Sen. Susan Collins of Maine criticized former FBI Director James Comey for launching a book tour while Special Counsel Robert Mueller is still investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.
“I cannot imagine why an FBI Director would seek to essentially cash in on a book when the investigation is very much alive. He should have waited to do his memoir,” Ms. Collins, a Republican, told NBC’s Meet the Press.
She also criticized Mr. Comey for failing to follow Justice Department protocols in his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state and his decision to hand off memos to a friend to release to the media.
The Justice Department released Mr. Comey’s memos, with redactions, on Thursday under threat of subpoena by three House Republican committee chairmen. The documents written by Mr. Comey detail several face-to-face conversations and phone calls he had with the president before Mr. Trump fired him in May 2017.
After the firing, Mr. Mueller was appointed to continue the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian actors to gain an advantage during the 2016 campaign.
Mr. Trump is growing impatient with the length and scope of the probe, though Ms. Collins said Mr. Mueller is behaving appropriately.
For instance, she said Mr. Mueller referred information involving Michael Cohen — Mr. Trump’s longtime lawyer — back to the Justice Department, so federal prosecutors in New York could handle the next steps.
“I believe he is staying within the parameters,” Ms. Collins said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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