Internet Frenzy Erupts in Search for Comey's Professor Friend

Reporters and citizens took to the internet to search for the identity of former FBI Director James Comey's "close friend" that he mentioned during his Thursday testimony, according to The Washington Post.

Comey said that he asked a friend to share with a reporter the contents from a memo in which he documented a conversation he had with President Donald Trump.

The former FBI director said he hoped that sharing would lead to the appointment of a special counsel, and said the friend was a Columbia Law School professor, but did not provide the professor's name, The Post reported.

So many searchers went to Columbia Law School's website that it crashed, according to a school tweet:

Columbia Law's site is down at the moment. We are working on a solution. Stay tuned.

— Columbia Law School (@ColumbiaLaw) June 8, 2017

Guesses led to Daniel Richman, whose faculty page says he is a Comey adviser.

Richman's biography says he served as chief appellate attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for New York's Southern District, and consulted in the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

Richman confirmed Thursday that he was the friend, and declined further comment, according to The Post.

While he did not comment on the testimony, Richman called Comey a "gifted teacher" and "he knows he's welcome to join us next year," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. 

The New York Post reported that a security guard at Richman's Henry Street residence had stopped reporters from entering his building, and his family and neighbors were not answering doors or phone calls.

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