REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Former Department of Justice officials expressed alarm Friday at the DOJ's decision to hand over former FBI Director James Comey's memos to Congress, and their subsequent leak to the press. The significance of the memos' release stems not from their content, but from the potential long-term implications regarding the DOJ's independence. "If it weren't so comical, it would be a tragedy," said one former federal prosecutor. The Department of Justice took the extraordinary step Thursday of sending evidence in an ongoing criminal investigation to Congress, which was leaked to the press hours later. Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor, described the situation bluntly: "This is freakishly unusual" and "unfortunate," he said.See the rest of the story at Business InsiderNOW WATCH: Stop blaming violent video games for mass shootingsSee Also:Trump decided not to fire Rosenstein after being told he wasn't a target in the Cohen probe, reports sayRudy Giuliani is joining Trump's legal teamTrump's allies sound the alarm amid mounting fears his most trusted associate could turn on him