Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey leaves the Rayburn House Office Building after testifying on Capitol Hill Dec. 7, 2018, in Washington, D.C.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Former FBI director James Comey is expected to turn himself in to law enforcement Wednesday after facing new federal charges.
A grand jury in North Carolina returned a two-count indictment against Comey for allegedly threatening President Trump with a photo he posted to Instagram of seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers “86-47.”
The phrase “86” is commonly used as slang for removing or throwing out something or someone, and Trump is the 47th president.
At the time, Comey said that he assumed the shells were a “political message” but did not realize the numbers could be associated with violence. He subsequently deleted the post.
In a video Tuesday, he denied any wrongdoing.
“I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary — so let’s go,” Comey said.
The charges Comey faces require evidence that the former FBI director “knowingly and willfully” issued a threat to “take the life of” Trump.
CNN and ABC News reported that he is expected to surrender in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Hill sought comment from his attorney.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has portrayed the prosecution as akin to federal cases clamping down on threats against any public officials of any political affiliation.
“Threatening the life of the president of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” he said at a press conference Tuesday. “Over the past year, this department has charged dozens of cases involving threats against all sorts of individuals.
“We take these seriously,” Blanche added. “Every single one of them.”
The charges Comey faces mark the second time Trump’s Justice Department has secured an indictment against the prominent adversary of the president.
He previously faced false statements and obstruction charges stemming from 2020 testimony he gave Congress concerning leaks at the FBI, but the case was dismissed over the unlawful appointment of the prosecutor who pursued them. The Trump administration has appealed.
Trump’s feud with Comey stems from his move to fire him as FBI director in 2017, which became a focal point of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of whether Trump sought to obstruct the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Comey has been a vocal critic of Trump since.
