Appearing calm and composed, former FBI Director James Comey entered a plea of not guilty Wednesday to federal charges accusing him of lying to Congress and obstructing justice — marking the first time in U.S. history that a onetime FBI chief has faced criminal prosecution.
Comey, 64, also denied allegations that he obstructed justice during the investigation into alleged ties between President Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian officials. His trial date has been scheduled for January 5, 2026.
Wearing a navy suit and maintaining a stoic expression, Comey faced U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff for roughly 30 minutes at the Albert V. Bryan Courthouse in Virginia. His attorney, former U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago, formally entered the plea on his behalf.
When Judge Nachmanoff asked if he understood the charges against him, Comey replied quietly, “I do, your honor.”
“My client is anxious to get to a speedy trial,” Fitzgerald told the court.
Both the defense and federal prosecutor Nathaniel “Tyler” Lemons requested a modest delay in scheduling, with Lemons explaining that his team was still sorting through “a large” volume of evidence and “just getting our hands around the discovery as well.”
Judge Nachmanoff — appointed by President Joe Biden — agreed to a brief extension but questioned the justification. He commented that the matter appeared to involve “a discrete set of facts” and was “not overly complicated.”
Lemons responded that the case involved “a significant amount of classified information,” while Fitzgerald’s team acknowledged that only one of their lawyers, Jessica Carmichael, currently holds the necessary clearance to review classified material.
The judge assured both sides that he intended to move quickly, saying he would “go through the fastest [classified document review] process you’ve seen in your lives.”
Fitzgerald said he “hoped that a trial can be avoided,” and indicated he would soon file motions arguing that the case constitutes “vindictive prosecution” and that the appointment of the lead prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, was unlawful.
Comey was released on his own recognizance after prosecutors declined to request bail. His family, including daughter Maurene — who was dismissed from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office in July — attended the hearing. Her husband, Troy Edwards, also appeared, having resigned from his post in the Eastern District of Virginia shortly after the indictment was announced.
According to the two-page indictment returned by a grand jury last month, Comey is accused of lying during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 30, 2020, when he denied approving media leaks about the Trump-Russia investigation and a separate probe involving Hillary Clinton.
If convicted, Comey faces a maximum of five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. The grand jury declined to pursue an additional count of making false statements.
The case represents the first time the Justice Department has brought charges against one of President Trump’s political adversaries. The DOJ is also reportedly investigating other prominent Trump critics, including Rep. Adam Schiff of California and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
The prosecution was initiated by Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s onetime personal attorney, who was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last month after Trump removed her predecessor, Erik Siebert, over his reluctance to pursue cases against Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Halligan, who previously specialized in insurance law, had no prior experience as a federal prosecutor. The indictment was filed just days before the five-year statute of limitations would have expired on Comey’s testimony before Congress.
Comey has publicly admitted in the past to authorizing leaks, including his 2017 admission to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had instructed his “good friend,” Columbia Law Professor Daniel Richman, to leak memos detailing Trump’s alleged request to drop the Michael Flynn investigation.
The indictment refers to a “PERSON 3” — widely believed to be Richman — whom Comey allegedly “had authorized … to serve as an anonymous source in news reports” related to the FBI’s Russia probe.
Trump dismissed Comey as FBI director in 2017 during the height of the Russia inquiry, prompting the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who ultimately found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy.
Following the indictment, Comey released a video statement expressing both defiance and sadness. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way,” he said. “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either.”
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,” Comey added.
{Matzav.com}
