The self-righteous James Comey has served his country badly. President Barack Obama did not mention Comey by name in a recent interview, but Obama is justified in his criticism. "We don't operate on incomplete information," Obama told NowThisNews. "We don't operate on leaks. We operate based on concrete decisions that are made." Comey dropped his stink bomb shortly before the election, and all he could say was that material discovered on the wretched Anthony Weiner's computer would "appear to be pertinent." Comey might have paused to reflect on the conclusion of the FBI's exhaustive examination, that no charges were warranted against Clinton or her aides. The key judgment he made then was whether the errant emails represented an intent to do harm.

Comey's July report was unsparing in laying out the facts in thousands of emails. He was right in declaring that the investigation was done "competently, honestly, and independently. No outside influence of any kind was brought to bear." There was indeed plenty of evidence of potential violations of the statutes on the handling of classified information, but his best judgment was that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Prosecutors necessarily weigh a number of factors before bringing charges. There are obvious considerations, like the strength of the evidence, especially regarding intent. Responsible decisions also consider the context of a person's actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past."

"In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts. All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States; or efforts to obstruct justice. We do not see those things here."

Many critics wondered why Comey accompanied his conclusion by outlining harsh criticisms. It smelled somewhat of appeasement: We don't like giving this verdict, so we will add a little smear for the benefit of those who have been clamoring to lock her up. Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless." But now the curious situation arises that Comey seems not to have remembered his doctrine of intent. By his own admission, he does not know whether Clinton is identified in these further emails, or what they say. Did he give any thought to what people less scrupulous about the evidence might do with the innuendo he has perpetrated? Fox News was swift to report falsehoods talking of a Clinton indictment in a twisted report by Bret Baier. Fox News then used a lot of weasel words to retract – but Trump went on and on recycling the lies. Immediately, Donald Trump went on the warpath, with attacks presuming the very worst of what might be found in emails on Weiner's computer. Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, have gone wild, repeating charges that have already been shown to be false time and time again. Pence told Fox News on Oct. 30 that "Clinton continues to refuse to turn over some 33,000 emails." News travels slowly in Pence-land. Hillary Clinton's non-work-related emails were deleted over a year ago, according to factcheck.org, so she doesn't have them to turn over.

And that master of moderation, Trump said that "This is bigger than Watergate." Of course anything to with Trump has to be bigger, better – and worse. He'd like to lock up his opponent because, he shouts, her "criminal action was willful, deliberate, intentional and purposeful" – exactly the charges for which the FBI found no evidence. Trump is a compulsive liar and cheat. He creates paranoid fantasies for his massive rallies of Trumpkins, fired up on grievances, real and imagined. His imagery is as revealing, as unconscionable, as his narcissism: "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters, Okay? It's like incredible." When Trump lies are raised with his supporters, a common reaction is simply to say, "He tells it like it is." Fact-checkers have reported that the vast proportion of Trump statements are exactly like it isn't, wasn't or will be.

Comey seems oblivious of the effect of handing Trump a piece of dynamite. How far, as a servant of the law and a federal officer, did the FBI director weigh his obligations under the Hatch Act of 1939? Its full title is An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, and 'pernicious political activity' bears a close resemblance to what Comey has done.

Whether he considered the implications of the Hatch Act is left to our imaginations. He has earned rebukes from all sides of the political spectrum for his precipitate invitation to make a mad election even crazier. Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who was in the George W. Bush administration, says, "You don't comment on investigations, because commenting on the investigation may jeopardize the investigation. And that's the box he's put himself in." Comey would not have been misleading voters by holding the news until Nov. 9, that would have meant "voters will have the opportunity to vote on Election Day without information that may in fact be incomplete or untrue." Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who served in the Obama administration, had worked with Comey and found it difficult to criticize him. He wrote, "He is a man of integrity and honor. I respect him. But good men make mistakes. In this instance, he has committed a serious error with potentially severe implications."

Sen. Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat writes to Comey, "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law. ... The clear double standard established by your actions strongly suggests that your highly selective approach ... along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group."

Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer in George W. Bush's administration from 2005 to 2007, has filed an official complaint with both the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics. He charges that Comey's act at this time is "an abuse of power." He puts his finger on why Comey blundered as he did. Comey makes it clear he felt he had a duty to keep the lawmakers and those making noise from the Trump campaign up to date on his investigation. He didn't. "They do not have an obligation to do that. He never should have promised Congress that he would give them updates with respect to Secretary Clinton, when he doesn't do that with respect to anybody else, when it's clear that the only reason they want the information is politics," he told NPR.