Comey says DOJ must be the ‘guardian’ of U.S. principles of justice

Justice DepartmentComey says DOJ must be the ‘guardian’ of U.S. principles of justiceThe former FBI director told NBC News that President Donald Trump’s continued efforts to prosecute him are meant to silence criticism.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleHallie Jackson interviews former FBI Director James Comey12:20Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 7:04 PM EDTBy Kyla Guilfoil and Hallie JacksonFormer FBI Director James Comey said Tuesday that the Justice Department can’t fulfill its role to uphold the rule of law in the U.S. while it also fixates on those who criticize President Donald Trump. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“I think it’s really important for the Department of Justice to be just and to make decisions just based on facts and law,” Comey said in an interview with NBC News. Comey said the Justice Department “has to be the guardian” of making decisions “without regard to race or wealth or politics.” The Justice Department has sought to prosecute many of Trump’s political enemies, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former CIA Director John Brennan.Justice Department officials also sought to indict six members of Congress, including Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., after they encouraged service members to ignore illegal orders. A grand jury refused to indict the lawmakers.“The department cannot target people like an Adam Schiff or Letitia James or Sen. Kelly because the president doesn’t Like what they say,” Comey said. “It just can’t be that way and still have it uphold the rule of law in this country.” The Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. A judge dismissed indictments of Comey and James in November, determining that the federal prosecutor had been unconstitutionally appointed. Comey had been indicted on charges of making a false statement to Cong...