Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted on Two Counts

preCharge News POLITICS — Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Thursday on two counts, marking a major escalation in President Trump’s efforts to target his political opponents and use the Justice Department as part of his campaign to seek retribution against his most ardent critics.

Comey was charged with one count of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice, related to Senate testimony he gave almost five years ago. A majority of grand jurors did not approve indicting him on an additional count of lying to Congress, according to court papers — an unusual development since grand juries rarely reject charges.

DOJ Allegations and Bondi’s Statement

In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged that Comey “obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information” and made a false statement to Congress.

Trump’s Reaction

Mr. Trump celebrated the indictment in a Truth Social post, calling the former FBI director — whom he fired in 2017 — “One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to.”

Comey Maintains Innocence

Comey asserted his innocence in a video on Instagram and said, “there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump.”

Defense Counsel Responds

Comey’s attorney, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said in a statement: “Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety. We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom.”

Arraignment and Judge Assignment

Comey is set to be arraigned on the morning of Oct. 9 in Alexandria, Virginia. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden.

Focus on Testimony to Congress

Senate Testimony and Crossfire Hurricane

The indictment was returned in the Eastern District of Virginia as the clock ticked down on the five-year statute of limitations for charges arising out of his September 2020 testimony to Congress, which was set to expire Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Comey appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 to answer questions about the origins of the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, known as “Crossfire Hurricane.”

Discrepancies in Testimony

During that hearing, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas asked Comey about earlier testimony in 2017 denying having been an anonymous source or authorizing another FBI official to be an anonymous source for news reports about the FBI’s investigations into Mr. Trump or Hillary Clinton.

McCabe’s Role

A lawyer for Andrew McCabe, Comey’s former deputy, said in 2018 that McCabe authorized the disclosure of information to a Wall Street Journal reporter in 2016 about the Clinton investigation with Comey’s knowledge.

Inspector General’s Findings

The inspector general’s report noted that while it was relying on the recollections only of McCabe and Comey about conversations about the leak, “the overwhelming weight of that evidence supported Comey’s version of the conversation.”

Thursday’s indictment called Comey’s statement that he hadn’t authorized anybody to serve as an anonymous source “materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent.”

Political Context and DOJ Shake-Up

Trump’s DOJ Appointments

The charges come just days after the president tapped his former defense lawyer and White House aide, Lindsey Halligan, to temporarily lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Internal DOJ Conflict

Siebert informed staff on Friday, Sept. 19, that he had resigned, after concerns that he could be removed for failing to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Trump’s Broader Campaign Against Opponents

Mr. Trump has repeatedly voiced frustration over lack of prosecutions against his political rivals and has expanded efforts to revoke security clearances and strip Secret Service protection from key opponents.

Long-Running Feud Between Trump and Comey

Comey and Mr. Trump have sparred for years. The former FBI director’s firing in 2017 set into motion Mueller’s special counsel investigation. Since then, Comey has been a vocal critic, calling Trump “morally unfit” to be president.