Mr. Comey didn’t name an exact price, but he said the agency paid more than how much he will make in the remainder of his term, which is seven years and four months. FBI directors serve 10-year terms. Mr. Comey’s annual salary is approximately $180,000 a year. When multiplied by seven years, that totals $1.26 million.
“[We] paid a lot…but it was worth it,” Mr. Comey said, according to WSJ.
According to The Washington Post, the payment was a one-time fee to professional hackers, but the hackers have not been identified. A CBS report indicates the FBI found “nothing of real significance” on the iPhone so far, though continues to analyze the data.
The FBI had been trying to find ways to access the data on the iPhone after Apple defied the agency’s order to develop a decryption key. After a six week court battle, the FBI successfully unlocked the phone without Apple’s help.
More articles on Apple vs. FBI:
DOJ, Apple iPhone encryption battle continues in drug investigation
FBI will help law enforcement agencies unlock encrypted devices
Google also ordered to help government unlock phones
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