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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lauren Gambino

Comey says ‘8647’ post that caused Trump firestorm was totally innocent

Two men in suits shake hands
James Comey with Trump after the president’s inauguration in 2017. Photograph: MediaPunch Inc/Alamy

James Comey was taking a walk on the beach with his wife when they happened upon a message in the sand: 8647.

According to the former FBI director, his wife initially asked if the cryptic seashell formation was an address. They puzzled over the shells, trying to decipher meaning. His wife, according to Comey’s account, remembered her days as a server in a restaurant, when 86 was the term staff used to remove an item from the menu. Comey mused that when he was younger, kids would say 86 to mean “to ditch a place”.

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