Stephen L. Carter, Columnist

Comey Seems Blind to the Truth About Lying

The former FBI director wants to hold “people” accountable. Somehow that does not include the police.

April 19, 2018 at 4:45 PM UTC

Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, a professor of law at Yale University and author of “Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster.”

There's more to the story than Trump.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

The publication of James Comey’s new book has occasioned a good deal of discussion about truth and lies and integrity. Having slogged through the volume, I think the best way to understand the former FBI director’s view on these matters is to consider the parts of the story that have nothing to do with President Donald Trump. Although “A Higher Loyalty” is a brisk read with much to recommend it, the central message about how and why truth matters is one that I find troubling.

There’s a worrisome bit, for instance, where Comey talks about his prosecution of Martha Stewart on charges surrounding a stock trade, including making false statements to investigators: