Alexandria, United States. Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in federal court in Virginia on Wednesday, one day after being indicted over a social media post that prosecutors allege threatened President Trump. He was released without special conditions after turning himself in on two charges.
Court appearance and charges
Comey surrendered on charges of threatening the life of the president and transmitting threats across state lines. He did not speak during the brief court appearance.
A US magistrate judge ordered Comey released and did not impose any special conditions. His next court appearance is expected in North Carolina, where a federal grand jury returned the indictment on Tuesday.
Members of Comey’s family entered the courthouse shortly before the proceeding began.
Defense response
Comey has said he is innocent and will fight the accusations in court. His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said he would argue the case is a vindictive prosecution, meaning it was brought to punish Comey for exercising his legal rights.
Details of the Instagram post
The charges relate to a post Comey made on Instagram last May showing seashells arranged on a beach to form the numbers “86 47.”
The number “86” is a slang term originating in the restaurant industry that can mean to “get rid of” or throw someone out. Forty-seven is a possible reference to Trump as the 47th US president.
The indictment alleged that a reasonable recipient of the message would interpret it as a threat to Trump.
Broader context
The indictment marks a renewed push by Trump’s Justice Department to target perceived political enemies of the president with criminal prosecution. Trump last year referred to Comey by name in a social media post calling for criminal charges against his adversaries.
What do you think the court will consider when assessing whether the Instagram post constituted a threat?
