© 2026 ABC News

Previously, Comey has defended his decisions as director, insisting he was trying to protect the FBI from even further criticism and \"didn't see that I had a choice.\"

\"The honest answer is I screwed up a couple of things, but ... I think given what I knew at the time, these were the decisions that were best calculated to preserve the values of the institutions,\" Comey recently told ABC News. \"I still think it was the right thing to do.\"

Goelman similarly defended his client's decisions, noting he has been a committed public servant for much of his life.

\"While pundits and politicians are using this matter to advance their agendas, the truth about Special Agent Strzok's character and professionalism is found in the fact that every witness asked by the [inspector general] said that Strzok's work was never influenced by political views. His dedication to unbiased service is a fact that would be universally echoed by the thousands of people who have worked with Pete during his 26 years of service in the FBI and U.S. Army.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/fbis-decisions-politically-motivated-harmful-doj-watchdog/story?id=55886849","legacySlug":"/news/story/fbis-decisions-politically-motivated-harmful-doj-watchdog-55886849","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"18:53","publishDate":"06-14-2018","updatedTime":"21:01","updatedDate":"06-14-2018","socialImage":{"alt":"FBI Director James Comey makes a statement regarding Hillary Clinton's emails at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., July 5, 2016.","credit":"Cliff Owen/AP, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/AP-james-comey-2-jt-161030_hpMain_7_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/14/2018 18:53:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":55886849,"headline":"FBI decisions not politically motivated: IG report","mediaAssetTitle":"LEVINE_IGreportBigDay","description":"FBI's decisions not politically motivated but still harmful: IG repo","duration":"1:47","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/06/180614_nwo_doj_report_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["135998990","135965613","135812210"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"August 27, 2026","headline":"Severe weather and flooding threat for Northeast","section":"News","slug":"/video/135998990","id":"135998990","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Severe weather and flooding threat for Northeast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Severe weather and flooding threat for Northeast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260827_gma_zee_storm1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"August 26, 2026","headline":"Growing measles concern","section":"News","slug":"/video/135965613","id":"135965613","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Growing measles concern","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Growing measles concern","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260826_gma_schulze_measles2_716_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"August 20, 2026","headline":"Fantasy football players serving their time for coming in last place","section":"News","slug":"/video/135812210","id":"135812210","image":{"alt":"With millions of fantasy football leagues around the world, the quest to generate the most unique and hilarious last place punishment has become an annual internet tradition.","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"With millions of fantasy football leagues around the world, the quest to generate the most unique and hilarious last place punishment has become an annual internet tradition.","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/football_fantasy_gmafl_260820_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"FBI decisions not politically motivated: IG report","description":"FBI's decisions not politically motivated but still harmful: IG repo","duration":"1:47","uploadDate":"06-14-2018","publication":"06-14-2018","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/06/180614_nwo_doj_report_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/06/180614_nwo_doj_report_MIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/fbis-decisions-politically-motivated-harmful-doj-watchdog-55886849"}},"playlist":[{"id":"136099310","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136093522","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135156413","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135940652","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135916584","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135835493","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135803895","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135768595","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135739178","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135734125","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135706030","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135592333","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135619397","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135617187","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135574939","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135591318","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135555293","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135548166","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135545791","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135521103","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"FBI decisions not politically motivated: IG report","pubTime":"14:53","pubDate":"06-14-2018","modTime":"17:01","modDate":"06-14-2018","taxonomyTags":"none","id":55886849,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"FBI decisions not politically motivated: IG report","mediaAssetTitle":"LEVINE_IGreportBigDay","videoId":55886849,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/fbis-decisions-politically-motivated-harmful-doj-watchdog-55886849"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/55886849","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/55886849","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};