Former FBI director James Comey and his wife, Patrice, were spotted entering the New York Times building in Manhattan on Thursday by the Daily Mail’s Jennifer Smith.
Comey admitted earlier this month, in sworn testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, that he had leaked a memorandum of a conversation with President Donald Trump with the deliberate intention of prompting the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russia’s interference with the 2016 election. At the time, Comey had already been fired by the president.
It is unclear whether Comey had leaked to the Times on other occasions. In May, while he was still leading the FBI, Comey testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had “never” been an anonymous source in media reports about ongoing investigations involving Trump or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
However, prior to Comey leaking the memorandum to the Times, the newspaper had published accounts of Comey’s descriptions of his meetings with Trump.
It is unclear what brought Comey to the Times on Thursday. (Update: The Hill reports that Comey was attending a charity function unrelated to the Times but in the same building.) The Daily Mail’s Smith reported:
Comey kept his sunglasses on and his gaze forward as he marched through the front entrance of the Times Square office building which houses the publication. He was accompanied by his wife Patrice Failor who also wore sunglasses.
Unmistakable as he towered over the crowds in a crisp navy suit and tie on one of the warmest days of the year, Comey drew second-glances from some stunned by-passers.
Corey’s appearance at the Times prompted Daily Mail editor David Martosko to quip on Twitter: “Should we be on the lookout for a NYTimes exclusive based on new Comey leaks? Asking for a friend.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. He is the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
This article has been updated.
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