A federal judge issued a blistering reprimand to the Justice Department Monday, declaring its handling of the long-running investigation into former FBI Director James Comey “a masterpiece of confusion, if the masterpiece were painted by a committee wearing blindfolds.”
In a sharply worded opinion, the judge said prosecutors had committed “profound investigative missteps,” a phrase legal analysts agree is judicial code for “What on earth were you people doing? According to the ruling, the DOJ managed to miss deadlines, misplace documents, and misunderstand its own evidence – a trifecta the judge described as “impressive, in the way a building collapse is impressive.”
A Justice Department spokesperson responded by saying the agency “respectfully disagrees” and believes the investigation was conducted “with utmost professionalism,” a statement that immediately prompted several reporters to burst into laughter.
Comey, for his part, declined to comment, reportedly too busy trying not to look vindicated.
