President Trump has long called for the prosecution of Comey, who led the FBI investigation into the 2016 presidential campaign.
Published April 28, 2026
Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted again by the U.S. Department of Justice, this time over social media posts that authorities said constituted threats against President Donald Trump.
Tuesday’s indictment comes after the Justice Department’s criminal case against Comey collapsed last year.
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Mr. Trump has long called for the prosecution of his political opponents, with particular emphasis on Mr. Comey, who oversaw the early stages of an investigation into whether his 2016 presidential campaign was coordinated with Russia.
The charges relate to a social media post by Comey that featured a photo of seashells arranged in an “86 47” shape on a beach. The photo was posted about a year ago.
The term “86” is typically used in the restaurant industry to refer to throwing something away, but it is also sometimes used as a slang term for “killing”. Mr. Trump is currently serving his term as the 47th President of the United States.
Comey, who had previously been interviewed by the Secret Service, wrote on social media that he was unaware that “some people associate these numbers with violence.”
“I am against violence of any kind, so I have removed that post,” he said.
In two counts, Comey is accused of “knowingly and intentionally” threatening to “take the life or cause bodily harm” to Trump and communicating the threat in interstate commerce.
It provides no evidence to support the claim that Comey intentionally made threats against the president, instead arguing that “a reasonable recipient familiar with the circumstances would interpret the messages as a threat to harm.”
The Justice Department last year indicted Comey on charges of lying to Congress during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
But a judge dismissed the charges in November, ruling that the prosecutor overseeing the case was illegally appointed.
The court also dismissed bank fraud charges against New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
Last year, before the indictments against Comey and James were announced, Trump posted a message to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi pressuring her to indict them and several other political opponents.
The Justice Department is also pursuing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, another key figure in the Russia investigation.
Brennan denied doing anything wrong.
