Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Virginia on prices of constructing a false assertion and obstruction associated to testimony he gave to Congress 5 years in the past.
Comey, a frequent goal of President Donald Trump’s ire, is accused of mendacity throughout testimony on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020.
“The fees as alleged on this case characterize a breach of the general public belief at a rare stage,” stated interim U.S. Lawyer Lindsey Halligan of the Jap District of Virginia, whose workplace will prosecute Comey on the 2 felony counts.
Comey posted a video response to the indictment on Instagram, saying: “I’m not afraid.”
“My household and I’ve recognized for years that there are prices to standing as much as Donald Trump,” Comey says within the video. “However we could not think about ourselves residing every other method, We won’t stay on our knees and also you should not both.”
He added: “Anyone that I really like dearly just lately stated that concern is the device of a tyrant and he or she’s proper. However I am not afraid, and I hope you are not both. I hope as a substitute you’re engaged, you’re paying consideration and you’ll vote, like the one that you love nation relies upon upon it, which it does. My coronary heart is damaged for the Division of Justice however I’ve nice confidence within the federal judicial system. And I am harmless. So let’s have a trial and maintain the religion.”
Halligan was put in in her publish at Trump’s path earlier this week when her predecessor resigned underneath stress from the president after he objected to submitting felony prices towards Comey.
“The steadiness of energy is a bedrock [principle] of our democracy, and it depends upon accountability and a forthright presentation of info from govt management to congressional oversight,” Halligan stated in a press release. “Any intent to keep away from, evade, stop, or hinder compliance is a violation {of professional} accountability and, most significantly, the legislation.”
A court docket submitting indicated that federal prosecutors requested the grand jury to indict Comey on two counts of constructing false statements and one depend of obstruction.
The submitting stated that the grand jury didn’t indict Comey on one of many false assertion counts as a result of greater than 12 grand jurors “didn’t concur” in indicting on depend one.
The five-year statute of limitations on a cost associated to Comey’s testimony was set to lapse subsequent week.
If convicted, Comey faces a most attainable sentence of 5 years in jail. Federal felony sentences are sometimes lower than the utmost due to federal pointers.
Comey’s legal professional, Patrick Fitzgerald, informed CNBC: “Jim Comey denies the costs filed right this moment of their entirety. We sit up for vindicating him within the courtroom.”
The fees got here days after Trump publicly complained to Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi that “nothing is being executed” about Comey and different of the president’s perceived enemies. Trump claimed these individuals have been “all responsible as hell.”
Trump gloated about Comey’s indictment in a publish on Reality Social.
“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of many worst human beings this Nation has ever been uncovered to is James Comey, the previous Corrupt Head of the FBI,” Trump wrote.
“As we speak he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for numerous unlawful and illegal acts. He has been so dangerous for our Nation, for therefore lengthy, and is now firstly of being held answerable for his crimes towards our Nation. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.
Bondi referenced Comey’s indictment, with out mentioning him by identify, as information of the costs broke.
“Nobody is above the legislation,” Bondi wrote in a publish on X.
“As we speak’s indictment displays this Division of Justice’s dedication to holding those that abuse positions of energy accountable for deceptive the American individuals,” Bondi stated. “We are going to comply with the info on this case.”
FBI Director Kash Patel, in his personal publish on X, wrote, “As we speak, your FBI took one other step in its promise of full accountability.”
“For a lot too lengthy, earlier corrupt management and their enablers weaponized federal legislation enforcement, damaging as soon as proud establishments and severely eroding public belief,” Patel wrote. “Daily, we proceed the struggle to earn that belief again, and underneath my management, this FBI will confront the issue head-on.”
Halligan, 36, has no prior prosecutorial expertise, however beforehand represented Trump in authorized circumstances.
She changed Erik Siebert as interim U.S. legal professional for Virginia’s Jap District.
Siebert had been tasked with investigating Comey and one other Trump foe, New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James, who introduced a civil enterprise fraud case towards the president.
However Seibert’s probe of mortgage fraud claims towards James turned up inadequate proof to cost her, NBC Information reported.
Siebert additionally raised considerations a few felony case towards Comey.
“I need him out,” Trump just lately stated of Siebert.
Trump has lengthy expressed contempt for Comey, whom he fired throughout his first time period within the White Home in Might 2017.
Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, condemned the indictment of Comey.
“Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to show our justice system right into a weapon for punishing and silencing his critics,” Warner stated in a press release, which famous the circumstances of Siebert’s departure.
“This type of interference is a harmful abuse of energy,” Warner stated. “Our system is dependent upon prosecutors making selections primarily based on proof and the legislation, not on the private grudges of a politician decided to settle scores.”
“By ousting a revered, unbiased prosecutor and changing him with a partisan loyalist, Trump is undermining one of the necessary U.S. Lawyer’s places of work within the nation and eroding the rule of legislation itself.”
Comey, in his September 2020 testimony, informed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that he stood by prior testimony that he didn’t, as FBI director, authorize a leak of knowledge to The Wall Road Journal for an October 2016 article that detailed a Justice Division probe of then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s electronic mail use.
Cruz informed the Justice Division in a letter three months later that former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe admitted understanding about and authorizing the leak.
McCabe insisted that Comey was conscious of his choice to authorize the disclosure, whereas Comey “has denied this declare,” Cruz wrote.
“Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe’s statements are irreconcilably contradictory,” Cruz wrote. “Mr. McCabe says that he informed Mr. Comey of the leak and that Mr. Comey authorized — successfully authorizing the leak after the actual fact. Mr. Comey, however, has stated that he neither licensed the leak nor knew of Mr. McCabe’s involvement.”
“Certainly one of them is mendacity underneath oath — a federal crime,” Cruz wrote.
