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Justice department files new criminal charges against ex-FBI director Comey Sam Levine in New York
Subject of charges remains unclear, after earlier case over congressional testimony was dismissedUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.Comey was charged over a picture he posted on Instagram last year in which sea shells were arranged to say “86 47”, CNN and the Associated Press reported. The post wa
28 April 2026 at 18:23

Justice department files new criminal charges against ex-FBI director Comey

28 April 2026 at 18:23

Subject of charges remains unclear, after earlier case over congressional testimony was dismissed

The justice department filed new criminal charges against James Comey, the former FBI director, on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Comey was charged over a picture he posted on Instagram last year in which sea shells were arranged to say “86 47”, CNN and the Associated Press reported. The post was taken as a threat to Donald Trump. The number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something, and Trump is the 47th president. Comey subsequently deleted the post and apologized, saying he didn’t realize the numbers were associated with violence. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he wrote on Instagram.