"The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle," said Josh Earnest.
President Barack Obama remains confident in FBI Director James Comey's ability to the lead the agency in the aftermath of the probe of Democrat Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, the White House said on Monday.
"The president views Director Comey as a man of integrity, a man of principle," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing. "The president's views of him have not changed. ... He continues to have confidence in his ability to run the FBI."
Comey has faced intense criticism for his decision to inform Congress days before Tuesday's presidential election about newly discovered emails that might pertain to the investigation of Clinton's use of a private server while secretary of state.
He roiled the race again on Sunday when he told lawmakers that investigators had completed their review of the additional emails and there was no change to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's July finding that there was no criminal wrongdoing in Clinton's use of the server.
The White House, which has attempted to remain neutral on Comey's handling of the probe, said on Monday it had not been given any advance notice of the announcement on Sunday.
"The president is entirely confident that Director Comey is not using his authority to advantage a particular political candidate or particular party," Earnest said.
© Thomson Reuters 2016