A spokesperson for former FBI director James Comey acknowledged the “unusual” aspects of his collaboration with the bureau during a recent call with Congressional staff, as revealed in a transcript made public on Thursday.

Daniel C. Richman, identified as one of Comey’s personal lawyers and a media advisor, conceded in a June 2017 conversation that it’s not standard for corporations to represent a former FBI director. He had earlier stated he acted as Comey’s confidant. A transcript of that call was also published.

Jason Foster, who was then working as an investigative advisor for Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, described the interview as “extraordinary” and “strange” in a message to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

This conversation took place shortly after Comey’s testimony, where he denied leaking classified information to the media, asserting there were no leaks through intermediaries either.

The transcript was initially shared by journalist Katherine Hellidge.

Richman confirmed to Senate officials that after Trump’s dismissal of Comey, the former FBI director used him to provide the media with written accounts of his interactions with Trump. However, Richman didn’t confirm whether he held on to these notes when questioned by the committee.

According to the transcript, Richman mentioned something along the lines of “You have your rules, I have my rules,” and at one point suggested, “If you want to send another letter, go ahead.” He identified himself as one of Comey’s lawyers in the conversation.

Richman indicated to the Senate staff that Comey had given him a “packet” of documents, adding, “Yes, I’m intentionally vague” regarding the details.

Richman made it clear that if called by the committee, he would invoke lawyer-client privileges.

At one point in the exchange, he expressed uncertainty about specific claims, mentioning he was doing his “morning exercise,” which seemed to affect his recall of certain details.

Richman believed that the committee’s inquiries about him had been addressed by staff from special advisor Robert Mueller. He also noted that his situation was rather atypical, particularly after Comey was let go by Trump.

Recently declassified documents revealed by FBI Director Kash Patel discussed leaks of classified information to the press. This included a summary of an August 2017 FBI investigation, codenamed “Arctic Haze,” which examined who leaked the classified details that surfaced in four articles.

The investigation investigated an April 2017 New York Times article regarding Comey, tracing the leaks back to him, as indicated by the documents.

Richman communicated with a New York Times reporter right after the classified intelligence was reported in January 2017, though he has been vague about whether he disclosed the classified materials.

Richman, appointed a special government employee by Comey in 2015, retained a top-secret clearance even after leaving the FBI, and he continued communicating with the media post-tenure.

Richman has yet to respond to requests for commentary.

NYT Story

Comey had engaged Richman in relation to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email servers, portraying his controversial decisions in a way that appeared more favorable toward President Trump and the Russian president, according to the NYT.

The article pointed to Comey’s scrutiny of both major candidates in the 2016 election, noting the challenging choices he faced.

However, recent documents have cast doubt on the NYT’s portrayal of Comey as a fair arbiter. These disclosures suggest that allegations against Russian President Putin were made in response to potential scrutiny on Clinton’s legal issues surrounding her email server.

Richman was described by the NYT as a long-time friend and confidant of Comey, though they did not mention his role at the FBI.

Richman insisted that his position was independent and non-political, emphasizing the complexities that FBI directors encounter.

The NYT story also contended that Comey treated the Trump-Russia investigation with traditional bureau secrecy, though prior reports had indicated otherwise.

Investigators from the Arctic Haze probe confirmed Richman had provided additional information not recorded officially.

Comey has not addressed comments sent by his publisher for his book.

The FBI’s communication team held several briefings for Times reporters, linked to the inquiry into Clinton’s email practices, including discussions involving agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page.

While Strzok and Page provided differing accounts regarding classified information being discussed, the FBI eventually closed the Arctic Haze investigations without filing any criminal charges.

Classified Information

Documents declassified indicate that the NYT story involved “classification information” relevant to whether the Attorney General should remove herself from an investigation into Clinton’s email practices.

More details, including notes and emails from a Russian intelligence agency, further complicate the narrative around Comey’s decisions, with implications that were found to relate to American operations.

Despite the importance of Comey’s actions during the investigations, the FBI’s formal stance suggested they could not trust the Russian intelligence community.