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Memo on FBI, DOJ Violations 'Destroyed Trust' in Intelligence Community - Comey

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The memo released by Republicans in the US House of Representatives regarding alleged abuses committed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) within the Russian probe has "destroyed trust" in the intelligence community, former FBI Director James Comey said.
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"That’s it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with Intelligence Community, damaged relationship with FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs," Comey wrote on Twitter on Friday.

On Wednesday, FBI said in a statement that the bureau had serious concerns about the accuracy of the Republican-drafted memorandum.

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Efforts to release the memo also sparked opposition from Democrats in Congress, who called it an effort to distract attention from a Justice Department probe of Russian attempts to influence the election.

The memo, which was released on Friday, accuses FBI and Justice Department officials of political bias against President Donald Trump in their investigation of Russian alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. According to the memo, FBI and DOJ staff also abused surveillance laws in the investigation of Trump campaign.

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The US Congress is currently investigating Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US election and collusion between Trump's campaign team and the Kremlin. Another investigation into the purported interference is being conducted by the FBI and the Department of Justice under Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

In May, Trump fired Comey over the poor handling of the investigation into the Hillary Clinton private server and email scandal. However, many believe that the decision is connected with the probe into alleged ties to Trump's campaign team to Russia, as Comey reportedly was seeking funding to extend the bureau’s inquiry. Kremlin, as well as the White House have repeatedly refuted these allegations.

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