Former FBI director James Comey praised the FBI for "speaking up," in an apparent reference to a rare public statement issued by the department on concerns over a controversial memo Republicans are clamoring to release.

That memo alleges political bias against President Donald Trump and improper spying by the FBI and Justice Department.

Comey has been increasingly vocal with his support for his former FBI colleagues since Trump fired him in may 2017.



Former FBI director James Comey praised the FBI for "speaking up," in an apparent reference to a statement issued by the department earlier this week expressing its concern over the release of a GOP-supported House Intelligence Committee memo.

"All should appreciate the FBI speaking up. I wish more of our leaders would," Comey tweeted on Thursday. "But take heart: American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars never hold the field, so long as good people stand up.

"Not a lot of schools or streets named for Joe McCarthy," Comey said, referencing the Cold War-era senator from Wisconsin who promoted draconian methods for combating the threat of communism, such as accusing hundreds of State Department officials of having communist ties, sometimes without substantial evidence.

Comey's statement follows the FBI's opposition to the public release of the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee memo, which reportedly contains details of purported anti-Trump bias at the FBI and the Justice Department. FBI director Christopher Wray reportedly told the White House that the memo contained "material omissions of fact that fundamentally impact the memo’s accuracy."

It's not the first time Comey has spoken up in support of his former agency. After deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe's abrupt resignation this week, Comey commended his service and asked for "continued strength for the rest of the FBI."

"America needs you," Comey said on Monday.