Former FBI Director James Comey is looking to cash in on his recent notoriety by writing a book about his fascinating and event-filled life.
Well, I’m sure he finds it fascinating. I’m not sure the rest of us will.
Comey, along with his representation, met with publishers in New York last week and is reportedly seeking an eight-figure advance.
Former FBI director James Comey has decided to write a book about his career in public service, including his months working under the Trump administration before he was abruptly fired, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Comey met with New York editors and publishers this week, and is being represented by the literary agency Javelin.
“It’s a book about leadership and his search for truth, informed by lessons and experiences he’s had throughout his career, including his recent experiences in the Trump administration,” Javelin partner Matt Latimer told the Times.
“It will speak to a broader desire in our country for more ethical leadership.”
Comey was unexpectedly fired by President Donald Trump in May, after which Trump said “this Russia thing” had been a factor in his decision. The firing prompted the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller to take over the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Comey testified in June before a widely viewed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, in which he detailed his concerns that Trump had attempted to interfere in an FBI investigation.
According to the Times, Comey’s book will not take the form of a salacious tell-all memoir, but will instead delve into his decades-long career as a federal prosecutor, Justice Department official, and eventually FBI director. The book will, however, also touch upon more recent events, including his investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and the FBI’s Russia probe.
Comey had initially been reluctant to take up offers by agents and publishers, but eventually changed his mind, the Times reported. His agent said he will use the book to impart lessons on ethics, decision-making, and leadership.
Will a book about a career bureaucrat have anything interesting to say about “ethical leadership”? No doubt liberals will buy it for the chapter on the Trump presidency, but other than that, why would a publisher pay millions to an author who spent his professional career pushing paper?
Then again, the book may have value as a substitute for a sleeping pill.
There is no “inside story” to be told about Comey’s dust-ups with Trump. If there were, he would have testified about it before Congress. Recall that this is a man who spent a couple of years investigating the criminal activities of Hillary Clinton and then decided against recommending to indict her. Is he going to include the reaction to that decision by his own agents, many of whom threatened to quit?
This is one blockbuster I will miss out on.
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