After getting his friend to talk to a reporter, former FBI Director James Comey reviewed the resulting story and told him he did “pretty well,” according to private emails released by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Emails and text messages included in DOJ court filing innings shed light on how Daniel Richman interacted with the media. Richman is a Comey law professor. hired as “Special Civil Servant”. Richman then received a security clearance.
“Well done, my friend,” Comey told Richman in a Nov. 2, 2026, email after reading a New York Times article in which Richman served as an anonymous source. “Who knew this would happen. It's so much fun.”
Story, called The book, These Are the Bad (and Worst) Cases James Comey Faced, did not name Richman as a source but described how Comey might have responded after the FBI told Congress it had discovered “thousands of new emails” potentially related to the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private server.
On October 30, 2016, Richman asked Comey about an article he was asked to write by the New York Times. (RELATED: James Comey Says He Gave 'Literally True' Answers to 'Ambiguous' Questions Central to the Indictment)
“No need. For now it would be [be] I scream into the wind”, Komi said to him. “Someday they will understand. And as Jack and Ben point out, my decision will be one that President-elect Clinton will be very grateful for (even though that's not why I did it).”
A few days later, Comey emailed Richman with frustration over the New York Times' news coverage, asking his friend on November 1 to “make him [the reporter] smarter.”
A letter from James Comey sent from his personal account to Daniel Richman on November 2, 2016. Photo: United States vs. Comey/Screenshot
The letters were published as part of the prosecution against Comey. movement vacate his indictment based on vindictive and selective prosecution.
Komi was accused for allegedly and falsely stating during his September 2020 testimony that he did not authorize “someone else from the FBI to be an anonymous source on news reports” regarding the Clinton investigation, and for obstructing Congress' investigation.
His lawyers The Oct. 20 statement alleged that Comey was “singled out” based on his public criticism of President Donald Trump, who has “genuine animosity” toward the former FBI director.
Federal prosecutors wrote Monday that the correspondence shows that “Richman extensively corresponded with members of the news media regarding or on behalf of the defendant, including anonymously.”
“It would be a true affront to the criminal justice system to allow a defendant to get away with lying and obstructing Congress under oath regarding acts he committed while Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” the Justice Department said in a document. “The indictment was presented by a duly appointed and impartial prosecutor. And a duly constituted grand jury found probable cause that he committed the crimes charged.”
Texts between Richman and reporter. Photo: USA vs. Komi/Screenshot
In February 2017 e-mailRichman asked then-DOJ official Chuck Rosenberg if he would be willing to “have a conversation” with a reporter about Clinton's emails.
“Hi Chuck! My NYT buddy Mike Schmidt (along with Apuzzo, Goldman and (shut me up) Lichtblau) is writing a huge piece on the HRC emails,” Richman wrote. “He's had a lot of background conversations with players and non-players (like me). Mike would really like to talk to you purely in the background as he tries to understand [sic] Jim's decision making to the best of his ability. Mike asked me to contact you. Hence this letter. Would you like to chat with him?
In the text messages On May 11, 2017, Richman directed Schmidt to contact Comey, who he said could give me “permission to speak as an anonymous source.” The reporter did so, advising Comey to “just give Richman the green light to tell me about the dinner.”
“I just got the go-ahead [sic]“Check my email,” Richman later responded.
Referring to Komi’s “associates,” the NYT newspaper published story That same day, he said Comey “refused” to pledge allegiance to Trump when the president asked him to do so at a dinner just seven days after the inauguration.
Comey's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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