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James Comey indictment row: When ex-FBI chief blamed wife for cryptic post. Did he lie?
James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday. The former FBI Director is facing charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday. The former FBI Director is facing charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice. This comes days after President Donald Trump appeared to urge his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to prosecute him.
“No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case,” Bondi wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Comey was fired months into Trump’s first administration. He faced intense scrutiny for a social media post that the president's allies perceived was against the 79-year-old.
James Comey '8647' controversy
Comey was at the center of a heated controversy after posting, and quickly deleting, a photo on Instagram of seashells arranged into the numbers ‘8647’ on a beach, which Trump allies interpreted as a coded threat to assassinate President Donald Trump.
The incident, unfolding on May 15, prompted swift backlash from conservatives, including calls for his arrest, and triggered an investigation by the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security.
The numbers ‘8647’ drew ire because ‘86’ is slang for ‘get rid of’ or ‘kill’ and ‘47’ refers to Trump as the 47th president.
However, the former FBI Director put the blame on his wife, Patrice Failor. He said that it was her idea to post a photo of the message.
“She said, ‘You should take a picture of that,’” Comey said. “And I did, I posted it on my Instagram account and thought nothing more of it.”
James Comey said he is not afraid. “I’m not afraid,” he added. “I believe in the rule of law in this country. It’s under attack, but it exists, and I’m going to stand up and speak for it. They’re wasting their time if they think they’re going to cow me, especially if they think they’re going to cow my spouse, because that ain’t happening.”
