James Comey goads Trump on Twitter after charges in Russia probe

'Man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary,' says ex-FBI director as he quotes theologian

James Comey has trolled Donald Trump on Twitter after the President’s former campaign manager was charged with conspiracy against the United States.

On Monday, Paul Manafort and former business partner Rick Gates ended the day under house arrest on charges that they funnelled payments through foreign companies and bank accounts as part of their private political work in Ukraine.

George Papadopoulos, also a former campaign adviser, faced further questioning and then sentencing in the first — and so far only — criminal case that links the Trump election effort to the Kremlin.

As Robert Mueller struck his first public blow in the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Mr Comey used his semi-pseudonymous Twitter account to troll the President.

“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary,” he wrote, quoting the American public theologian Reinhold Niebuhr.

Mr Manafort and Mr Gates, who pleaded not guilty in federal court, are not charged with any wrongdoing as part of the Trump campaign, and the president immediately sought to distance himself from the allegations.

He said on Twitter that the alleged crimes occurred “years ago,” and insisted anew there was “NO COLLUSION” between his campaign and Russia.

Mr Comey’s Twitter account, named for the religious thinker who died in 1971, was uncovered earlier this year by Gizmodo journalist Ashley Feinberg.

The FBI director, who was later fired by Mr Trump, responded that he was “not even mad” about the sleuthing feat and even posted a link to the bureau’s jobs site as congratulations.

Additional reporting by agencies