Justice Department Files New Charges Against Former FBI Director James Comey

The Justice Department has filed new charges against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of willfully mishandling information related to national defense in October 2016, which subsequently appeared in media reports. This marks the third set of charges brought against Comey within the last 13 months.

According to court documents, federal prosecutors allege that Comey "knowingly and willfully communicated, delivered, transmitted, and caused that information to be communicated, delivered, and transmitted to a person not entitled to receive it," with reason to believe it could be used to injure the United States or benefit a foreign nation.

Comey, a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump, stated in a video that the latest investigation is an attempt at political persecution. "It would almost be funny if it weren’t such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice," Comey said, adding, "I’m still innocent. I’m still not afraid of these people."

Comey's attorneys have argued that the alleged leaks were investigated twice previously during the Trump administration in 2017 and 2019, neither of which resulted in charges. They also contend in a motion to dismiss that the administration did not file an indictment within the 10-year statute of limitations.

Prosecutors allege that around October 4 and 5, 2016, Comey directed FBI staff to speak with The New York Times about specific accuracy concerns related to misinformation in a Reuters report about Yahoo's cooperation with U.S. surveillance. The Times article described how Yahoo had adapted its email filtering system to comply with a secret surveillance order from a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge in 2015, an order Yahoo was barred from disclosing.

A spokesperson for The New York Times commented that "prosecutions like this one are designed to discourage sources from providing journalists with the kind of valuable and illuminating information that the public needs to know."

This latest action follows a series of investigations and indictments by the Justice Department against prominent Democrats, potentially breaking with the unofficial "unwritten 60-day rule" of avoiding actions that could influence an approaching election. Earlier this month, the department secured a search warrant for the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), who called the effort "the latest escalation in [Trump’s] campaign of political intimidation." The DOJ also secured an indictment against Virginia Senate Leader Louise Lucas on drug trafficking and money laundering charges, which Lucas denied, calling it an attempt to silence those who stand up to powerful figures.

Previous charges against Comey include an indictment in September 2025 over allegations of making false statements to Congress related to alleged leaks. A federal judge dismissed those charges in November, ruling that the prosecutor had been unlawfully appointed. In April, Comey was indicted for allegedly making a threat against Trump by posting an Instagram photo with seashells arranged to spell "86 47," which prosecutors argued was intended to mean "to kill" Trump, the 47th President. Comey stated the arrangement was a "political message" and not a threat.

In a separate development, a federal judge in New York ruled on Monday that the Justice Department unlawfully fired Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, in July 2025, ordering her reinstatement with back pay.