What to know about James Comey and his history with President Trump

Catch up quick: Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan have been under investigation over allegations tied to the Trump-Russia probe, including that they lied to Congress, Fox News reported.

• The statute of limitations against Comey would expire next week, so prosecutors are racing against the clock. But, as noted by The New York Times, it's not guaranteed a grand jury would indict.
• After U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert refused to prosecute Comey, Trump replaced Siebert with his personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Flashback: Comey's helped steer marquee cases throughout his career, including Martha Stewart's insider-trading, WorldCom's accounting fraud, the Valerie Plame CIA leak. Then 2016 hit: he recommended against prosecuting Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server, and the years-long backlash began.

Here's what to know about James Comey and his feud with Trump

Comey's pre-Trump era

A former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and later deputy attorney general for former President George W. Bush, Comey left the government in 2005 to become Lockheed Martin's general counsel and senior vice president. Five years later, he joined hedge fund Bridgewater Associates.

In 2013, former President Obama nominated Comey to head the FBI, after former Director Robert Mueller stepped down.

• He was confirmed by the Senate with a 93-1 vote. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) cast the lone "no" vote, raising concerns over FBI drone surveillance use.

Clinton email investigation

Following a lengthy investigation into then-presidential candidate Clinton's email use, Comey announced in July 2016 the FBI would not recommend charges.

• He called Clinton's handling of sensitive, classified information "extremely careless" but said there was no evidence she and her colleagues intended to break the law.
• "Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," he concluded.

Yes, but: Just days before the 2016 election, Comey announced the FBI was again probing Clinton's private email server use after messages came to light during an investigation into former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner.

• Clinton's campaign slammed the "extraordinary" announcement ahead of election day, demanding transparency.
• Trump, at the time, expressed "respect" for Comey's move.

Two days before the election, Comey cleared Clinton again. Trump rejected Comey's conclusion, saying on the campaign trail, "Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it."

Trump 1.0: Moscow, memos and Comey's firing

In March 2017, Comey confirmed the bureau was trying to determine if there was any coordination between Trump's campaign and Moscow.

• In May, Trump fired Comey. The White House denied his ouster had anything to do with the intensifying Russia probe.

The intrigue: In June 2017, Comey told the Senate the president pressured him to stop looking into ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

• He also revealed he had shared a memo about Trump asking for his loyalty, hoping it might prompt the appointment of a special counsel.

Years later, in 2019, multiple outlets reported the DOJ declined to prosecute Comey over leaked memos.

• The DOJ inspector general said in a blistering report that year that Comey violated policy by not "safeguarding sensitive information" but found no evidence Comey or his attorneys leaked any classified information.

Zoom in: In December 2019, the inspector general concluded the basis for the Russia investigation was legitimate despite finding "serious performance failures" by some officials.

• In September 2020, Comey testified that he stood by his prior testimony that he had not authorized leaks into the Russia or Clinton investigations. That testimony is now the foundation of allegations Comey lied to Congress, NBC reports.

Trump 2.0: "8647" Instagram post

Earlier this year, Trump officials blasted Comey for sharing an Instagram post of shells arranged on a beach that read "8647," shorthand for "86 the 47th president".

• The U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security investigated the post. Comey said he assumed the shells were "a political message," but "didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence."
• Trump accused him of calling for his assassination.
• Comey blasted the administration on MSNBC for using its powers "to aim at individuals, eroding the rule of law."

What has Trump said about Comey recently?

In July, Trump claimed without evidence Comey, Obama and Biden "made up" the Epstein files.

• The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Comey last month to testify on the Epstein probe.
• The administration fired his daughter, a federal prosecutor who worked on the Epstein case, this summer.

In July, when asked about reports of an investigation into Comey and Brennan, Trump described the two as "very dishonest people" and "crooked as hell."

• Earlier this month, Trump ordered for ""JUSTICE" to "BE SERVED, NOW!!!"

Go deeper: Maurene Comey sues Trump administration over firing