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Former FBI director James Comey indicted on two felony counts, agency official says
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Summary
An agency official announced that former FBI director James Comey has been indicted on two felony counts after a grand jury presentment; the official said investigators alleged Comey threatened the president, deleted the threat, and later apologized, and that Comey will receive due process.
An agency official announced that former FBI director James Comey has been indicted on two felony counts after a grand jury returned an indictment, saying the probe was handled by the FBI in partnership with the Department of Justice.
"A grand jury returned a 2 count indictment against James Comey," the agency official said, describing months of methodical work by career agents and prosecutors. The official said the investigation had taken "over the past, 9, 10, 11 months," and that investigators "call the balls and strikes in the field as they see fit pursuant to the facts of the case and the law."
The official said the indictment centers on an alleged threat to the life of the president of the United States. "James Comey, allegedly threatened the life of the president of The United States," the official said, adding that the alleged threat was deleted and that Mr. Comey "then issued an apology." The statement did not provide additional factual detail about the alleged threat beyond that description.
The agency official emphasized procedural safeguards and next steps for the accused: "James Comey will be afforded every matter of due process under The United States constitution," the official said, and "mister Comey will have his day in court and his ability to speak to a jury of his peers." No court filings, arraignment date, or scheduling information were announced in the statement.
The official framed the matter as the product of standard investigative processes involving the FBI and Department of Justice, saying "every single investigation this FBI and our partners at the Department of Justice undertake ... are met with the same measure of investigative prowess and tools and personnel." The statement noted that a presentment was made to a grand jury in the district where the alleged crime occurred, which returned the indictment.
No defense comment, court filing, or response from James Comey was included in the statement. The announcement did not identify any specific statute under which the counts were charged, nor did it provide the date of the alleged conduct, the exact nature of the alleged threat, or a schedule for court appearances. Those details remain not specified in the public statement.
The official closed by reiterating that the grand jury had acted and that the legal process will proceed: "They took that information and made a presentment to a grand jury ... and that grand jury spoke."
