Who Is James Comey, Ex-FBI Chief Under Fire Over '8647' Post On Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey has come under massive criticism after he posted a photograph of a seashell arrangement that read "86 47". Soon after the picture was posted, many on social media interpreted the combination as a veiled threat to US President Donald Trump.

In American slang, "86" means to get rid of or eliminate, while "47" is commonly associated with Trump, the 47th President of the United States.

Comey, fired by Trump in 2017, shared the image on Instagram with the caption: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." The post has since been deleted.

Who Is James Comey?

1. James Comey was born on December 14, 1960, in Yonkers, New York. He grew up in Allendale, New Jersey, in an Irish American family. He graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1982, studying chemistry and religion. He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago in 1985.
2. Comey began his legal career in 1987 as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York under Rudy Giuliani. In 1993, he became a partner at the McGuireWoods law firm in Virginia. He returned to public service in 1996 as an assistant US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
3. In 2002, he became the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. His office prosecuted high-profile cases, including businesswoman and TV personality Martha Stewart's conviction in 2004 for financial misconduct.
4. In December 2003, Comey became the Deputy Attorney General, the second-highest position at the Department of Justice. Comey defended the government's detention of the US citizen Jose Padilla as an enemy combatant, which drew criticism.
5. He left the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2005 and served as general counsel at Lockheed Martin. In 2010, he joined Bridgewater Associates as its general counsel.
6. Former President Barack Obama nominated Comey for the position of FBI Director in June 2013. He was sworn in on September 4, 2013.
7. In 2016, he led the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. In July, he cleared her of criminal wrongdoing but criticised her judgment. He reopened the probe in late October, right before the presidential election. Comey's actions during the Clinton investigation were widely debated and believed by some to have influenced the 2016 presidential election outcome.
8. As FBI Director, Comey confirmed in March 2017 that the FBI was investigating possible ties between then-President Trump's campaign and Russia. On May 9, 2017, Trump fired Comey.
9. After his dismissal, a memo Comey wrote about Trump asking him to drop the Flynn investigation was leaked. He later testified before the Senate, admitting he documented conversations with Trump due to concerns over the president's conduct.
10. James Comey published A Higher Loyalty in 2018, criticising Trump as unethical. The book inspired the 2020 miniseries The Comey Rule.