Friday on CNN’s “Right Now,” former National Intelligence Director James Clapper defended former FBI director James Comey over the Department of Justice Inspector General’s finding that he violated federal and FBI policies.
Clapper said, “First, Jim — this is not the first controversial issue that he took what many consider extraordinary action, the first one being the handling of the Clinton e-mail investigation. And so in this case, Jim — in both cases I will say, having worked with him and I’m a friend of his and admirer of him, I think he did what he thought was the right thing. I don’t take issue with what the Department of Justice Inspector General said. Yeah, it violated the standard protocols and procedures of the FBI. I don’t think there’s a rule book, though, for this extraordinary situation involving potential, and I emphasize potential, criminality of a president. So Jim did what he thought was the right thing to do for the country.”
He added, “Now, one man’s leaker is another man’s whistleblower. And in this case, I think he was whistle-blowing to the public. We would not have known what we’ve since learned, I think, were it not for the action that Jim took.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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