The Justice Department has filed two criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of unlawfully disclosing national defense information and conspiring with others to provide the information to a reporter in 2016.
The charges were filed without a grand jury indictment, an unusual move that Comey's attorneys argue makes the prosecution legally invalid, according to the Associated Press.
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The charging document does not identify the reporter, the publication or the specific information allegedly disclosed.
Comey maintained his innocence in a video statement released on Monday.
"Nothing has changed with me. I'm still innocent," he said. "I'm still not afraid of these people and I still believe in the independent judiciary."
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Comey was indicted in 2025 on charges of making a false statement and obstructing Congress. However, a federal judge dismissed the charges after ruling that Lindsey Halligan's appointment as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was unlawful.
Comey has long drawn the ire of President Donald Trump over his role in the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties to Trump's campaign. Trump fired Comey during his first term and has publicly called him a "leaker" and a "liar."
