Former FBI Director James Comey cares about what people think of him, and it bothers him that he is seen as a villain by many.
“It frustrates me in general that millions of people have a false impression of me,” Comey said in a Saturday interview with the New York Times. “I wish they knew I was funnier.”
When asked if he cares about his eventual legacy, Comey said, “I was going to say I don’t care. I’m sure I care a little.”
He added that he thinks he will be vindicated for his decision to publicly announce the FBI was investigating Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign, predicting that “history would judge him kindly for prizing disclosure over concealment.” He said, however, he might have been influenced by his belief that Clinton would win the election either way.
Comey, 58, plans to devote his life for the next 13 months to defeating President Trump.
“Like I can’t do something else,” he said. “And I couldn’t look myself in the mirror if I went and did something easy.”
In July, the Department of Justice declined to prosecute Comey after the inspector general handed a criminal referral over his mishandling of sensitive information.
