Archive · 7 Dec 2025
Judge Blocks DoJ from Accessing Comey Lawyer's Emails
A judge has stopped the US Justice Department from looking at emails and computer files belonging to Daniel Richman, a friend and lawyer of former FBI Director James Comey.
The judge said the government might have broken the law by keeping and looking at these files without proper permission.
The files are important because the Justice Department wants to use them in a case against Comey.
Richman's lawyers say the government should have returned or destroyed the files after their initial investigation.
It's not clear how much this will affect the Justice Department's case against Comey.
A federal judge blocked the DoJ from accessing emails and computer data of Daniel Richman, a close friend and attorney of James Comey.
The judge granted a temporary restraining order, concluding that the government likely violated Richman's Fourth Amendment rights.
The data was obtained by the DoJ in 2017 and is central to their case against Comey, who was charged in September 2023 with allegedly lying to Congress.
Richman's attorneys argue that the government should have returned or destroyed the data after the initial investigations concluded.
The significance of the lack of access to Richman's records for the DoJ's probe remains unclear.
- Who
- James Comey, Daniel Richman, US Justice Department, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
- What
- A federal judge has blocked the DoJ from accessing emails and computer data of Daniel Richman, a close friend and attorney of James Comey.
- When
- The temporary restraining order was granted on Saturday, with the data obtained in 2017 and charges filed in September 2023.
- Where
- The legal action took place in a federal court in Washington, DC.
- Why
- The judge concluded that the government likely violated Richman's Fourth Amendment rights by retaining and searching his data without a warrant.
- Parties Involved
- James Comey, Daniel Richman, US Justice Department, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
- Key Evidence
- Emails and computer data of Daniel Richman
- Legal Action
- Temporary restraining order granted by Judge Kollar-Kotelly
- Legal Basis
- Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures
- Significance
- Central to the DoJ's case against James Comey
- Timeline
- Data obtained in 2017, charges filed in September 2023
