what did james comey lie about

James Comey has been accused of lying to Congress about whether he authorized FBI officials to leak information to the press, but as of late 2025 he has pleaded not guilty and the case is still being contested.

What did James Comey allegedly lie about?

The core allegation

Prosecutors say that James Comey lied in 2020 congressional testimony when he said he had never authorized anyone at the FBI to act as an anonymous source or to leak information to the media about certain high‑profile investigations.

More specifically:

• The testimony at issue comes from a 2020 appearance before a Senate committee, where Comey was questioned about:
  • The FBI’s handling of Russian election interference.
  • The investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

• Under oath, he reaffirmed earlier testimony that he:
  • Had not authorized FBI officials to be anonymous sources in news stories about those investigations.
  • Had not approved “leaks” to the media about those matters.

Why prosecutors say that’s false

The indictment and later court filings point to evidence suggesting that, contrary to his testimony, Comey did know about and approve at least one such disclosure.

Key points raised by investigators and critics:

• Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe told investigators that when he spoke to a Wall Street Journal reporter in 2016 about aspects of the Clinton investigation, he did so with Comey’s knowledge or authorization.

• A 2018 U.S. Justice Department inspector general report noted that McCabe claimed Comey had authorized the contact, even though the report also criticized McCabe for being misleading in some of his own statements.

• Prosecutors argue that this conflicts with Comey’s later blanket denial to Congress that he had ever authorized such leaks or anonymous sourcing.

Because of this alleged contradiction, Comey was charged with:

• One count of making false statements (lying to Congress under oath).

• One count of obstructing a congressional proceeding, on the theory that his allegedly false testimony hindered the committee’s investigation.

In simple terms: the government’s story is that he did green‑light at least one media disclosure, then later testified that he had never done so.

Comey’s side of the story

James Comey has firmly denied wrongdoing and insists he did not lie.

His position, as reflected in public reporting:

• He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

• He and his lawyers argue:
  • His testimony reflected his understanding and recollection of events at the time.
  • Any differences between his statements and others’ accounts (like McCabe’s) are disagreements in memory or interpretation, not intentional deception.

• Comey has also framed the case as politically driven, pointing to long‑running public attacks on him and pressure from President Donald Trump to pursue investigations of political opponents, including Comey himself.

How courts and commentators view it (so far)

As of late 2025:

• The case is ongoing; there has not yet been a final conviction or acquittal reported in major outlets.

• Legal analysts have noted:
  • Proving a false‑statement charge requires showing not just that a statement was wrong, but that the person knew it was false and intended to mislead.

* That makes perjury‑type cases hard to win, especially when events are years old and memories differ.

So, when people online ask “what did James Comey lie about,” they’re usually referring to this specific allegation: that he lied to Congress in 2020 by denying he had ever authorized FBI leaks or anonymous sourcing to the media regarding the Clinton and Russia investigations.

But whether that was actually a lie in the legal sense is exactly what the current criminal case is trying to resolve.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.