The J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Building is seen on Nov. 30. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo 2 top Comey advisers resign from FBI

Two top advisers to James Comey when he was director of the FBI resigned from the bureau on Friday, an FBI spokeswoman confirmed.

James Baker was a longtime confidant of Comey’s, serving as the bureau’s general counsel, and Lisa Page was an FBI lawyer who advised Comey while serving under his deputy director, Andrew McCabe. Their departures were first reported by The New York Times.


Last year it was revealed that Baker was under investigation by the Justice Department on suspicion that he gave classified information to a reporter, though he was never charged. Baker was also reassigned as general counsel just before Christmas when the bureau’s new director, Christopher Wray, was assembling his own team. At the time, Comey wrote on Twitter: “Sadly, we are now at a point in our political life when anyone can be attacked for partisan gain.”

Page has been criticized by conservatives after the release of texts between her and Peter Strzok — an agent who led the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election — that expressed negative views of President Donald Trump, in addition to criticism of Hillary Clinton and others within the Justice Department.

Comey on Friday tweeted in response to Baker’s retiring: “A great public servant retired from the FBI today. Jim Baker’s integrity and commitment to the rule of law have benefitted our country through 5 presidents, of both parties. We are fortunate he and so many others choose to devote their lives to justice.”

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Baker will become a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and contribute to its blog, Lawfare, said Benjamin Wittes, a senior fellow in governance studies at Brookings and editor-in-chief of the blog. Baker will focus on “artificial intelligence and its applications in law enforcement and national security matters,” Wittes said.

A source close to Page said she has another job lined up, but declined to provide details.

Trump fired Comey last year, a move that is under scrutiny by special counsel Robert Mueller in his investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.

