Former FBI Director James B. Comey said Monday that Acting US Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker “may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer.”

Speaking with WGBH News during an interview at the Boston Public Library, Mr. Comey discussed the legal and ethical questions he sees surrounding Mr. Whitaker’s temporary appointment to the top spot in the Justice Department.

Asked if he thought Mr. Whitaker could derail special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s probe into any coordination between Russia and President Trump’s campaign, Mr. Comey said: “I think it’s a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry.”

“He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons and I’m sure he doesn’t want that,” Mr. Comey added.

The ex-FBI boss also suggested that Mr. Whitaker may not have the clout in Washington to scuttle the Mueller probe.

“The institution is too strong and he, frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact.”

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