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Exclusive: Former FBI Director James Comey indicted over alleged ... - CNN
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Tuesday over a photo of seashells that officials said threatened President Donald Trump, marking the administration’s second attempt to prosecute one of his largest political opponents, three sources first told CNN. The indictment was brought in the Eastern District of North Carolina. An arrest warrant was issued for Comey by a court clerk. Comey faces charges of making a threat against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, according to court documents. The charges come with a prison sentence of up to 10 years. “He publicly posted a photograph on the internet social media site Instagram which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47’, which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States,” the indictment says. Comey responded to the indictment in a video posted to his Substack account. “I’m still innocent. I’m still not afraid,” Comey said. “And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go.” Trump has long pressed for his political adversaries to face charges, including the former FBI director he sees as a key leader in the perceived effort to “weaponize” justice system against him. Last May, Comey posted a photo on social media of shells on a beach writing out the numbers “86 47,” which critics said referred to taking out or killing Trump. James Comey responds to new DOJ indictment 0:36 • Source: CNN James Comey responds to new DOJ indictment 0:36 When used as slang, the number 86 can refer to getting rid of or tossing something out. Trump is currently the 47th president. Comey posted the photo of the shells, writing in the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” In a press conference Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche talked about the case as an example of the Justice Department’s effort to prosecute people who make threats against the president. Immediately following the presse conference, Blanche showed up at the White House. “Over the past year, this department has charged dozens of cases involving threats against all sorts of individuals,” Blanche said. “We take these seriously. Every single one of them.” When asked by CNN’s Evan Perez why the Justice Department requested an arrest warrant in this case, Blanche pointed to the grand jury in North Carolina. “The Department of Justice does n...
Ex-FBI Director James Comey indicted for second time - USA TODAY
Updated April 28, 2026, 5:37 p.m. ETFormer FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for a second time, after a judge dismissed an earlier indictment back in November.A federal grand jury in North Carolina charged Comey April 28 with threatening to harm or kill President Donald Trump in an Instagram post of seashells in May 2025. The indictment also accuses Comey of disregarding a substantial risk that his post would be viewed as threatening violence.That post depicted an image of seashells reading "8647." Some supporters of President Donald Trump interpreted the post as a threat, because "86" is a slang term that means "to throw out" or "to get rid of," according to Merriam-Webster, and Trump is the 47th U.S. president.Comey later deleted the post and said in a new one that he "didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence" and he took the post down because he opposes "violence of any kind."Comey and lawyers who previously represented him didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.Comey was previously prosecuted by the Trump administration for allegedly lying to Congress, but the case was dismissed after a judge determined the prosecutor who brought it – a former personal lawyer to Trump with no previous prosecutorial experience – was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department has appealed that ruling.Both prosecutions have come after Trump specifically called for Comey to be criminally charged in September. Comey served as director of the FBI during the first Trump administration, before the president fired him in 2017.At a press conference April 28, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that Comey's indictment isn't unique."Over the past year, this department has charged dozens of cases involving threats against all sorts of individuals. We take these seriously, every single one of them," Blanche said.However, Democrats and First Amendment advocates decried the charges as politically-motivated and a threat to free speech."'86' has many possible meanings, including impeachment. And it’s part of political discourse," Karl de Vries, a spokesperson at the the free-speech-focused Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in a statement.De Vries noted conservative commentator Jack Posobiec posted "86 46" on Twitter in 2022, referring to then-President Joe Biden. Posobiec "rightly faced no criminal charges," de Vries said."The idea that Comey's picture of seashells conveyed a serious intent to harm the president i...
Former FBI director James Comey faces new indictment
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has secured a second indictment against former FBI Director James Comey. Last May, Comey posted a photo of seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers 86-47 ...
Justice Department indicts former FBI director James Comey for a second ...
The Justice Department has secured a two-count indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for threatening President Trump by posting a photo on social media.
