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Former FBI director James Comey

Former FBI director James Comey was slammed for begging Democratics to avoid "the socialist left" on Sunday. (Photo: James Borchuck/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS)

As Democratic Socialist Candidates Gain Steam, James Comey Slammed for Centrist 'Scaremongering'

"This tweet deriding socialism is a good reminder that just before becoming FBI director, James Comey worked at Bridgewater—the world's largest hedge fund."

Jessica Corbett

Fired FBI director and faux "resistance hero" James Comey was widely ridiculed for using Twitter on Sunday to beg Democrats to not "lose your minds and rush to the socialist left," as democratic socialist and bold progressive political candidates are garnering public support by pushing popular policies like Medicare for All in spite of sabotage efforts by the party's corporate wing and donors.

The backlash was immediate, with several critics pointing to the popularity of proposals such as tuition-free public college, a living wage, and a transition to renewable energy.

Journalists David Sirota and Rania Khalek, meanwhile, pointed to Comey's history working for a hedge fund.

Noting that Comey's estimated net worth is somewhere north of $15 million, The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, in a series of tweets, derided the Democratic Party as "failed and collapsed," and sarcastically remarked, "Just have the Party shape itself in his image and voters will return in droves."

Some challenged Comey's clear implication that democratic socialists are incapable of "ethical leadership."

Others pointed to Comey's decision to send a letter to Congress about investigating more of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the 2016 presidential election, and urged him to stay out of politics.

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