James Rybicki

James Rybicki was Chief of Staff to disgraced former FBI Director James Comey. Rybicki was a working member of the Trump-Russia “Insurance Policy” group.

Rybicki transferred from the Department of Justice-National Secutity Division in May 2015 and was appointed Chief of Staff to FBI Director James Comey.^[1][2] In July 2015, Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates issued a legal opinion denying the DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz oversight of the DOJ-National Security Division (DOJ-NSD).^[3][4] Horowitz raised concern that his office would be required to seek the Department's permission for oversight, imperilling independence. Horowitz said the new procedure implemented by Yates is “inconsistent with the Inspector General Act, impairs the OIG’s independence, and fails to account for the over 20 year record of Department and FBI compliance with OIG document requests.”^[5]

The same month there were calls for Attorney General Loretta Lynch to appoint a special prosecutor in the Hillary Clinton email scandal and related matters, including the Uranium One bribery scandal. The FBI at the same time opened its Hillary Clinton email investigation. Andrew McCabe was “running the FBI’s Washington, D.C., field office, which provided personnel and resources to the Clinton email probe.” By February 2016, McCabe had been promoted to Deputy Director.

Before joining the FBI Rybicki worked in the Justice Department for the deputy attorney general, the National Security Division (DOJ-NSD), the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review, and the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA).

Rybicki was forced out or resigned on January 23, 2018.

• John Carlin
• FBI scandal