Trump administration seeks to prosecute former FBI Director Comey

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 23:02 · Archive

The Trump administration is attempting to prosecute James Comey for an alleged decade-old leak of classified information, according to documents unsealed Monday in federal court in Washington. Comey's lawyers immediately dismissed the effort as invalid and outside the time limit for when the Justice Department can file a case.

The Justice Department said it had filed what is known as a criminal information to extend the ten-year statute of limitations for bringing a case. A department spokesperson said that 'filing a criminal information to toll the statute of limitations is a widely recognised practice in federal court and has been approved by multiple Circuit Courts of Appeals'. The prosecutor said the investigation remains ongoing and declined to comment further.

This would be the third criminal case against Comey since Trump returned to the White House last year. In a video statement, Comey said: 'It would almost be funny if it weren't such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice – one that we cannot become numb to. Nothing's changed with me; I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid of these people – and I still believe in an independent federal judiciary.' Comey served as FBI director when Trump took office in 2017, having been appointed by Barack Obama and previously serving in George W. Bush's administration.

How it is being reported

• Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey againPittsburgh Post-Gazette · 26 Oct, 23:14
• Trump administration tries to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey againIt would be the third criminal case that the Justice Department has brought against the longtime critic and foe of President Donald Trump since the Republican president’s return to the White House last year.PennLive · 26 Oct, 22:16
• Trump administration attempting to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey againWASHINGTON — The Trump administration is attempting to prosecute James Comey for what it calls a decade-old leak of classified information, an effort the former FBI director’s lawyers immediately dismissed as invalid and outside the time limit for when the Justice Department can file a case.TribLIVE · 26 Oct, 21:54

In this story: James Comey · Donald Trump · FBI · Justice Department · Barack Obama · George W. Bush

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem