Ex-FBI chief and Trump critic Comey hit with fresh charges

Former FBI Director James Comey faces a fresh criminal charge, the third brought against him, for allegedly disclosing national defence information to an unauthorized individual in October 2016, according to a unsealed criminal complaint. This comes just days after a US federal judge ruled that Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, who was dismissed by the Department of Justice, had been unlawfully fired, marking a significant victory for the younger Comey.

Comey is also accused of making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding in September 2025, a move seen as retaliation by the Republican president against a political opponent. The charges have been widely viewed as retribution by the Trump administration against Comey, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump.

In April, Comey was indicted again, this time for allegedly threatening President Trump's life through an Instagram post featuring the numbers 86 47 spelled out in sea shells. Comey has consistently denied any threat to the president's life. He maintains his innocence in all charges, stating he is "still not afraid of these people" and believes in the independent federal judiciary.

Comey's attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, stated that the Government had previously determined no charges were warranted during the first Trump administration.