I already showed it wasn't a trick. He said he did it because the newly formed Trump administration was still to unorganized. Not to trick Flynn.
That quote comes from former FBI Director
James Comey during a December 2018 interview with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace.
He was referring to his decision in January 2017 to bypass traditional White House protocols and send two FBI agents (including Peter Strzok) to interview then-National Security Advisor
Michael Flynn regarding his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Here is the context behind the quote:
- The Protocol: Normally, if the FBI needs to interview a high-ranking White House official, they coordinate ahead of time through the White House Counsel's Office to establish parameters and ensure administration lawyers are present.
- The "By-Pass": Because the Trump administration was in its infancy and still highly disorganized, Comey decided to bypass the White House Counsel entirely and directly dispatch the agents to the West Wing.
- The Quote: Explaining his thinking in 2018, Comey remarked: