Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered Wednesday to legislation enforcement at federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.
He was briefly positioned underneath arrest forward of his first look in court. The listening to lasted lower than 10 minutes.
Comey is charged with making a menace towards the president and transmitting a menace in interstate commerce, in keeping with court paperwork.
He mentioned in a video message on Substack Tuesday that he’s “still innocent.”
The fees have been introduced in the Eastern District of North Carolina, however Comey’s first look was in the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. Judge William E. Fitzpatrick was on the bench.
Comey entered and exited the courtroom by a aspect entrance utilized by defendants. He wore a darkish swimsuit and didn’t communicate in the course of the listening to.
Comey was allowed to go away with out situations for his launch. No plea was entered Wednesday.
“I don’t see why they’d be necessary this time,” Fitzpatrick mentioned.
Comey’s attorneys advised the choose they plan to file motions accusing the Justice Department of selectively and vindictively prosecute their consumer.
No date has been set for Comey’s arraignment or first look in North Carolina, the place the fees have been introduced.
The US Attorney from the Eastern District of North Carolina, Ellis Boyle, was in the courtroom Wednesday.
Boyle will likely be overseeing this case because it strikes to the federal court in New Bern, NC.
Tuesday’s indictment is centered on an image Comey posted on social media final May, of shells on a seaside writing out the numbers “86 47.” He wrote in the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Almost instantly following his submit, Republicans and administration officers started criticizing Comey for what they mentioned amounted to a dying menace towards President Donald Trump.
When used as slang, the quantity 86 can check with eliminating or tossing one thing out. Trump is at present the forty seventh president.
Comey’s indictment comes as Blanche has picked up the tempo in bringing circumstances that the president has publicly jockeyed for.
The new case represents a reinvigorated effort to fulfill Trump’s calls for to research his personal foes, together with Comey, who he sees as a key chief in the perceived effort to “weaponize” the justice system towards him.
It additionally comes lower than a month after the president dismissed Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump had for weeks complained that Bondi was not aggressive sufficient in executing his agenda.
“This is not going anywhere. This is clearly not a punishable threat,” Eugene Volokh, a senior fellow on the Hoover Institution at Stanford University who specializes in First Amendment legislation, advised NCS Tuesday.
This is the second time that Trump’s Justice Department introduced fees towards Comey.
In September of final 12 months, the Justice Department first introduced fees towards Comey, accusing him of mendacity to Congress over leaks to the press.
The case was dismissed late final 12 months by a federal choose who discovered that the interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia had been improperly appointed, having skirted approval from the Senate.
This story was up to date with extra info from the listening to.