Former FBI Director James Comey is facing new federal criminal charges, marking the third legal battle initiated against him since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Prosecutors have charged the former bureau chief with the transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information, a case that had remained under court seal since early October.
The charges, filed as a criminal information rather than a grand jury indictment, stem from a 2016 New York Times article regarding Yahoo’s assistance in government email surveillance. According to a filing from Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak, investigators allege that Comey directed staff to share classified information with reporter Charlie Savage to correct inaccurate reporting that had appeared in Reuters the previous day.
In a video statement posted to his Substack on Monday, Comey struck a defiant tone, dismissing the legal action as a politically motivated harassment campaign. “Well, they’re back again. It would almost be funny if it weren’t such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice, one that we cannot become numb to,” Comey said. “Nothing’s changed with me. I’m still innocent. I’m still not afraid of these people, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”
The legal team representing Comey, led by Patrick Fitzgerald, has already moved to dismiss the case, arguing that the charges are barred by the statute of limitations. Attorneys contend that because the alleged disclosure occurred on October 5, 2016, the government had a ten-year window to pursue an indictment. They argue that the current filing—an “information”—is procedurally invalid and fails to meet the legal requirements to toll the statute of limitations. Furthermore, Fitzgerald noted that the circumstances surrounding the New York Times article were previously investigated during the first Trump administration, at which time the government determined no criminal charges were warranted.
The current case is the latest in a series of legal actions that Comey and his supporters characterize as retribution for his tenure at the FBI, during which he oversaw the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. President Trump has frequently targeted Comey publicly, labeling him a “dirty cop” and a “sick person.”
Comey’s legal history since 2025 has been tumultuous; a previous case against him was dismissed by a judge after it was revealed that the prosecution relied on unauthorized personnel and bypassed grand jury protocols. Additionally, Comey remains under indictment in North Carolina in a separate matter concerning a social media post featuring seashells arranged to spell “8647,” which prosecutors allege constituted a threat against the President.
“Mr. Comey will fight these charges vigorously and in the open,” Fitzgerald stated, emphasizing that the former director maintains his innocence against what he describes as unfounded accusations.
Disclaimer: This content is auto-generated for informational purposes only.
Source: Read Original News
