DOJ sees fallout after push to prosecute former FBI director James Comey ⁠77%

By Perry Stein⁠0%

5/9/2026, 10:00:00 AM

BS Summary: This article contains 23 faulty reasoning types, including Negativity Bias, Anecdotal, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Framing Effect as the most egregious example at 33.6% saturation with 202 hits. Analysis detected 1,637 faulty-reasoning hits from 602 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 68.3% and a BS Rank of ⁠77% (5,166 of 21,886 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 76.40% of the article peer group.

More than a half-dozen prosecutors have been demoted or pushed out of the U.S. 
Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia due to fallout from the Justice Department’s push to prosecute former FBI director James B. 
Comey, leaving a key prosecutorial office understaffed and weakened. 
The departures, which began last fall and have accelerated in recent months, have left the office — one of the nation’s most influential federal prosecutorial offices — with dozens of vacancies. 
The office, which handles some of the most high-profile cases in the country, including those involving national security and cybercrime, is now operating at about 70 percent capacity, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. 
The turmoil has disrupted at least one major case, sources said, and has raised concerns among current and former prosecutors about the office’s ability to handle its workload effectively. 
The situation has also fueled fears that the politicization of the Justice Department under President Donald Trump is eroding the independence of federal prosecutors and damaging the department’s credibility. 
The push to prosecute Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, has been a priority for the president and his allies since he returned to office. 
Trump has repeatedly accused Comey of orchestrating a “witch hunt” against him during the Russia investigation and has vowed to hold him accountable. 
The Justice Department has pursued several avenues to bring charges against Comey, including allegations that he leaked classified information and lied to Congress. 
But the effort has faced significant legal and evidentiary hurdles, leading to frustration among some Trump appointees in the department. 
That frustration has spilled over into the Eastern District of Virginia, where prosecutors have been under pressure to find a way to bring charges against Comey. 
Several prosecutors who were involved in the Comey investigation have been reassigned or demoted, sources said. 
Others have left the office voluntarily, citing concerns about the politicization of their work. 
The departures have created a leadership vacuum in the office, with several key positions unfilled for months. 
The situation has also affected the office’s ability to handle other cases. 
One major cybercrime investigation has been delayed because of staffing shortages, sources said. 
The office is also struggling to respond to a surge in cases related to national security threats, including those involving China and Russia. 
Current and former prosecutors say the turmoil is a symptom of a broader problem in the Justice Department under Trump. 
They argue that the president’s repeated attacks on the department and its leaders have created a culture of fear and uncertainty among career prosecutors. 
“People are afraid to do their jobs,” one former prosecutor said. 
“They’re worried that if they make a mistake, they’ll be the next one to be targeted.” 
The Justice Department declined to comment on the situation in the Eastern District of Virginia. 
But officials have defended the Comey investigation as necessary to hold accountable those who have abused their power. 
“The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that no one is above the law,” department spokesman Kerri Kupec said in a statement. 
“We will continue to pursue justice in all cases, regardless of the political implications.” 
Comey, who has denied any wrongdoing, has criticized the investigation as politically motivated. 
In a statement, he said the effort to prosecute him is part of a broader pattern of retaliation against those who have investigated Trump. 
“This is not about justice,” Comey said. 
“This is about revenge.” 
Article reasoning-pattern comparisonThis article: 6.6%Perry Stein: 9.3%The Washington Post: 3.8%Confirmation Bias6.6%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.3%Anchoring Bias0.0%This article: 16.9%Perry Stein: 2.4%The Washington Post: 4.9%Availability Heuristic16.9%This article: 14.8%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.0%Representativeness Heuristic14.8%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.5%Hindsight Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 3.9%The Washington Post: 1.2%Overconfidence Bias0.0%This article: 33.6%Perry Stein: 35.3%The Washington Post: 21.5%Framing Effect33.6%This article: 2.8%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.8%Loss Aversion2.8%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 1.8%The Washington Post: 0.9%Status Quo Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Sunk Cost Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 17.3%The Washington Post: 3.6%Optimism Bias0.0%This article: 4.8%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 3.6%Pessimism Bias4.8%This article: 31.1%Perry Stein: 18.1%The Washington Post: 18.5%Negativity Bias31.1%This article: 5.5%Perry Stein: 3.9%The Washington Post: 1.5%Self-Serving Bias5.5%This article: 10.8%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.9%Fundamental Attribution Error10.8%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Actor-Observer Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 4.4%The Washington Post: 2.2%In-Group Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 4.4%The Washington Post: 0.8%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias0.0%This article: 5.1%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 2.1%Halo Effect5.1%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.4%Horn Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Dunning-Kruger Effect0.0%This article: 9.0%Perry Stein: 1.1%The Washington Post: 2.4%Recency Bias9.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 1.1%The Washington Post: 1.0%Primacy Effect0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Blind-Spot Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.9%Ad Hominem0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Straw Man0.0%This article: 7.8%Perry Stein: 1.2%The Washington Post: 5.2%Appeal to Authority7.8%This article: 1.8%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.5%False Dilemma1.8%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 1.0%Slippery Slope0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Circular Reasoning0.0%This article: 8.6%Perry Stein: 8.4%The Washington Post: 5.9%Hasty Generalization8.6%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Red Herring0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 3.9%The Washington Post: 0.5%Bandwagon0.0%This article: 10.0%Perry Stein: 8.4%The Washington Post: 6.3%Appeal to Emotion10.0%This article: 4.2%Perry Stein: 2.4%The Washington Post: 1.0%Begging the Question4.2%This article: 27.1%Perry Stein: 1.5%The Washington Post: 4.5%Post Hoc (False Cause)27.1%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%Tu Quoque0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 1.8%The Washington Post: 0.6%Burden of Proof0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Appeal to Nature0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Composition/Division0.0%This article: 30.4%Perry Stein: 3.9%The Washington Post: 1.9%Anecdotal30.4%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%No True Scotsman0.0%This article: 10.5%Perry Stein: 2.1%The Washington Post: 2.7%Ambiguity (Equivocation)10.5%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Gambler’s Fallacy0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Middle Ground0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.0%Personal Incredulity0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.1%Special Pleading0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 0.2%Genetic Fallacy0.0%This article: 21.6%Perry Stein: 6.9%The Washington Post: 4.8%Unattributed Quote21.6%This article: 1.8%Perry Stein: 5.1%The Washington Post: 2.5%Quote-first Misdirection1.8%This article: 4.8%Perry Stein: 20.7%The Washington Post: 15.2%Biased Writer Voice4.8%This article: 2.3%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 2.0%Indoctrination2.3%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 0.0%The Washington Post: 3.6%Politically Left Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 15.6%The Washington Post: 1.4%Politically Right Leaning Bias0.0%This article: 0.0%Perry Stein: 11.8%The Washington Post: 1.5%Attempt to Sell a Product or S…0.0%

602 words analyzed.

Speakers

2speakers13%attributed speech524writer words
Voice mapSelect a segment to jump to its words
Writer's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 9 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 31 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 46 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 29 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 27 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 26 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 14 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 17 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 12 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 23 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 20 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 24 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 11 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 16 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 15 words • 0.0% coverageWriter's voice • 18 words • 0.0% coverageKerri Kupec • 29 words • 0.0% coverageKerri Kupec • 14 words • 100.0% coverageWriter's voice • 13 words • 0.0% coverageJames B. Comey • 24 words • 100.0% coverageJames B. Comey • 7 words • 0.0% coverageJames B. Comey • 4 words • 0.0% coverage
Selected voice

James B. Comey

100%flagged-word coverage
35 attributed words45% of attributed speech93% writer coverage
0%35.0%70.0%Unattributed Quote+48.3 ptsWriter: 20.2%James B. Comey: 68.6%68.6%Biased Writer Voice-5.5 ptsWriter: 5.5%James B. Comey: 0.0%0.0%Quote-first Misdirection-2.1 ptsWriter: 2.1%James B. Comey: 0.0%0.0%

Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.

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Analysis

Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.