Comey is criticized by Justice Dept. for violating FBI rules

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey violated policy by disclosing memos about his interactions with President Donald Trump to people outside the bureau, said a blistering Justice Department inspector general report released Thursday, admonishing him for setting “a dangerous example” for officials with access to government secrets.

The inspector general, Michael E. Horowitz, faulted Comey for releasing the memos, which officials retroactively determined contained classified information, to his lawyers. Prosecutors declined to charge him.

Comey, who gave one memo to a confidant who provided its contents to The New York Times, has said he helped make the information public in part to bring about the appointment of a special counsel. “Comey violated FBI policy and the requirements of his FBI employment agreement when he chose this path,” the report said.

Trump wasted little time using the report’s conclusions to attack Comey, whom the president fired abruptly in 2017 and partly blames for opening the Russia investigation. “He should be ashamed of himself!” Trump wrote on Twitter, dismissing Comey as “thoroughly disgraced and excoriated” by the report.

Comey responded Thursday by noting that the new report found he had broken no laws and criticizing those who had accused him of lying or leaking information.

Comey wrote memos after meeting with Trump in the first days and weeks of his presidency, saying later that he wanted to document the encounters because he worried that the president would lie about their discussions.