A forthcoming watchdog report will likely be rough on former FBI Director James Comey, according to a report.

Sources told Time magazine about what they expect will come from the Justice Department inspector general report on the FBI's investigation, led by Comey, into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's unauthorized email server.

They said the report will probably determine that Comey broke with DOJ protocols in the summer 2016 press conference where he announced the conclusion of the inquiry the first time. In that July 5 announcement Comey said the FBI would not recommend charges be pressed against Clinton, but he condemned the actions of Clinton and her aides as being “extremely careless.”

The sources also said the report likely will be critical of how Comey reopened the investigation less than two weeks before the 2016 election. The investigation was closed again days before the contest, with no change in its final conclusion, but ever since Clinton and her allies have heaped blame on Comey for contributing to her loss to then-candidate Donald Trump.

[Related: James Comey 'sorry' he couldn't better explain his decisions in Hillary Clinton email investigation]

Comey is now in the middle of a book tour for his tell-all, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership. In the book, Comey expresses remorse for how he handled the Clinton emails probe, writing he would "do some things differently" if given a second chance.

"I’ve taken some abuse, including from my beloved family, for 'Seacresting it' by which they mean imitating the dramatic tease," Comey wrote. "[I]f I had it to do over again, I would do some things differently. I would avoid the 'Seacresting' mistake by saying at the beginning of my statement that we weren’t recommending charge."

Comey has been openly critical of Trump's presidency, particularly for his treatment of the DOJ and FBI. A group of Republicans called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions last month to prosecute him, along with a handful of individuals, including Clinton.

The lawmakers refer Comey, as well as his former deputy, Andrew McCabe, for “investigation of potential violation(s) of federal statutes.”