James Comey at work on the student newspaper. (Northern Highlands Regional High School 1978 yearbook)
Gallery of James Comey
1978
298 Hillside Ave, Allendale, NJ 07401, USA
James Comey's senior photo. (Northern Highlands Regional H.S. 1978 yearbook)
Gallery of James Comey
1978
298 Hillside Ave, Allendale, NJ 07401, USA
College/University
Gallery of James Comey
1978
298 Hillside Ave, Allendale, NJ 07401, USA
James Comey, seated in front on left, with others on the student newspaper. Faculty adviser Andrew Dunn is standing on the left. (Northern Highlands Regional H.S. 1978 yearbook)
Gallery of James Comey
Undated photo of James Comey as a teenager
Career
Gallery of James Comey
2013
Washington, D.C., United States
FBI Director James Comey (3rd L) participates in a ceremonial swearing-in, officiated by Judge John Walker (R), as his wife Patrice (4th L), U.S. President Barack Obama (L), Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce (2nd L) and Rev. Robert Dortch (R) look on at the FBI Headquarters October 28, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey was officially sworn in as director of FBI on September 4 to succeed Robert Mueller who had served as director for 12 years.
(October 27, 2013 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2013
Washington, D.C., United States
FBI Director James Comey (R) shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd L) as Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce (L) looks on during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at the FBI Headquarters October 28, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey was officially sworn in as director of FBI on September 4 to succeed Robert Mueller who had served as director for 12 years.
(October 27, 2013 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2013
285 Fulton St, New York, NY 10007, USA
FBI Director James Comey stands during ceremonies for the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2013 in New York City. The nation is commemorating the anniversary of the 2001 attacks which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people after two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and one crash landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Following the attacks in New York, the former location of the Twin Towers has been turned into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
(September 10, 2013 - Source: Pool/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2013
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA
FBI Director nominee James Comey (L) speaks as U.S. President Barack Obama (R) looks on during a ceremony announcing Comey's nomination in the Rose Garden of the White House June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey is a former Justice Department official in the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
(June 20, 2013 - Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2014
27 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003, USA
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey (L) and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson prepare to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing on 'worldwide threats to the homeland' in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill September 17, 2014 in Washington, DC. Although the security and law enforcement officials testified that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, has a sophisticated propaganda and recruitment program, they do not pose a direct threat to the United States homeland.
(Septemper 16, 2014 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2014
First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, USA
FBI Director James Comey testifies during a hearing before the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee March 27, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to examine the the "FY2015 Budget Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
(March 26, 2014 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2015
1500 Tysons McLean Dr, McLean, VA 22102, USA
US President Barack Obama (2nd L) speaks after a national security team meeting at the National Counterterrorism Center December 17, 2015 in McLean, Virginia. Also pictured are (L-R), US Vice President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) James Comey.
(December 16, 2015 - Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2015
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA
U.S. President Barack Obama is joined by (L-R) Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco as he gives a statement in the Roosevelt Room at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama said the American people should continue with their Thanksgiving holiday plans and "We are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe".
(November 24, 2015 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2015
935 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20535, USA
FBI Director James Comey (C) speaks while flanked by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese (L) and former Rep. Timothy Roemer (D-IN) (R) during a news conference at FBI headquarters March 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to discuss the recent review of the 9/11 Commission Report.
(March 24, 2015 - Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2016
First St and East Capitil St NE, Washington DC, DC 20004, USA
FBI Director James Comey is sworn in during a hearing before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee July 7, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing "Oversight of the State Department," focusing on the FBI's recommendation not to prosecute Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for maintaining a private email server during her time as Secretary of State.
(July 6, 2016 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2017
120 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. Comey said that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the FBI's investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and demanded Comey's loyalty during the one-on-one meetings he had with president.
(June 7, 2017 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2017
120 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in while testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. Comey said that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the FBI's investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and demanded Comey's loyalty during the one-on-one meetings he had with president.
(June 7, 2017 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2018
555 5th Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey poses for photographs as he arrives to speak about his new book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" at Barnes & Noble bookstore, April 18, 2018 in New York City. The book, which went on sale yesterday, focuses on leadership principles and details his interactions with President Donald Trump. Comey served as FBI Director from September 2013 until May 2017, when he was fired by the president. Comey previously served as United States Deputy Attorney General and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
(April 17, 2018 - Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2018
555 5th Ave, New York, NY 10017, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey poses for photographs as he arrives to speak about his new book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" at Barnes & Noble bookstore, April 18, 2018 in New York City. The book, which went on sale yesterday, focuses on leadership principles and details his interactions with President Donald Trump. Comey served as FBI Director from September 2013 until May 2017, when he was fired by the president. Comey previously served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
(April 17, 2018 - Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images North America)
Gallery of James Comey
2018
2121 I St NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey (R) talks onstage with Mike Allen (L), co-founder of Axios, at George Washington University April 30, 3018 in Washington, DC. Comey discussed his new book "Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership."
(April 29, 2018 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
James Comey, seated in front on left, with others on the student newspaper. Faculty adviser Andrew Dunn is standing on the left. (Northern Highlands Regional H.S. 1978 yearbook)
FBI Director James Comey (3rd L) participates in a ceremonial swearing-in, officiated by Judge John Walker (R), as his wife Patrice (4th L), U.S. President Barack Obama (L), Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce (2nd L) and Rev. Robert Dortch (R) look on at the FBI Headquarters October 28, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey was officially sworn in as director of FBI on September 4 to succeed Robert Mueller who had served as director for 12 years.
(October 27, 2013 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
FBI Director James Comey (R) shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama (2nd L) as Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce (L) looks on during a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at the FBI Headquarters October 28, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey was officially sworn in as director of FBI on September 4 to succeed Robert Mueller who had served as director for 12 years.
(October 27, 2013 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
FBI Director James Comey stands during ceremonies for the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2013 in New York City. The nation is commemorating the anniversary of the 2001 attacks which resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people after two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and one crash landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Following the attacks in New York, the former location of the Twin Towers has been turned into the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
(September 10, 2013 - Source: Pool/Getty Images North America)
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA
FBI Director nominee James Comey (L) speaks as U.S. President Barack Obama (R) looks on during a ceremony announcing Comey's nomination in the Rose Garden of the White House June 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. Comey is a former Justice Department official in the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush.
(June 20, 2013 - Source: Win McNamee/Getty Images North America)
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey (L) and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson prepare to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee during a hearing on 'worldwide threats to the homeland' in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill September 17, 2014 in Washington, DC. Although the security and law enforcement officials testified that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, has a sophisticated propaganda and recruitment program, they do not pose a direct threat to the United States homeland.
(Septemper 16, 2014 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
FBI Director James Comey testifies during a hearing before the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee March 27, 2014 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing was to examine the the "FY2015 Budget Request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
(March 26, 2014 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
US President Barack Obama (2nd L) speaks after a national security team meeting at the National Counterterrorism Center December 17, 2015 in McLean, Virginia. Also pictured are (L-R), US Vice President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) James Comey.
(December 16, 2015 - Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA
U.S. President Barack Obama is joined by (L-R) Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Homeland Security Advisor Lisa Monaco as he gives a statement in the Roosevelt Room at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama said the American people should continue with their Thanksgiving holiday plans and "We are taking every possible step to keep our homeland safe".
(November 24, 2015 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
935 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20535, USA
FBI Director James Comey (C) speaks while flanked by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese (L) and former Rep. Timothy Roemer (D-IN) (R) during a news conference at FBI headquarters March 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to discuss the recent review of the 9/11 Commission Report.
(March 24, 2015 - Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
First St and East Capitil St NE, Washington DC, DC 20004, USA
FBI Director James Comey is sworn in during a hearing before House Oversight and Government Reform Committee July 7, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The committee held a hearing "Oversight of the State Department," focusing on the FBI's recommendation not to prosecute Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for maintaining a private email server during her time as Secretary of State.
(July 6, 2016 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
120 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. Comey said that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the FBI's investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and demanded Comey's loyalty during the one-on-one meetings he had with president.
(June 7, 2017 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
120 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA
Former FBI Director James Comey is sworn in while testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. Comey said that President Donald Trump pressured him to drop the FBI's investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and demanded Comey's loyalty during the one-on-one meetings he had with president.
(June 7, 2017 - Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
Former FBI Director James Comey poses for photographs as he arrives to speak about his new book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" at Barnes & Noble bookstore, April 18, 2018 in New York City. The book, which went on sale yesterday, focuses on leadership principles and details his interactions with President Donald Trump. Comey served as FBI Director from September 2013 until May 2017, when he was fired by the president. Comey previously served as United States Deputy Attorney General and United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
(April 17, 2018 - Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images North America)
Former FBI Director James Comey poses for photographs as he arrives to speak about his new book "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" at Barnes & Noble bookstore, April 18, 2018 in New York City. The book, which went on sale yesterday, focuses on leadership principles and details his interactions with President Donald Trump. Comey served as FBI Director from September 2013 until May 2017, when he was fired by the president. Comey previously served as U.S. Deputy Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
(April 17, 2018 - Source: Drew Angerer/Getty Images North America)
Former FBI Director James Comey (R) talks onstage with Mike Allen (L), co-founder of Axios, at George Washington University April 30, 3018 in Washington, DC. Comey discussed his new book "Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership."
(April 29, 2018 - Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America)
(In his book, former FBI director James Comey shares his n...)
In his book, former FBI director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader. Mr. Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. deputy attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history.
James Comey, in full James Brien Comey, is an American attorney and law enforcement official who served as director (2013–17) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was fired by President Donald Trump in 2017.
Background
Comey was born on December 14, 1960, in Yonkers, New York, to parents Joan Marie Comey (née Herald) and J. Brien Comey. His grandfather, William J. Comey, was an officer and later commissioner of the Yonkers Police Department. The family moved to Allendale, New Jersey, in the early 1970s. His father worked in corporate real estate and his mother was a computer consultant and homemaker.
Education
James Comey attended Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale. Comey graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1982, majoring in chemistry and religion. His senior thesis analyzed the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and the televangelist Jerry Falwell, emphasizing their common belief in public action. He received his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.
As a young lawyer, Comey worked mostly in the offices of United States attorneys (federal prosecuting attorneys with regional jurisdiction). In 1987 he became an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, serving under Rudolph W. Giuliani. In 1993 he moved to Virginia and became a partner in the McGuireWoods law firm. Returning to government service, Comey became an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in 1996. In 2002 he was promoted to United States attorney and put in charge of his old jurisdiction, the New York Southern District. In a high-profile case, his office brought charges of financial misconduct against the homemaking entrepreneur Martha Stewart; she was convicted in 2004.
In December 2003 Comey became deputy attorney general, the second highest official in the Department of Justice (DOJ). Serving as acting attorney general in 2004, during the incapacity of Attorney General John Ashcroft, he thwarted efforts by officials in Pres. George W. Bush’s administration to obtain legal clearance for an aggressive domestic eavesdropping program. The same people who applauded this action, however, later criticized Comey’s spirited defense of the government’s detention of suspected terrorist Jose Padilla, an American citizen, as an enemy combatant. Comey left the Justice Department in 2005 to become general counsel of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, then the largest defense contractor. He later served as general counsel (2010–13) at Bridgewater Associates, then the largest hedge fund.
In June 2013 Pres. Barack Obama officially nominated Comey to head the FBI, replacing the retiring Robert Mueller. Comey was easily confirmed by the Senate, and his 10-year term began on September 4, 2013. Notable events during his tenure included the agency’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server during her term as secretary of state. In July 2016, shortly before Clinton was nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate, Comey - in an unprecedented move - gave a press conference in which he questioned her judgment but announced that she had been cleared of criminal impropriety. The decision not to bring charges was sharply criticized by Clinton’s opponents, including the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. However, less than two weeks before the November 8 election, Comey effectively reopened the case when he sent a letter to Congress disclosing a review of recently discovered Clinton e-mails; at the time, Trump stated that the move had restored Comey’s reputation. Comey’s announcement that no criminal activity had been uncovered in the new e-mails came two days before the election, which Clinton lost.
After Trump was sworn in as president in January 2017, he reportedly asked Comey to continue as FBI director. In March Trump accused Obama of wiretapping his telephones during the presidential race, but Comey dismissed the allegations when he testified before a congressional committee later that month. However, Comey did confirm that since July 2016 the FBI had been investigating whether members of Trump’s campaign had colluded with Russian officials to win the election. Some criticized the director for not having publicly revealed the probe during the election - as he had when the FBI reviewed additional Clinton e-mails.
At a Senate hearing in May, Comey defended his handling of the Clinton inquiry and claimed that he felt “mildly nauseous” over the possibility that the FBI’s actions influenced the election. In addition, he touched on his agency’s investigation into Trump’s campaign advisers and alleged that Russian interference in United States elections would continue to be a major threat. Less than a week later, on May 9, Trump abruptly fired Comey, citing the recommendation of DOJ officials who faulted Comey’s conduct during the Clinton probe. Notably, the FBI director was accused of treating Clinton unfairly, with both the July press conference and the October letter to Congress being deemed inappropriate. Critics, however, alleged that Comey was dismissed because of the Russia inquiry, and Trump later conceded that the investigation had been one of his reasons for firing Comey.
The DOJ’s inspector general oversaw a lengthy investigation into the FBI’s handling of the Clinton case, and the final report was released in June 2018. While it was critical of Comey’s actions - notably, it called him “insubordinate” and concluded that his deviations from the FBI’s standard procedures damaged the agency’s reputation for fairness - it found no evidence that he had been politically motivated. In addition, the FBI was not faulted for its decision not to charge Clinton.
In May 2017 Comey’s memo concerning a February meeting with Trump was leaked to the media. It notably claimed that the president had asked him to drop the FBI inquiry into Michael T. Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser who was being investigated as part of the Russia probe. Shortly after the memo’s release, Robert Mueller was named special counsel to the Russia investigation. In June Comey appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee. He testified that he had written memorandums on all his interactions with Trump, because of concerns that the president might lie about what was said. Furthermore, Comey revealed that he had indirectly leaked the memo in May in the hope that it would result in a special counsel being assigned to the Russia inquiry. Comey also stated that Trump was not being investigated by the FBI.
In 2018 Comey published the memoir A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, in which he was highly critical of Trump, alleging that the president was “unethical, and untethered to truth.” The book - as well as Comey’s often pointed comments during the ensuing media tour - drew the ire of Trump, who referred to Comey as a “slimeball.”
(In his book, former FBI director James Comey shares his n...)
2017
Religion
Comey was raised in a Roman Catholic household. Comey subsequently joined the United Methodist Church, and has taught Sunday school.
Politics
Comey was a registered Republican for most of his life. He donated to Senator John McCain's campaign in the 2008 presidential election and to Governor Mitt Romney's campaign in the 2012 presidential election. He disclosed during Congressional testimony on July 7, 2016, that he was no longer registered with any party. In an interview with ABC News on April 18, 2018, Comey said that the "Republican Party (had) left (him) and many others", and that "these people don't represent anything) he believes) in". On July 18, 2018, Comey urged voters to vote for Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections through Twitter. He wrote, "This Republican Congress has proven incapable of fulfilling the Founders' design that 'Ambition must ... counteract ambition.' All who believe in this country's values must vote for Democrats this fall. Policy differences don't matter right now. History has its eyes on us." He was donating to and canvassing votes for Democratic candidate Jennifer Wexton in those elections.
Views
Comey favors spying on Americans and has advocated mass surveillance for many years.
Quotations:
"Technology has forever changed the world we live in. We're online, in one way or another, all day long. Our phones and computers have become reflections of our personalities, our interests, and our identities. They hold much that is important to us."
"For me, law school was a time of joy and hope. Joy in learning my way around the law - learning how to orbit a problem and to ask myself hard questions and to be asked hard questions. Hope that I could be of some use, to be part of the greater good - to make the world a little bit better."
"Stuff doesn't matter - boats, cars, fancy things don't matter. What matters, what will matter to me, is the love of the people around me, and did I take a chance? Did I seize an opportunity to do something for people with the talents that I was lucky enough to be given? Did I make a difference in the lives of people who needed me?"
"The diverse threats we face are increasingly cyber-based. Much of America's most sensitive data is stored on computers. We are losing data, money, and ideas through cyber intrusions. This threatens innovation and, as citizens, we are also increasingly vulnerable to losing our personal information."
"The Internet is the most dangerous parking lot imaginable. But if you were crossing a mall parking lot late at night, your entire sense of danger would be heightened. You would stand straight. You'd walk quickly. You'd know where you were going. You would look for light."
"Lives are saved when those potential killers are confronted by a police officer, a strong police presence and actual, honest-to-goodness, up-close 'What are you guys doing on this corner at 1 o'clock in the morning' policing. We need to be careful it doesn't drift away from us in the age of viral videos, or there will be profound consequences."
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
Comey is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) tall. Comey was the tallest FBI director in the history of the bureau.
Interests
Politicians
Jennifer Wexton
Sport & Clubs
New York Giants
Connections
Comey and his wife, Patrice Failor, are the parents of five children, and a son who died in infancy. He has said that he learned to make something good happen after a tragedy. They have also been foster parents.