Fired FBI Director James Comey spoke out in defense of his friend James Baker, the FBI General Counsel who is being reassigned by new FBI Director Christopher Wray following a leak investigation.
Comey wrote, using his own words for a change, on Twitter late Friday night, “Sadly, we are now at a point in our political life when anyone can be attacked for partisan gain. James Baker, who is stepping down as FBI General Counsel, served our country incredibly well for 25 years & deserves better. He is what we should all want our public servants to be.”
Sadly, we are now at a point in our political life when anyone can be attacked for partisan gain. James Baker, who is stepping down as FBI General Counsel, served our country incredibly well for 25 years & deserves better. He is what we should all want our public servants to be.
— James Comey (@Comey) December 23, 2017
The Washington Post reported Thursday on Baker being forced out of his post, noting that his close ties to Comey:
He was close to former FBI director James B. Comey, who asked Baker to be his general counsel. They were colleagues at the Justice Department and when they were out of government, at the investment management firm Bridgewater Associates.
Politico reported Friday evening that Baker reportedly had contacts with Mother Jones editor David Corn around the time Mother Jones reported on details of the anti-Trump Russian dossier put together by Fusion GPS at the behest of the Hillary Clinton campaign.
House Republicans are investigating contact between the FBI’s top lawyer and a Mother Jones reporter in the weeks before the left-leaning outlet broke the first news story about the existence of a disputed dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and the Kremlin, according to two congressional GOP sources who described documents linking the two men.
The GOP sources said the documents — made available recently to lawmakers by the Department of Justice — revealed that James Baker, the FBI’s general counsel, communicated with Mother Jones reporter David Corn in the weeks leading up to the November 2016 election. Corn was the first to report the existence of the dossier on Oct. 31 and that it was compiled by a former high-level western spy.
…Corn denied that Baker was a source for his story on the dossier.”
Earlier TGP coverage and discussion link.
