Former FBI Director James Comey criticized House Republicans for releasing the controversial “Nunes memo” on Friday.
Comey, who was fired from the FBI by President Trump last May, suggested the release of the memo did more harm than offer tangible proof that the FBI was biased 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.”
The memo, overseen by House Intelligence Committee chair, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, 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 from the Justice Department, the FBI, some Republicans and most congressional Democrats. The White House has said the memo raises “serious concerns” about the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the investigation.
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Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com