Comey Charged with Lying to Congress

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia has charged former FBI director James Comey with lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding; he is to be arraigned Oct. 9 before U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff. Prosecutors had been weighing whether to seek an indictment over Comey’s 2020 testimony about the origins of the FBI’s Russia investigation as the five‑year statute of limitations approached. Career prosecutors in the office reportedly concluded there was insufficient probable cause and recommended against charges, but interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan—handpicked by President Trump and with no prior prosecutorial experience—plans to present the case to a grand jury and is expected to lead the prosecution. Comey will be represented by attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. The move follows intense White House pressure to pursue cases against political opponents, and former prosecutors and a former U.S. attorney say the evidence appears weak and that bringing the case would represent an unprecedented escalation of political interference in DOJ charging decisions.