Former FBI Director Comey seeks dismissal of third criminal case

Comey, a vocal critic of Donald Trump since his firing early in Trump’s presidency, has become a frequent target of Republican criticism.

Court documents released this week revealed that the Trump administration bypassed a grand jury to file a criminal information related to a decade-old leak to the media. The Justice Department argues this was done to extend the time limit for a grand jury indictment, while Comey’s legal team contends the case is legally flawed.

US District Judge Trevor McFadden, appointed by Trump, is scheduled to hear arguments on the matter Friday in Washington, DC.

Comey maintains his innocence regarding the allegations, which are part of a series of politically charged investigations undertaken by the Department of Justice ahead of next week’s midterm elections.

Comey served as FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, initially appointed by Barack Obama in 2013. He oversaw an investigation into potential collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, a period marked by significant conflict between the two men. Comey has publicly compared Trump to a “corrupt mafia don,” while Trump has accused him of treason.

A previous criminal case filed in Virginia accused Comey of lying to Congress in 2020, but it was dismissed due to concerns about the legality of the prosecutor’s appointment.

Another pending indictment charges Comey with threatening Trump through an Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to resemble numbers, which Comey is seeking to have dismissed.

The latest allegation stems from a 2016 New York Times article concerning a secret court order requiring Yahoo to scan emails for potential links to terrorism. The article cited anonymous government officials.

An investigation initiated in early 2017 by federal authorities, including prosecutor John Durham, initially recommended against charges. Durham later investigated the FBI’s conduct regarding Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. A second investigation, codenamed “Tropical Vortex,” was opened in 2019 and closed without charges in 2020.