James Comey, former FBI director,  is all set to cash in big in his quest to try and clear his name.  His three-year reign came to an end in 2017 when President Trump fired him and since that time, he’s written a book and occasionally gives his hot takes of events in D.C. on Twitter.  The multi-million dollar book deal alone will allow him to live quite comfortably as he goes forward in whatever endeavors he pursues. Originally, the book release was planned for May 1, 2018, but that date has since been moved up to April 18, 2018, to strike while intense interest in the continuing troubles at the FBI makes the news.

The hype is underway and secrecy is the name of the game as to the book’s contents.  The publisher expects the book will take over where interest in the Michael Wolff book has waned.

The quiet before the storm is helping to build anticipation: The book is already Amazon’s No. 1 bestseller in three categories: politics & social sciences, law, and biography.

The book is expected to provide the former FBI director’s first full accounting since he was fired of his experience working under Trump, as well as an account of his time serving in the previous two administrations.

Comey promises a juicy read.

The book promises “never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career.” That is expected to include new details about Comey’s now infamous “loyalty” dinner with Trump at the White House, as well as a first-ever chronicling of how Comey briefed Trump about the Christopher Steele dossier at Trump Tower during the transition.

In preparation, a schedule of the beginning of his book tour has been released. You will notice it is all for liberal America, except maybe the exception of Kansas City.  Sorry, red state America, this tour isn’t for you.

April 18 — New York City: Barnes & Noble Union Square, 7 p.m., 33 E 17th St.

• April 19 — New York City: Live taping of The New Yorker Radio Hour at NYC Town Hall, 7 p.m., 123 W 43rd St.
• April 20 — Chicago: Chicago Humanities Festival at Harris Theater, 7 p.m., 205 E. Randolph St.
• April 21 — Portland, Ore.: Powell’s at Revolution Hall, noon, 1300 SE Stark St. #110.
• April 22 — Seattle: Elliott Bay Book Company at Campion Ballroom, Seattle University, 7 p.m., 914 E. Jefferson St.
• April 23 — San Francisco: Book Passage at the Curran Theatre, 7 p.m., 445 Geary St.
• April 29 — Boston: Harvard Book Store at Back Bay Events Center, 4 p.m., 180 Berkeley St.
• April 30 — Washington, D.C.: Politics and Prose at Lisner Auditorium, 7 p.m, 730 21st St. NW.
• May 2 —Miami: Books & Books in collaboration with the Miami Books Fair at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Knight Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m., 1300 Biscayne Blvd.
• May 24 — Los Angeles: The Library Foundation of Los Angeles’ ALOUD Series at the Aratani Theater, 7:30 p.m., 244 S. San Pedro St.
• May 25 — Kansas City, Mo: Rainy Day Books at the Uptown Theater, 7:30 p.m., 3700 Broadway Blvd.

Kansas City? I know, I was puzzled by that entry, too. I looked up the bookstore and it appears to be in a part of metro Kansas City, Kansas. It is an indie bookstore that boasts of over 300 author events each year.  The street address is Fairway, Kansas.,

He has also booked three television appearances so far, and yes, they are the usual suspects – 2 ABC shows and 1 on CBS.

• April 15: ABC News “20/20” special at 10 p.m.: interview with chief anchor George Stephanopoulos.
• April 17: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” CBS, 11:35 p.m.
• April 18: “The View,” ABC.

I’m all for capitalism and don’t begrudge anyone the pursuit of it. I say, go for it, James Comey.  His first gig after the FBI was with Howard University, a historically black university. Some students were none too thrilled with his hiring, though, and protested. Comey delivered the commencement address and was hired as an endowed chair in public policy, with the compensation of $100,000.  He donated that to a scholarship fund.

The publisher claims Comey will “explore what good, ethical leadership looks like and how it drives sound decisions.” Really? Is he one to lecture on ethics? As he gives student lectures, I do wonder, though, how he justifies leaking classified information to the press to guarantee the framing of his actions got out to the public. As a part of the nation’s upper echelon of law enforcement, it’s hardly a good look.

And, what about charges that Comey lied to Congress? I’m not the only one to ponder that he seems to be capitalizing on less than ethical behavior.

From text messages between two FBI agents seized after revelations of their conflicts of interest in the case, it appears the agency may have been aware that Clinton would not be indicted for her e-mail server before they interviewed her — which contradicts what Comey testified under oath before Congress. These agents were ultimately removed from the ongoing investigation into whether Donald Trump and his campaign associates colluded with Russian officials to sway the 2016 election after anti-Trump messages between the two were discovered.

The continuing narrative that Comey is an honorable man above reproach seems to be wearing thin, the more we know about his actions.