James Comey Indicted: Key Details and Future Implications

Tue Oct 21 2025 03:35:41 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Former FBI Director James Comey faces perjury charges stemming from his 2020 Senate testimony amidst ongoing political tensions. Learn the background and potential consequences of this significant legal battle.

James Comey, the former FBI director, has been indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from his testimony before Congress in 2020. As Comey prepares to plead in court, the case reignites discussions over his controversial role during the 2016 election and the subsequent investigation into Russian interference. This indictment raises questions about the politicization of the justice system and potential further charges against other political figures.

What to know about James Comey's indictment and what happens next

4 hours ago

Tom Geoghegan

The US Department of Justice has charged James Comey with perjury over testimony he gave to Congress five years ago. The news puts the former FBI boss back in the spotlight nearly a decade after playing a key part in the drama of the 2016 election campaign.

Who is James Comey?

After a childhood in New York and New Jersey, the young lawyer worked for various federal prosecutors including Rudy Giuliani in the high-profile Southern District of New York in the late 1980s. He later made waves as lead prosecutor against celebrity homemaker Martha Stewart, jailed for lying about financial misconduct in 2004.

He scaled the echelons of the justice department, but left for the private sector before President Barack Obama appointed him to run the FBI in 2013. His action as its director in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election campaign, investigating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, caused a storm. Breaking with agency norms, Mr Comey announced 11 days before polling day that he was reopening the case due to the discovery of new emails. Then a week later the case was closed again with no further action taken. The inspector general was critical of Mr Comey's handling of the case and Clinton blamed his actions for her election defeat. A few months later he was out of a job, fired by Donald Trump, the new president.

Why did Trump fire Comey?

At the time, Mr Comey was leading an investigation into Russian election interference and whether there were any links between Moscow and Trump's campaign. The White House said the firing was over Mr Comey's handling of the Clinton probe. Democrats said it was due to the Russia investigation. This assertion was given extra weight when Trump said in an interview that Russia had been on his mind in acting against Mr Comey. As a result of the firing, the investigation was placed in the hands of a special counsel. It led to dozens of criminal charges against Trump campaign staff and associates for offences including computer hacking and financial crimes. But it did not find that the Trump campaign and Russia had conspired to influence the election.

Why was Comey indicted?

The two-page indictment is short on detail, but it says Mr Comey has been charged with one count of making false statements and another of obstruction of justice. He maintains he is innocent and will prove that in court. Both counts relate to Mr Comey's appearance via video before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2020. He was being questioned about his handling of the Clinton case and another investigation on pro-Trump election interference by Russia. Prosecutors allege Mr Comey misled the Senate by saying he had not authorised a leak to the media about an FBI investigation. The five-year statute of limitations for charges based on that hearing would have expired next week.

What happens next?

Mr Comey will appear in court for an arraignment on 9 October where the charges will be read to him and he will enter a plea. The case will then go to trial. Trump has said there could be more charges coming against other political figures. He has urged prosecutors to charge Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has denounced his actions as a disgraceful attack on the rule of law.