Former FBI director James Comey indicted on two charges

A federal grand jury in Virginia indicted former FBI director James Comey on two counts related to his testimony before Congress, charging that he lied about authorizing an anonymous FBI source to be referenced in media reports.

According to charging documents, Comey "willfully and knowingly" made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement by telling a U.S. Senator that he had not authorized anyone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source in news reports. Prosecutors say the statement was false because Comey had directed an unnamed person to serve as such a source. The indictment also accuses him of corruptly endeavoring to influence the Senate Judiciary Committee's inquiry around Sept. 30, 2020, through false and misleading statements. The grand jury did not pursue a third count of making false statements, but two counts are charged. The case was filed in Alexandria, Virginia, just before the five-year statute of limitations would have expired.

Comey spoke in a one-minute video posted to Instagram after the indictment, declaring himself innocent and saying he has "great confidence in the federal judicial system." His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, issued a short statement saying Comey denies the charges in their entirety and that the defense looks forward to vindicating him in court. Prosecutors had asked the grand jury to consider three charges, but only two were approved for trial.

The indictment was announced as the government moves toward Comey’s arraignment in Alexandria, scheduled for the morning of Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. local time, where the charges will be formally read. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the action reflects the Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. If convicted on the two counts, Comey could face up to five years in prison on each charge.

The case is among the highest-profile legal actions against a former public official during Donald Trump’s presidency, a context that has drawn attention from lawmakers and observers about how political considerations intersect with investigations. Trump has publicly commented on the proceedings, criticizing prosecutors for pursuing charges while commending Comey as a critic of his administration.

Democrats condemned the indictment as politically motivated overtones in a legal process. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries denounced the move as a "disgraceful attack on the rule of law" and pledged accountability for anyone complicit in what he called malignant corruption. On the other side, some Republicans have argued the charges reflect a long-running effort to scrutinize actions taken during Comey’s tenure at the FBI.

Comey’s tenure as FBI director from 2013 to 2017 included the high-profile inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s email practices, a probe that became a focal point of the 2016 campaign. He was fired by then-President Trump amid broader investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The indictment notes that the case comes after a period of internal DOJ personnel changes, including the appointment of Lindsey Halligan as the Eastern District of Virginia’s U.S. Attorney after the previous officeholder, Erik Seibert, was removed by the Trump administration.

Beyond the indictment, the notes indicate ongoing political and legal tension around Comey’s actions and public statements. Earlier this year, he faced a separate inquiry by the Secret Service after sharing and subsequently deleting a social media post that included a sequence of seashells. The political and legal climate surrounding Comey has been influenced by Trump’s criticisms of prosecutors and his own public statements about law enforcement figures who have challenged him.

Separately, Comey’s family has also drawn attention in recent months. His daughter, Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, was dismissed from her post earlier this month; she has since filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over her dismissal. The DOJ has faced other personnel changes in cases tied to investigations involving the Trump era.

In the broader arc of U.S. politics, the Comey indictment reinforces the ongoing tension between political and legal processes, illustrating how legally defined questions of truthfulness under oath intersect with public accountability for public figures. The next steps hinge on the scheduled arraignment and future court proceedings, where prosecutors will seek to prove the falsity and obstruction charges beyond a reasonable doubt while Comey and his defense bank on credible evidence and testimony to contest the allegations.