Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Thursday, days after President Donald Trump publicly said that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi should prosecute him and two other political adversaries.
The indictment includes two counts: making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
The charges stem from testimony Comey gave on Sept. 30, 2020, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Asked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, about testimony he gave in 2017 asserting that he did not authorize leaking information regarding the FBI’s investigations into President Donald Trump or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Comey said, “I stand by the testimony.”
Comey’s deputy, Andrew McCabe, has said that Comey authorized him to leak information to the press, according to a 2018 Justice Department inspector general’s report. But the report also found that McCabe made multiple false or misleading statements.
The statute of limitations for the charges was set to expire Tuesday. Comey could face a maximum of five years in prison if he is convicted.
Trump celebrated the indictment.
“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey,” Trump said in a social Truth Social post Thursday night.
Bondi said in a post on X that the indictment “reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.” The statement did not name Comey.
Comey denied the charges against him in a video posted on Instagram.
“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either,” Comey said.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system. I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,” he added.
His arraignment is set for Oct. 9 before U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff, an appointee of former President Joe Biden.
Read the full report on NBC News.
