The Justice Department on Thursday charged former FBI Director James Comey with with making a false statement and obstruction in regards to his 2020 testimony before Congress about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The indictment alleges Comey lied when he told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he had not “authorized someone else at the FBI to be an anonymous source in news reports." The DOJ contends Comey had authorized a person to serve as an anonymous source regarding an FBI investigation, which he denies.
Comey is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 9. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
“No one is above the law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
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The indictment comes just days after President Donald Trump seemingly urged Bondi to prosecute Comey and other political enemies who, in his view, have not faced the same level of Justice Department scrutiny he has experienced in recent years.
"JUSTICE IN AMERICA!" President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey, the former Corrupt Head of the FBI. Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
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The president and his allies have long decried the Russia investigation as a "hoax" and "witch hunt." However, multiple government reviews have showed Moscow did interfere in the 2016 election on behalf of the Trump campaign.
The indictment was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, which made headlines last week following the resignation of its chief prosecutor amid pressure from the Trump administration to charge New York Attorney General Letitia James in a monthslong mortgage fraud case.
