Comey Expected to Be Indicted for Lying to Congress, Reports Say

Federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing to indict former FBI Director James Comey on charges related to allegedly lying to Congress, according to a report by MSNBC. The exact scope of the charges was not immediately clear, and officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Comey has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s administration since the president fired him in 2017. The reporting centers on a 2017 episode in which Comey wrote seven memos detailing private conversations with then-President Trump and gave those memos to Columbia Law professor Daniel Richman, who leaked details to the New York Times. The leak helped prompt the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. In September 2020, Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about Crossfire Hurricane and faced questions about leaks at the FBI, including the memos he had authored.

The Eastern District of Virginia has emerged as the venue for the case. Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan has served in that role since Trump appointed her earlier this month. The district is the same jurisdiction where New York Attorney General Letitia James is being investigated in connection with a 2023 Virginia real estate purchase, a probe noted in reporting about the broader political and legal battles surrounding figures tied to the Trump orbit. Prosecutors in the district have signaled a willingness to pursue charges connected to statements alleged to have been made under oath about disclosures and leaks related to the Russia inquiry.

The case centers on whether Comey lied about authorizing leaks during his 2020 Senate testimony regarding Crossfire Hurricane, the codename for the inquiry into potential links between the Trump campaign and Russia. The reporting indicates at least one count related to those claims, though it did not specify the exact charges or the potential scope of the indictment. Law enforcement and court officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Observers note that the development arrives amid a period of heightened political tension and a contested landscape in which former officials tied to both sides of the political divide have faced intensified scrutiny. Comey has maintained that he acted in the interest of informing the public and the investigation into the Russia matter, while Trump allies have framed such inquiries as part of broader political weaponization. As the situation evolves, prosecutors are expected to outline the legal theory underlying any indictment and provide a timeline for potential court proceedings. The update is part of a broader, ongoing examination of the boundaries between official government disclosures, the media, and the public record during a period of deep partisan polarization.