James Brien Comey Jr. (born December 14, 1960) is an American lawyer who served as the seventh Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from September 2013 until his dismissal in May 2017. Before leading the FBI, Comey held prominent roles in the U.S. Department of Justice, including U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2002–2003) and Deputy Attorney General (2003–2005), the latter being the second-highest position in the DOJ. After leaving government service in 2005, he worked as general counsel for Lockheed Martin and Bridgewater Associates, and was a scholar at Columbia Law School[1][3][4]. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Comey’s tenure as FBI director was marked by high-profile investigations. He oversaw the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while Secretary of State. In July 2016, he publicly criticized Clinton’s judgment but cleared her of criminal charges. However, shortly before the 2016 presidential election, Comey controversially announced the reopening of the investigation based on new emails, which many analysts believe influenced the election outcome that favored Donald Trump[1][2][5][9]. Under President Trump’s administration, Comey confirmed the FBI’s investigation into possible Russian interference and contacts with the Trump campaign. This period included Comey’s public refutation of Trump’s unsubstantiated wiretapping claims. On May 9, 2017, President Trump abruptly fired Comey, a decision that drew extensive media attention and political debate[2][5]. Most recently, in September 2025, Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of making false statements and obstruction[9]. His career remains significant in discussions of U.S. law enforcement and political history.