In the 24 hours since his tell-all book was released, former FBI Director James Comey, fired by President Trump, was asked how history should remember him.
"I kind of hope history doesn't remember me, at all,” Comey, 57, told WFAA in an interview on Tuesday.
The former federal prosecutor turned FBI Director has reached an unusual place in the vitriol of American politics. He’s disliked by both the right and left.
Comey is the second FBI Director, behind Louis Freeh, to publish a book about his tenure heading the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.
But Freeh, who served from 1993 – 2001, waited until investigations into Whitewater and President Clinton were complete before leveling criticism at the chief executive.
Comey did not.
His book, "A Higher Loyalty," went on sale Tuesday as Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
Comey was asked if he should have waited until Mueller's investigation was over before releasing his book.
"That's a reasonable question and I could see people seeing it differently. My thinking is this: my testimony is locked down,” Comey said to WFAA.
In his interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Comey said he thought it was possible that President Trump is compromised by the Russians. But Comey offered no evidence. A statement he was asked about again in the WFAA interview.
“Reluctance of the president even in private to criticize Vladimir Putin is striking,” said Comey. “In normal circumstances you could say it's simply impossible that a certain person would be in a certain situation. In this case, I can't say that. And then I have the additional circumstance of an individual who kept bringing it up with me. It's not conclusive evidence but as an investigator you start to be concerned when someone raises something repeatedly.”
But if Comey had concerns with Donald Trump, why didn’t he just walk away?
“Because that would have been abandoning the FBI,” he explained. “Actually, my concerns about the president just increased my commitment to stay and protect and lead that amazing institution.”
Comey will start teaching college this fall. He’s leading a course on ethical leadership for the College of William & Mary.
Watch the entire interview on WFAA-TV’s Inside Texas Politics, Sunday morning at 9:00 on Channel 8.