Comey kept his sunglasses on and his gaze forward as he marched through the front entrance of the Times Square office building which houses the publication on Thursday.
Former FBI director James Comey made a quiet visit to The New York Times on Thursday, one of few public outings since he admitted leaking stories to the newspaper about President Trump before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8.
Comey kept his sunglasses on and his gaze forward as he marched through the front entrance of the Times Square office building which houses the publication. He was accompanied by his wife Patrice Failor who also wore sunglasses.
Unmistakable as he towered over the crowds in a crisp navy suit and tie on one of the warmest days of the year, Comey drew second-glances from some stunned by-passers.
It was a timely visit, coming just a few weeks after the president’s suggestion that he may be responsible for more leaks about the administration since being fired on May 9.
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Comey confessed to being the source of a leak to the Times about private, unorthodox meeting he had with the president before he was fired in June.
The subject of their conversation was former National Security Adviser General Michael Flynn and the FBI’s investigation into his ties with Russia.
Comey claimed that during their conversation, the president pressured him to drop the probe and asked him to show his loyalty. Concerned about the nature of their meeting, he recorded details of the meeting in a memo and stored it.
After his firing on May 8, Comey gave details of the memo to ‘a friend’ at the Times in response to a tweet from the president who threatened: ‘Comey better hope that there are no «tapes» of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!’
As he gave testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June — which has been tasked with probing any collusion between the Trump election campaign and Russia — Comey said he believed the president was subtly asking him to drop the investigation into Flynn and that it was his failure to do so which led to his sudden and shocking dismissal.
The president, maintaining that Comey was fired for his handling of a prior investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State, is focused on the leak and has suggested his belief that it was one of many.
‘I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible. Totally illegal? Very ‘cowardly!’ he said on June 11, alluding that there was more than one.
Exactly what words were exchanged by the pair during their meeting about Flynn remains in dispute.
What would have resolved the argument — recordings or tapes of their conversation — may not be in existence.
Despite floating the idea that they existed first, Trump admitted on Thursday that he did not make any recording himself but says someone else could have.
‘With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea whether there are «tapes» or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings, ‘ he said in a tweet.
For his part, Comey says he hopes there is evidence of their conversations.
‘Lordy I hope there are tapes, ‘ he said as he gave testimony on June 8.
