Former FBI Director James Comey charged over social media post

Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to federal authorities in Virginia on Wednesday to face charges related to a social media post from May 2025. A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted the 65-year-old on two counts, specifically accusing him of threatening the life and physical integrity of President Donald Trump. The charges stem from an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to form the numbers '86 47,' which prosecutors claim served as a coded threat, with '86' implying removal and '47' referencing the president. Comey appeared in an Alexandria federal court, was released without conditions, and maintains his innocence. His defense attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, argued that the prosecution is a politically motivated act of retaliation by the Justice Department. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that threats against the president will not be tolerated, noting that each charge carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison. The indictment follows the dismissal of Attorney General Pam Bondi and coincides with a heightened political climate following an unrelated armed attack in Washington.