According to multiple sources, the Justice Department is likely to convene a grand jury in the coming days to pursue an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey over allegations of lying to Congress.
Officials aim to file the case within the Eastern District of Virginia, as they approach a crucial legal deadline for prosecuting one of Trump’s frequent political adversaries, sources familiar with the situation informed Reuters.
The inquiry into Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 until his termination by Trump in 2017, has concentrated on whether he provided false statements during his congressional testimony on September 30, 2020, concerning the 2016 investigation into Trump’s connections with Russia.
The statute of limitations for filing perjury charges will expire next Tuesday, but prosecutors are anticipated to seek a grand jury indictment prior to that date, according to informed sources.
The specific nature of the potential charges against Comey, as well as the testimony portions under investigation, remain unclear.
This endeavor persists despite some prosecutors submitting a memo to new U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan, expressing reservations about pursuing charges. They argue that the case lacks sufficient evidence to establish probable cause for a crime, as reported by one source.
Comey, who has publicly criticized Trump, initiated an investigation in July 2016 into possible collusion between the Russian government and Trump’s campaign, dubbed “Crossfire Hurricane.”
Trump, who has not faced any charges related to the inquiry, has consistently denounced the investigation as a “witch hunt” and a “hoax.”
In a now-deleted post on Truth Social directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump expressed frustration that the DOJ was delaying legal action against Comey and other opponents.
“Pam: I’ve seen over 30 statements and posts saying that it’s the ‘same old story as last time, all talk, no action.’ Nothing is happening. What about Comey, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Letitia??? They’re all guilty as hell, yet nothing is moving forward,” Trump wrote.
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“We can’t drag our feet any longer; it’s damaging our reputation and credibility,” he added. “I was impeached twice and indicted (five times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Later, Trump told reporters that his frustration was not directed at Bondi, but rather at a perceived lack of action from the DOJ, stating, “I just want people to act. They need to act. But now we want to move quickly. They were merciless and vicious. I was impeached twice. I was indicted.”
“We must act swiftly. If they’re innocent, that’s okay. If they’re guilty or need to face judgment, they should be charged. And this needs to happen immediately.”
Comey’s legal representative declined to provide any comments.
This news follows Trump’s announcement last week that he had “fired” Erik Siebert, the lead prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, due to the “UNUSUALLY STRONG support” he received from Democratic senators.
Siebert, who claimed he resigned, had reportedly faced pressure from the Trump administration to pursue charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James concerning mortgage fraud allegations.
Trump has since nominated Halligan, a White House aide, to replace Siebert.
This report includes contributions from Post wires.
