Book: A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

A Higher Loyalty by James Comey, published by Macmillan, £20

James Comey famously lost his job as director of the FBI after refusing to pledge his loyalty to President Trump, and more specifically to "fix the Russian thing." The blow-by-blow accounts of Comey's surreal exchanges with the president have been covered widely elsewhere. ICN readers who follow the news will also be familiar with Trump's preoccupation with the size of his inauguration crowd, and speculation about the "golden showers" episode with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room.

However, this book is recommended reading for those who seek a better understanding of the delicate balance of power between the machinery of justice and the executive branch of government. Comey has been criticised for his holier-than-thou Boy Scout rectitude. But at a time when some politicians seem to disregard higher standards of truth and constitutional niceties, while pandering to populist prejudice, Comey's forthright defence of ethical behaviour is to be welcomed.

Most media coverage of the book has understandably focused on Comey's portrait of President Trump as a mafia don-like character, incapable of empathy or kindness. In his encounters with the leader of the free world the author describes an insecure and paranoid bully who is without intellectual curiosity or knowledge, surrounded by weak yes-men. Anyone who has endured stream-of-consciousness monologues from a pompous boss will recognise Comey's discomfort in Trump's presence.

However, for this reviewer the most interesting section of the book concerns Comey's interaction with Vice President Dick Cheney and his cronies in the period after 9/11. When Comey warned Cheney and Attorney General Gonzales that their intercepts and torture programme violated US law and constitutionality, he was told he would be "responsible for thousands of deaths." Even when Comey and his colleagues provided evidence that "enhanced interrogation" produced unreliable intelligence, they were ignored and undermined.

Comey was widely criticised for his handling of the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's sloppy use of her personal email server. As Election Day approached, new evidence came to light, forcing the FBI to either cover up and delay their investigations, risking Republican fury, or to announce they were reopening their investigation, casting a legal shadow over the Democratic candidate. Comey chose the latter route, but makes it clear his agency was in an impossible situation. We will never know if his decision cost Clinton the White House.

For some readers, Comey's book might labour the importance of ethical leadership and truth telling. However, given our current circumstances, in Europe and the USA, it is a salutary ode to the importance of honesty, integrity and standing by the letter of the law.