House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is acting dangerously, ex-FBI Director James Comey warned on Friday.

During an event in Washington, D.C., Comey was asked to comment on Nunes' push to obtain classified information from the Justice Department about a source in the federal investigation into 2016 election interference by the Russians.

"You cannot overstate the danger in that kind of behavior to the security of the United States," said in response to his friend and Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes.



Nunes, R-Calif., subpoenaed the Justice Department last week after the agency did not respond to a classified letter he sent late last month with his request regarding special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. The subpoena reportedly demanded documents related to a U.S. citizen who contributed to the probe. However, the Justice Department — backed by the White House — told Nunes in a letter last week that turning over the requested information would be a risk to national security.

Tensions between Nunes and the DOJ appeared to cool after a classified briefing that included House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, DOJ, and FBI. Noting they had a "productive discussion," Nunes and Gowdy wrote, "The officials committed to holding further discussions of these matters, and we look forward to continuing our dialogue next week to satisfy the Committee’s request.”

Comey, who was fired by President Trump last year, said he's never seen this level of pressure for the intelligence community to abdicate information about a protected source. He warned this effort "risks the death of the thing that is at the core of our ability to protect this country."