Judicial Watch Sues for FBI Records of Comey’s Investigation of Then-Presidential Candidate Trump

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in May 2025 against the U.S. Department of Justice for all records regarding the FBI, under then-Director James Comey, initiating an investigation of then-2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:25-cv-01413)).

Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department after it failed to respond to a February 28, 2025, FOIA request for:

All records, including emails, email chains, email attachments, text messages, team chats, video or audio recordings, photographs, outlook calendars, meeting minutes, correspondence, statements, letters, memoranda, reports, briefings, presentations, notes, summaries, assessments, requests for assistance, referrals or other form of record, regarding: 

(1) Former FBI Director James Comey or his designated representative initiating or recommending an assessment, inquiry, preliminary investigation, full investigation into then Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump.

(2) Any FBI persons assigned to conduct an assessment, inquiry, preliminary investigation, full investigation into then Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump. 

The request identified the time frame as June 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016.

“The FBI and Justice Department need to make all of Comey’s records of his unprecedented and abusive lawfare available to the American public,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In July 2019, Judicial Watch uncovered FBI records, showing that in June 2017, a month after Comey was fired by President Donald Trump, FBI agents visited his home and collected “as evidence” four memos that allegedly detail conversations he had with President Trump.

In August 2018, a federal court ordered the Justice Department to preserve federal records located in Comey’s personal email accounts.

In May 2018, emails uncovered by Judicial Watch showed Comey was advised by FBI officials in May 2017 to consult with Special Counsel Robert Mueller prior to testifying before any congressional committees regarding Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and his firing as FBI director.

 In February 2018, in response to a Judicial Watch lawsuit, the FBI agreed to review 16,750 pages of Comey’s records that were archived after he was dismissed.

In January 2018, a Judicial Watch lawsuit forced the FBI to turn over to the court for in camera, non-public review former Comey’s memos allegedly detailing conversations he had with President Donald Trump.

In November 2017, the Justice Department compared Comey to Wikileaks. After Comey was fired by President Trump on May 9, 2017, he gave The New York Times a February 14, 2017, memorandum written about a one-on-one conversation he had with President Trump regarding former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.

Judicial Watch, in June 2016, sent Acting FBI Director Andrew G. McCabe a warning letter concerning the FBI’s legal responsibility under the Federal Records Act (FRA) to recover records, including memos Comey subsequently leaked to the media, unlawfully removed from the Bureau by Comey.

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