James Comey Indicted on False-Statements, Obstruction Charges

A federal grand jury indicted former FBI director James Comey on two counts—making false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding—over his Sept. 30, 2020 testimony about the Russia investigation; each count carries up to five years in prison. The case was brought by Lindsey Halligan, the recently appointed U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and a former personal lawyer to President Trump, after acting U.S. attorney Erik Siebert reportedly resigned amid concerns about the evidence. Prosecutors cite declassified documents and reporting that an FBI leak probe named Arctic Haze links Comey to orchestrating unauthorized media leaks through Columbia professor Daniel Richman. Comey has denied wrongdoing in an Instagram video and called the indictment politically motivated, while President Trump praised the charges and Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the prosecution. Some career prosecutors and commentators have questioned the strength and timing of the case, noting reported internal doubts and a looming Sept. 30 statute-of-limitations deadline, which has intensified scrutiny of the Justice Department's independence.