Story highlights "I think he was trying to protect his organization," Morrel says

"I think (Comey) made a series of terrible mistakes here," he adds

Washington (CNN) Former acting CIA director Mike Morell says he has "deep respect" for FBI Director James Comey but that he "made a series of terrible mistakes."

"I think he was trying to protect his organization," Morell, who backs Hillary Clinton, told David Axelrod in a recent interview for "The Axe Files." "But as (former Attorney General) Eric Holder wrote in The Washington Post over the weekend in response to Comey's actions, people make mistakes. And I think (Comey) made a series of terrible mistakes here."

The full interview is set to publish on November 10.

Comey set off a political firestorm after he sent a letter to lawmakers Friday that said the FBI is reviewing new emails potentially related to its investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state.

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