In 2017, President Donald Trump shattered norms by firing James Comey as director of the FBI, which was investigating his marketing campaign. Wednesday, Comey was arraigned on criminal charges Trump has sought as a part of a political vendetta.
Comey on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in Alexandria, Virginia, to fees of offering false statements and obstructing a congressional continuing. He might face a most of 5 years in jail if convicted.
A trial was set for January 5 and attorneys on either side stated they count on it to final two to 3 days.
During the continuing, district Judge Michael Nachmanoff notified Comey of his rights beneath the Constitution and knowledgeable him of the 2 counts introduced towards him.
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Comey plans to ask the choose to throw out the fees primarily based on his declare that they have been unfairly introduced.
“This prosecution was brought by President Trump,” Comey’s legal professional, Patrick Fitzgerald, stated, including that they might file an “outrageous government conduct” movement.
Comey’s crew additionally plans to problem the appointment of the prosecutor in Virginia who introduced the fees towards him, Lindsey Halligan.
Fitzgerald, stated at one level that “it’s the honor of my life” to characterize the previous FBI director within the case.
The fees stem from Comey’s 2020 congressional testimony, the place he allegedly lied about his data of a leak of labeled info that was later reported by a number of information retailers.
Comey had testified that “he had not authorized someone else to be an anonymous source in news reports,” the indictment stated. “That statement was false.”
Trump summarily fired Comey within the first few months of his first time period over the FBI’s investigation into Russian election meddling within the 2016 presidential election. In a social media publish addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi in September, the president openly called for the Justice Department to go after a number of of his political foes, together with Comey.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote to Bondi within the social media publish. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I’m innocent,” Comey stated in a video message following his indictment late final month.
The former director added: “Let’s have a trial. And keep the faith.”
Securing the indictment towards Comey proved troublesome for the Justice Department, and one interim US Attorney resigned following continued pressure to deliver prison fees towards Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, each Trump enemies.
Trump appointed Halligan, a White House aide who has by no means been a prosecutor, because the Eastern District of Virginia’s interim US Attorney simply three days earlier than she would current the case towards Comey to a grand jury.
Halligan efficiently secured two of the three fees the Justice Department sought towards Comey and has additionally procured the assistance of two federal prosecutors from North Carolina to hitch the case: Nathaniel Tyler Lemons and Gabriel Diaz.
Earlier this yr, Comey was briefly investigated – and was even introduced into the Secret Service’s Washington Field Office for questioning – after posting an image of seashells on a seaside writing out the numbers “86 47.”
The quantity 86 can check with eliminating or tossing one thing out (in some circumstances by way of loss of life or violent means), whereas 47 corresponds to Trump’s present time period in workplace because the forty seventh president. The fees towards Comey are unrelated to the social media publish.
While prosecutors secured the indictment towards Comey, the highway forward might show troublesome as they may possible be pressured to defend towards Trump’s personal fiery statements about Comey and the way they could possibly be used to argue the prosecution was born out of political and private bias.
Trump’s personal attorneys used that very same argument within the federal circumstances introduced towards the then-former president by particular counsel Jack Smith in 2023.
Halligan’s appointment, too, could possibly be referred to as into query by Comey’s protection crew. As some in Republican authorized circles have famous, an interim US Attorney within the Eastern District had already served the 120-day restrict imposed on these not confirmed by the Senate, so her appointment could also be invalid.
Speaking on Fox News Wednesday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche referred to Comey’s case as “equal application of the law.”
“Of course it is,” Blanche advised FOX News’ Lawrence Jones on FOX and Friends.
“Mr. Comey will be arraigned today in Federal Court in Virginia like thousands of individuals who are charged with committing crimes, and he’s being treated exactly like every other individual in his position,” Blanche stated.
Blanche, when pressed by Jones, didn’t rule out Comey dealing with extra fees down the road.
“I can tell you this: We are not worried about the political blowback of any of us doing our jobs,” Blanche stated, including that this is applicable to crimes happening “today or over the past four years.”
NCS’s Dalia Abdelwahab, Emily Condon and Betul Tuncer contributed to this report.
This story has been up to date with further developments.