Comey Says DOJ IG Was Right About FBI’s ‘Sloppiness’ With FISA Application

Former FBI Director James Comey conceded on Sunday morning that the FBI’s FISA application process in its Russia-Trump campaign probe was flawed.

During an interview with Fox News host Chris Wallace, Comey admitted that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz was right when he said the FBI had made “significant inaccuracies and omissions” while requesting a FISA warrant to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page

“He’s right, I was wrong,” Comey, who had said the investigation was handled in a “thoughtful and responsible way,” told Wallace. “I was overconfident in the procedures that the FBI and [the DOJ] had built over 20 years. I thought they were robust enough.”

Comey admits DOJ watchdog was right about FBI sloppiness with FISA: “He’s right, I was wrong.” pic.twitter.com/CWrxQFEfy5

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) December 15, 2019

But the former FBI chief pointed out that despite Trump’s accusations, Horowitz did not find that political bias tainted the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign and that there was sufficient evidence to launch the probe.

“The inspector general found significant mistakes and that is not something to sneeze at,” Comey said. “That’s really important.”

“But the American people, especially your viewers, need to realize they were given false information about the FBI,” he added. “It’s honest, it is not political, it is flawed.”

Comey on FBI: " It's honest, it is not political, it is flawed." pic.twitter.com/AutInWNoeI

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) December 15, 2019