Abby Greer ‘20 – Inside Politics Participant
FBI Director James Comey has been quite the controversial figure over the last year, from being almost completely unknown, to being nearly a household name. As a known Republican put into his current post by former President Barack Obama, he was meant to be a symbol of bipartisanship and of the indiscriminate rule of law. He gained the trust and respect of both political parties when he placed his job as United States Deputy Attorney General on the line by going against then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales in disputing the legality of NSA surveillance programs. Due to these events, he entered his current position as someone valued and trusted by most, regardless of party. This has since taken a grand turn, especially over the past year.
Comey has received a lot of criticism from both sides of the political aisle. His recommendation to not prosecute Secretary Hillary Clinton turned much of the Republican Party against him. Many believed that Clinton broke the law by using a private server for classified emails, but Comey argued against this. He then lost the support of much of the Republican Party. Then, shortly before the election, he reopened the case, stating that new emails were found that needed to be reviewed. He again found the prosecution of Clinton to be unnecessary, further infuriating Republicans. These actions also infuriated Democrats because they believed the announcement of more emails swung the election in President Trump’s favor.
Through all of this turmoil, I think one thing is very clear. James Comey thinks for himself, not for a political party, president, or anyone else. He remains nonpartisan, fair, and balanced – though many on the political scene would disagree. He has stayed true to what he believes is right regardless of the media’s and his peers’ opinions. He is an independent thinker and truly good man who we should be proud to have serving our country as Director of the FBI.
The views and opinions expressed are the students and the organizations whom they represent and do not necessarily represent the views of The Eisenhower Institute or Gettysburg College.
