Books

Former FBI boss James Comey lands multimillion-dollar book deal

Having served under the Trump administration, the former FBI director is writing a book about leadership and decision making.
Former FBI Director James Comey pictured at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2017. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Former FBI director James Comey has a book deal. Flatiron Books told the Associated Press that Comey is writing a book about leadership and decision making that will draw upon his career in government.

Comey will write about experiences that made him the FBI's best-known and most controversial FBI head in recent times, from his handling of the bureau's probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server to allegations of ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Trump fired Comey in May and soon after told NBC News that he was angered by the FBI's investigation into "this Russia thing with Trump and Russia," which he called a fake story.

Comey has since testified before Congress that Trump asked him to end an investigation into former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn and kept memos about his meetings with the president.

According to Flatiron, Comey will cite "examples from some of the highest-stakes situations in the past two decades of American government" and "share yet-unheard anecdotes from his long and distinguished career."

The book is currently untitled and scheduled for spring 2018.

"Throughout his career, James Comey has had to face one difficult decision after another as he has served the leaders of our country," Flatiron publisher and president Bob Miller said in a statement. "His book promises to take us inside those extraordinary moments in our history, showing us how these leaders have behaved under pressure. By doing so, Director Comey will give us unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in leadership itself."

Financial terms were not disclosed, but several publishers bid for the book and three officials with knowledge of the negotiations said the auction topped $2 million US (approx. $2.5 million Cdn). The officials asked not to be identified because were not authorized to discuss the book.

Comey was appointed as FBI director by Barack Obama in 2013. On Aug. 1 2017 the Senate confirmed his successor, Christopher Wray, a former high-ranking official in George W. Bush's Justice Department who oversaw investigations into corporate fraud.

— With files from CBC Books