(NEW YORK) — A Columbia law professor who is a friend and adviser to former FBI Director James Comey was subpoenaed last week by federal prosecutors in connection with a criminal probe into whether Comey allegedly lied in testimony before Congress, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Daniel Richman has previously acknowledged his role as an intermediary between Comey and reporters in the wake of Comey’s 2017 firing by President Donald Trump during his first term over Trump’s anger with the FBI’s investigation into his 2016 campaign.
Richman met with federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia on Tuesday, sources familiar with the matter said.
In public statements, Richman has said he shared the content of memos written by Comey about his interactions with Trump with a reporter from the New York Times.
Trump later accused Comey of breaking the law by sharing his memos, arguing they contained classified information, though Richman later told ABC News in a statement that none of the documents had any classification markings.
The subpoena to Richman, according to sources, stems from an investigation into testimony Comey made before Congress in September 2020 about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Comey has repeatedly defended his handling of the early stages of the investigation and denied any decisions were based out of political animus towards Trump.
A previous investigation by the Justice Department’s inspector general faulted Comey for violating FBI policies over his handling of the memos regarding his interactions with President Trump, though the DOJ under Trump’s first administration declined to prosecute him.
An attorney for Richman and an attorney for Comey did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
A Justice Department spokesperson also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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