Ex-FBI head James Comey criminally charged as Trump targets critics
The US president has regularly attacked Comey’s handling of the investigation into contacts between Russians and his 2016 campaign
The US Justice Department filed criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey on Thursday, in a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s retribution campaign against his political enemies.
If convicted, Comey could face up to five years in prison. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation.
In a video posted on social media, Comey said: “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”
Trump fired Comey in 2017, early in the Republican president’s first term in office. He has since regularly assailed Comey’s handling of the FBI investigation that detailed contacts between Russians and Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Since Trump returned to office in January, his Justice Department has been examining Comey’s 2020 testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee when he addressed Republican criticisms of the Russia investigation and denied that he had authorised disclosures of sensitive information to the news media.
The case against Comey, who served as FBI director from 2013 until 2017, marked the starkest example of the Trump administration using its law enforcement power against a prominent critic after the president promised retribution during his successful 2024 election campaign.