President Trump asks James Comey to remain as FBI director 

Comey is leading the FBI investigation into potential ties between Trump associates and the Russian government.

President Trump has asked FBI Director James Comey to stay on the job, despite their public disagreements and an open probe into Comey's actions during the presidential campaign, according to a report.

Comey told his top agents around America Trump will be keeping him as the head of the country's top law enforcement agency, according to the New York Times.


Comey, who was appointed to a 10-year term in 2013 by former President Obama, did not comment on the report. The FBI and White House also released no statement.

Trump took shots at Comey during the campaign for not recommending criminal charges against Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server as secretary of state. Comey called Clinton's conduct "extremely careless" but said there was no precedent for pressing charges over it.

After winning the White House, Trump said he was unsure if he would keep Comey in his post.

President Trump with James Comey.
President Trump with James Comey. (Andrew Harrer / POOL/EPA)

Comey will continue the job while under investigation for the Justice Department for his handling of the Clinton case. The FBI leader faced fierce criticism for reopening the probe into Clinton's emails less than two weeks into the election —only to close it days later with no new findings.

Clinton has blamed Comey's last minute suspicion of costing her the election.

Comey is also overseeing the FBI probe into potential ties between Trump associates, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and the Russian government.