WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina has returned an indictment charging former FBI director James Comey with making threats to the life of President Donald Trump.
The accusation stems from an image he posted on social media last year, which was retracted later as it turned controversial.
The Indictment includes two counts. According to the Department of Justice, the first charge alleges, 'On May 15, 2025, by posting an image via Instagram depicting '86 47', which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.'
Eighty-six or 86 is American English slang, generally meaning to 'get rid of' someone or something, and Trump is the 47th U.S. president.
Although Comey has denied that the post was intentional, Trump insists that it was a threat targeting him.
'Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation's laws,' said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. 'The grand jury returned an indictment alleging James Comey did just that, at a time when this country has witnessed violent incitement followed by deadly actions against President Trump and other elected officials. The temperature needs to be turned down, and anyone who dials it up and threatens the life of the President will be held accountable.'
'James Comey disgracefully encouraged a threat on President Trump's life and posted it on Instagram for the world to see,' said FBI Director Kash Patel. 'As the former Director of the FBI, he knew full well the attention and consequences of making such a post. He vowed that Comey will be held fully accountable for his actions.
Responding to the charges on Tuesday, Comey said he is innocent. 'I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.'
If convicted, Comey faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
During his first term, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on May 9, 2017, officially citing his mishandling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. However, reports indicated Trump was frustrated by the ongoing FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election and ties to his campaign, later calling it a 'witch-hunt.'
Since then, Trump has been demanding that Comey should be prosecuted.
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