James Comey Faces Third Set of Charges, Accused of Leaking National Defense Information
The former FBI director has been charged twice previously since the start of Trump's second term.
Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged with transmission of national defense information and conspiracy to transmit national defense information, according to court documents unsealed earlier this month. These new charges mark the third instance in which the Justice Department has moved to charge Comey.
Comey, a vocal opponent of former President Donald Trump, was fired as FBI director by Trump in 2017, before the completion of his 10-year term. Since the commencement of Trump's second term, the Justice Department has initiated two separate criminal cases against Comey. The first case alleged false statements made to Congress, and the second involved accusations of threatening Trump through an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to represent the numbers '86 47.'
A federal judge ordered the dismissal of the first case last year, and Comey has pleaded not guilty in the second case, characterizing both legal efforts as the result of "vindictive" and selective prosecutions.
These latest charges emerged on the same day a judge ruled that the Justice Department had illegally fired Comey's daughter.