in history. His mistake,” he said. “Jim Comey made that mistake. We all just wonder what could have been and what we could’ve done to change it.”
The rest — even those who were inclined to support Comey — were apparently mortified by the end of the interview.
One longtime Team Comey source—who is still an FBI agent—sent thumbs-up emojis repeatedly during the first half hour, but even this loyalist began to lose patience by the halfway mark—sending a frowny face. A few minutes later there was a nauseous emoji, and then a poop emoji after the final segment.
Chris E. Swecker, who served 24 years in the FBI as a special agent, wrote in an oped at Fox News that “Comey’s actions are unworthy of the FBI.”
“The public needs to understand that this is really not how the FBI operates within today’s criminal justice system,” wrote Swecker. “Jim Comey and his discredited inner circle in no way represent the FBI and its dedicated men and women.”
"It is now quite evident that James Comey’s higher loyalty is to James Comey, and James Comey alone."
Chris Swecker, who served 24 years in the @FBI as a special agent, called James @Comey's actions "unworthy " of the FBI. https://t.co/oTeNAMy79d pic.twitter.com/2TvNXn2HCF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2018
Some other former G-men lashed out at Comey on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle Monday night:
“In almost every key element in this endeavor he has contradicted himself or there’s stuff in the record that contradicts him,” said retired FBI special agent Bobby Chacon. “He’s [an] absolute meses. This book is a mess … and it couldn’t be more damaging to the men and women of the FBI coming out at this time.”
Chacon explained how: “It demeans the office of the director to issue a book that talks about the size of the president’s hands and unconfirmed rumors about prostitutes in Moscow. He took the low road and he’s dragging the men and women of the FBI back into this political maelstrom that they don’t deserve to be. He put them there in the first place! And now he’s dragging them back there again. And it’s unconscionable that he does that!”
Retired @FBI special agent Bobby Chacon: "[@Comey] took the low road and he's dragging the men and women of the FBI back into this political maelstrom that they don't deserve…He put them there in the first place." @IngrahamAngle https://t.co/vKM3cTAEeH pic.twitter.com/sQsPAgpbOE
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2018
Retired special agent Terry Turchie said Comey’s book tour is an effort to convince people that everything he did “was normal and right.”
But Turchie argued, “Nothing that he did was normal and right. Particularly on the Clinton email investigation and even on the Russian collusion investigation.”
He added, “James Comey’s higher loyalty is to his wallet at this point. And I think his strategy is now designed around making sure that his book sells a lot and he can go out and get vengeance for whatever hurt feelings he has about the president and what happened.”
Terry Turchie: "James @Comey's higher loyalty is to his wallet at this point." @IngrahamAngle https://t.co/vKM3cTAEeH pic.twitter.com/hG3ue8cxGJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2018
It’s quite something. Comey’s book and media tour were designed to discredit President Trump, but the effort seems to have backfired. Comey appears to have only discredited himself.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member