Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted on Perjury and Obstruction

A federal grand jury charged James Comey with one count of making false statements and one count of obstructing justice, in connection with his September 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Comey’s attorneys said he will plead not guilty and intends to fight the charges in court. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 9.

Prosecutors say Comey misled the Senate by asserting that he did not authorize a leak to the media about an FBI investigation. The indictment notes that the five-year statute of limitations for the alleged false statements would have expired next week, creating a narrow window for the filing. The charges relate to his testimony about the Clinton email investigation and an unrelated inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The indictment traces the 2020 testimony to Comey’s handling of two investigations: the Clinton email matter and the broader inquiry into possible links between Russia and Donald Trump’s campaign. While prosecutors say Comey provided false statements that misrepresented his handling of an FBI leak, the document does not specify precisely which part of the evidence is at issue or which alleged leak is targeted. A notable exchange during the hearing involved references to Comey’s earlier public statements in 2017 about leaks and sources, and Republicans have cited those statements in debates over whether Comey misled lawmakers. Critics point to an inspector general report released in 2018 that suggested Comey’s deputy, Andrew McCabe, told investigators that Comey had authorized leaking information to the press, a point at odds with Comey’s contemporaneous testimony.

Comey’s rise through the justice system spanned decades, culminating in his 2013 appointment to lead the FBI. His tenure was marked by a controversial decision to reopen the Hillary Clinton email probe 11 days before the 2016 election, a move that drew intense backlash from both Democrats and Republicans. The reopening and subsequent closing of the case just days before the vote became a political flashpoint, contributing to a broader sense of upheaval around the election. The inspector general criticized Comey’s handling of the Clinton matter, and he was fired by President Donald Trump in May 2017, shortly after Trump took office. The firing thrust the investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference into a new chapter, eventually leading to a separate special counsel probe.

What happens next is that Comey will appear for arraignment on Oct. 9, when the charges will be formally read and he will enter a plea. If he pleads not guilty, the case will proceed to trial. The political debate surrounding the indictment has already featured commentary about the Justice Department’s independence and potential election-year implications. Trump allies have urged prosecutors to pursue additional charges against political opponents, while Democratic leaders have condemned the use of legal action for partisan ends. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries described the development as a test of the rule of law, while Trump has used social media to frame the indictment as evidence of what he views as political weaponization of the justice system.

The Comey indictment arrives amid a broader climate in which legal actions against high-profile figures in U.S. politics routinely intersect with electoral considerations. It underscores the ongoing tension between investigations stemming from the 2016 campaign, the subsequent Russia inquiry, and how those narratives continue to influence public trust in institutions. As the case unfolds, observers will watch for the prosecution’s exact theory of the alleged false statements, the handling of any alleged leaks, and how the defense characterizes Comey’s underlying actions as director of the FBI. The timeline now centers on the Oct. 9 arraignment and the path to a potential trial, with the broader political discourse continuing to react to every development.