It seems that federal prosecutors are finally close to making a move on former FBI Director James Comey, considering possible perjury charges. With the deadline approaching this Tuesday, the pressure is on for a final decision.
The case is being handled by the US Attorney’s Office in Virginia, and their investigation is focusing on whether Comey made false statements during his testimony to Congress on September 30, 2020, particularly concerning his actions regarding the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Apparently, under criminal law, prosecution usually needs to act within five years from the alleged crime, so time is ticking.
If the prosecutors do decide to go ahead with charges and a grand jury concurs next week, it would signify one of the most significant indictments of a political figure during Donald Trump’s second term, especially given Comey’s standing as a well-known figure in what some call the “deep state.”
As of now, Comey has not faced any charges and insists that he has always been truthful when giving testimony. His legal representative has, so far, not provided any comments to CNN.
The recent days have seen a spike in tension regarding the Justice Department’s direction on Comey, particularly after Trump dismissed Erik Siebert, the former US Attorney working on the case. Trump has made his feelings known on social media recently, expressing frustration that the prosecution of his political adversaries isn’t moving swiftly enough, Comey included.
Interestingly, Siebert hesitated about pursuing mortgage fraud charges against Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, someone who has frequently found herself at odds with Trump, especially following her successful civil fraud case against him and his companies last year. However, it seems Siebert was more open to pursuing charges in the investigation regarding Comey.
With Siebert now out and the clock running down for a potential charge against Comey, Trump appointed Lindsey Halligan—one of his former personal attorneys—as the acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Recently, Halligan has been seen at the Justice Department as they gather to discuss the Comey investigation and beyond.
In a twist, Comey attracted attention over recent months for posting a picture on social media showing shells arranged on a beach to read “86 47,” which prompted Trump and his supporters to claim it was a threat against the president. Comey dismissed this, stating he intended no such threat and even voluntarily met with the US Secret Service for an interview regarding the post.
Recent declassifications from the Trump administration have once again put Comey’s past actions under scrutiny.
Comey made waves during his time in office for his involvement in the investigation regarding suspected ties between Russian operatives and Trump’s presidential campaign. In a notable and controversial move, Trump fired Comey early in his first term—an unprecedented action that led to lasting debates.
The criticism doesn’t end there; Comey remains a target for disdain from Republican figures, particularly due to how he managed both the Russia investigation and the public disclosure of inquiries into Hillary Clinton’s use of private email while she served as Secretary of State.
During his brief tenure as FBI Director, Comey kept detailed memos of his encounters with Trump, which later ended up leaked to the press, causing quite the controversy.
Later, in 2017, Comey testified that he had sent sensitive documents to Daniel Richman, a friend at Columbia University, asking him to share details with the press.
In 2019, a DOJ inspector general’s report revealed Comey had breached FBI policies by leaking information from those memos, although no classified material was found to have been leaked.
Amidst all this, Trump took to Twitter to voice that Comey had never been as thoroughly disgraced as he was after the Inspector General’s report came out, stating he should feel ashamed.
In 2020, Comey reiterated before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he stood by his earlier declaration that he did not leak information to the media or permit others within the FBI to do so.
This news contribution includes insights from CNN’s Casey Gannon, Aileen Graef, and Betul Tuncer.
The article has been updated with further developments.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
