Ex-FBI chief, Trump critic James Comey indicted on 2 charges
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James Comey has been indicted on charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation related to the Russian election probe.
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Former FBI Director James Comey, with his attorney, David Kelley, right, speaks to reporters after a day of testimony before the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. (AP)
Former FBI chief James Comey was indicted on two criminal charges on Thursday, with the first charge being making false statements and the second being related to obstructing a congressional proceeding.
An indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, made public Thursday night, claims he gave false testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 30, 2020. The false statement charge centers on the claim that Comey made a false statement by denying to a committee senator that he had permitted a subordinate at the FBI to act as an anonymous source regarding a bureau probe.
The charge, which is believed to connect to the investigation of alleged Russian election interference, concerns not the probe itself but the fact that Comey allegedly lied to Congress. The former FBI chief could face up to five years in prison.
"If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors," said the Department of Justice.
The second charge alleges that Mr. Comey, through his testimony before the committee, "did corruptly endeavour to influence, obstruct and impede the due and proper exercise of the power of inquiry under which an investigation was being had before the Senate Judiciary Committee by making false and misleading statements."
Comey maintains innocence
In a post on Instagram, Comey stated that he had faith in the US Justice system while maintaining his innocence. "My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump," the former FBI head stated, emphasizing, "We will not live on our knees."
He added that "fear is the tool of a tyrant" and that he is not afraid and that while his "heart is broken" for the Justice Department, he still had faith in the judicial system.
The unsealing of the indictment occurs shortly after Trump, via now-deleted posts on social media, encouraged Attorney General Pam Bondi to initiate prosecutions against several individuals he views as political adversaries, among them James Comey.
Trump stated that the lack of legal action against his political adversaries "was killing our reputation and credibility," adding, “We can’t delay any longer, JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!"
The US president hailed the charges as "JUSTICE IN AMERICA" and added on Truth Social that Comey "was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts."
Trump, Comey's long enmity
Testifying before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20, 2017, Comey confirmed that the FBI had opened a criminal investigation into possible links between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign. Acknowledging that the FBI does not usually confirm the existence of a probe, Comey found it within national interest to divulge this investigation.
Trump fired Comey by having his bodyguard deliver a dismissal letter, with the stated reason being procedural violations in the Clinton email investigation, although Trump and the White House subsequently gave conflicting explanations.
Fellow former FBI director Robert Mueller took over the probe, which alleged multiple contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian officials but ultimately did not find enough evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy.
After testifying on June 8, 2017, that Trump pressured him to drop the Michael Flynn investigation during an Oval Office meeting, an angry Trump held a press conference the following day to accuse Comey of lying under oath.
Soon enough, Comey grew more vocally critical against the US president, stating in an April 15 interview with ABC that Trump is "morally unfit" to be president, and later, he began openly endorsing democrats.
Hours before the release of Comey’s indictment, Trump told reporters he considered the former FBI director a "sick person", and though he claimed no knowledge of the Justice Department's actions, he asserted that he should be able to weigh in on an indictment if he so chose.
