Former FBI Director James Comey has surrendered Wednesday to law enforcement at federal courtroom within the Eastern District of Virginia, in accordance to an individual acquainted.
As he surrenders to law enforcement, he might be positioned underneath arrest forward of his first look in courtroom. His listening to started at 1 p.m.
Comey is charged with making a risk towards the president and transmitting a risk in interstate commerce, in accordance to courtroom paperwork.
He mentioned in a video message on Substack Tuesday that he’s “still innocent.”
The costs have been introduced within the Eastern District of North Carolina, however Comey’s first look is within the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse. Judge William E. Fitzpatrick is anticipated to be on the bench.
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 within 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 loss of life risk towards President Donald Trump.
When used as slang, the quantity 86 can refer to eliminating or tossing one thing out. Trump is at the moment the forty seventh president.
Comey’s indictment comes as Blanche has picked up the tempo in bringing instances that the president has publicly jockeyed for.
“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 makes a speciality of First Amendment law, instructed NCS Tuesday.
This is the second time that Trump’s Justice Department introduced costs towards Comey.
In September of final 12 months, the Justice Department first introduced costs 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.
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