Former FBI Director James Comey Faces New Federal Charges

The United States Department of Justice has initiated a third criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of unlawfully transmitting national defense information to a journalist in October 2016. A criminal information document, filed under seal on October 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and made public on Monday, includes two counts related to the alleged disclosure of sensitive details to a reporter for The New York Times.

According to federal prosecutors, Comey knowingly and willfully directed staff and co-conspirators to share national defense information to correct perceived inaccuracies in a prior Reuters article. The specific reporting tied to the allegations is an October 5, 2016, article written by Charlie Savage concerning email surveillance. Prosecutors contend that the filing was utilized to toll the 10-year statute of limitations from expiring.

A Justice Department spokesperson stated that filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognized practice in federal court. The agency declined to provide further comments, noting that the criminal investigation remains ongoing. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the department defended the procedural move as standard legal practice.

Comey firmly denied the allegations in a video message posted to his Substack page, describing the prosecution as an alarming abuse of power. "Well, they’re back – again," Comey said in his video statement. "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. 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."

Patrick Fitzgerald, an attorney representing Comey, stated that the court document purports to charge his client with crimes he did not commit. Defense lawyers have already petitioned a federal judge to dismiss the case entirely, arguing that the legal action is improper and heavily influenced by long-standing political hostility from President Donald Trump.

The latest prosecution represents the third major criminal case brought against Comey during President Trump's current term. In September 2025, federal prosecutors indicted Comey on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a legislative proceeding. However, that case was thrown out in November 2025 after a federal judge determined that the prosecutor who secured the indictment had been unlawfully appointed.

In April 2026, a federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted Comey a second time following an Instagram post that displayed a formation of seashells reading "8647." Prosecutors argued the post constituted a threat against the president, while Comey maintained it was merely a political message with no violent intent. That case remains pending.

Relations between Comey and the federal government have been strained since President Trump dismissed him from his role as FBI director in May 2017. Since his departure, Comey has emerged as a vocal critic of the administration, while his legal team continues to argue that the successive criminal cases are politically motivated. The Justice Department has consistently denied that its prosecutions are driven by politics.