--- title: James Comey Criticizes House Republicans For Nunes Memo description: House Republicans released a memo alleging the FBI was biased in its investigation into possible meddling in the 2016 election. Here's James Comey's response. canonical: https://time.com/5131668/james-comey-nunes-memo/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-02T22:40:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T19:07:52.118Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'That's It?' James Comey Criticizes House Republicans For Nunes Memo og:description: The much-hyped memo didn't shake the former FBI director og:url: https://time.com/5131668/james-comey-nunes-memo/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e56cabc8ea00d29/6988fa7edb2987734b25e9f4/james-comey-nunes-memo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before Congress og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'That's It?' James Comey Criticizes House Republicans For Nunes Memo twitter:description: The much-hyped memo didn't shake the former FBI director twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3e56cabc8ea00d29/6988fa7edb2987734b25e9f4/james-comey-nunes-memo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'That's It?' James Comey Criticizes House Republicans For Nunes Memo > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Feb 2, 2018 10:40 PM UTC  Former FBI Director James Comey testifies during a US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, United States on June 08, 2017. Former FBI Director James Comey testifies during a US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, United States on June 08, 2017. Anadolu Agency—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Feb 2, 2018 10:40 PM UTC Former FBI Director James Comey criticized House Republicans for [releasing the controversial “Nunes memo”](http://time.com/5130772/nunes-memo-released-what-it-says/?xid=homepage) on Friday. Comey, who was [fired from the FBI](http://time.com/4773873/james-comey-fired-whats-next/) by President Trump last May, suggested the release of the memo did more harm than offer tangible proof that the [FBI was biased](http://time.com/5130424/nunes-memo-doesnt-matter-donald-trump-investigation/?xid=homepage) in its investigation of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. “That’s it?” he asked, calling the memo “dishonest and misleading.” > [](https://twitter.com/Comey/status/959498570532577285) The memo, overseen by House Intelligence Committee chair, Republican Rep. [Devin Nunes](http://time.com/5131289/white-house-statement-memo-donald-trump/), focused on the FBI obtaining a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant against Carter Page, a former Trump campaign policy adviser. The memo alleged that the FBI used the unsubstantiated “Steele dossier,” a document authored by Christopher Steele, a former British spy, when getting the FISA warrant. The memo has received [strong criticism](http://time.com/5130424/nunes-memo-doesnt-matter-donald-trump-investigation/?xid=homepage) from the Justice Department, the FBI, some Republicans and most congressional Democrats. The White House has said the memo [raises “serious concerns”](http://time.com/5131289/white-house-statement-memo-donald-trump/) about the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the investigation. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5131668/james-comey-nunes-memo/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5131668/james-comey-nunes-memo/"},"headline":"'That's It?' 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