Former FBI Director James Comey Faces Third Set of Charges from Trump Administration
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey is now facing new criminal charges. This is the third set of charges from President Donald Trump’s administration. Sealed documents recently showed the government’s accusations. They claim Mr. Comey unlawfully shared national defense information.
Mr. Comey denies any wrongdoing. He calls these attempts to prosecute him “political retribution.” He stated he is innocent and not afraid. He believes in the independent court system. Mr. Comey also said he expects more charges in the future.
The new accusations relate to an October 2016 news article. That story described how an email company was told to scan its internet traffic. This scanning looked for a specific computer code. Prosecutors believe Mr. Comey directed sensitive information to be given to the reporter for that story.
Pat Fitzgerald, Mr. Comey’s defense lawyer, said the charges are weak. He stated the government had investigated this matter twice before. Both times, no charges were brought against anyone. Prosecutors are using a special process called “criminal information.” This process allows them to charge Mr. Comey without a grand jury’s approval.
Federal Judge Trevor McFadden is overseeing the case. He was appointed by President Trump. President Trump fired Mr. Comey from his FBI role in 2017. This happened during Trump’s first term in office. At that time, the FBI was investigating possible links between Russia and Trump’s 2016 election campaign.
Since President Trump returned to office in January 2025, his administration has sought to prosecute several critics. Mr. Comey is one of them. In September 2025, President Trump publicly asked the Attorney General to investigate Mr. Comey.
Five days later, Mr. Comey was charged with lying to Congress. He was also accused of obstructing a legislative process. However, a court later dismissed that case. The prosecutor in charge had been unlawfully appointed.
A second set of charges came in April. The Trump administration then accused Mr. Comey of threatening the president. This accusation came after Mr. Comey posted a social media photo. The photo showed seashells arranged to form the message “86 47.” The administration said “86” implied violence.
