ABC’s Stephanopoulos to interview Comey in April

Former FBI Director James Comey will sit down for an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos ahead of the release of his highly anticipated book.

The interview will be Comey’s first with a media outlet since his abrupt firing by President Trump in May. Comey and Stephanopoulos both confirmed the upcoming interview on Twitter. 

Book is finished. I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone and talking about it on ABC. https://t.co/ksBZqIgVkH

— James Comey (@Comey) February 16, 2018

Looking forward to my exclusive interview with James Comey for the launch of his book “A Higher Loyalty” — pub date April 17 pic.twitter.com/siYV4bsG1v

— GeorgeStephanopoulos (@GStephanopoulos) February 16, 2018

{mosads}

According to BuzzFeed News, the interview is set for mid-April, shortly before the release of Comey’s book, “A Higher Loyalty,” which is due out April 17. 

The book was initially set to be released May 1, but its publisher, Flatiron Books, moved up the date amid heightened public attention surrounding the FBI and Trump’s attacks on the agency. 

Comey was ousted in May at what was ostensibly the recommendations of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and his deputy Rod Rosenstein.

But Trump later acknowledged that he had decided to fire Comey regardless of the recommendations, and that he had thought of the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling as part of his decision.

Since then, Comey has said that Trump once asked him for a loyalty pledge, and encouraged him to drop the FBI’s investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. 

Comey’s ouster from the FBI laid the stage for Rosenstein to appoint special counsel Robert Mueller to lead the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election and whether the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow to disrupt and influence the race.