ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Former FBI Director James Comey entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday to a federal charge of lying to Congress that dates back five years.
The 64-year-old Comey also denied an obstruction of justice charge related to the extensive investigation into allegations of collusion between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials. His trial is scheduled for January 5, 2026, following a brief court hearing.
The two-page indictment presented by a federal grand jury last month alleges that Comey lied during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on September 30, 2020, when he claimed he had not authorized leaks to the media regarding the Trump investigation and an unrelated case involving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
If convicted on both charges, Comey could face a maximum of five years in prison. However, the grand jury chose not to indict him on an additional charge of making a false statement.
This case marks the first prosecution initiated by the Justice Department against an adversary of Trump. The DOJ is reportedly also investigating other political figures, including Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
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The case against Comey was initiated by Trump’s former personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan, who was appointed last month as the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after Trump replaced Erik Siebert due to his reluctance to prosecute Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Halligan, who has a background in insurance law, lacks experience as a prosecutor. The indictment was issued just days before the five-year statute of limitations on Comey’s congressional testimony was about to lapse.
Previously, Comey has acknowledged leaking information to the media, notably in 2017 when he disclosed to the Senate Intelligence Committee that he had asked his “good friend,” Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman, to leak memos regarding Trump allegedly advising that an investigation related to Michael Flynn should be terminated.
Trump dismissed Comey during his presidency amid the Russia probe, leading to Special Counsel Robert Mueller taking over, who ultimately concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy.
After the charges were announced, Comey shared his heartbreak online regarding the Department of Justice.
“My family and I have known for years that there are consequences to opposing Donald Trump, but we couldn’t envision living any other way,” he stated in a video shared on Substack shortly thereafter. “We will not live in submission, and you shouldn’t either.”
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have faith in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent, so let’s go to trial and maintain our resolve.”
With contributions from Post wires
