James Comey Surrenders to Authorities Over Alleged Threat Against Donald Trump
Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, facing a charge that an image he briefly shared on social media constituted a threat to President Donald Trump. The charge stems from an Instagram post depicting seashells arranged to read "86 47". Prosecutors contend that "86" is slang for "get rid of", and combined with "47" (referring to Trump as the 47th president), it encourages violence.
Mr. Comey maintains his innocence, stating he was unaware of the numbers' alleged meaning and characterising the prosecution as politically motivated. His attorney indicated in a Virginia court that they would argue the case represents a vindictive prosecution, intended to punish Mr. Comey for his criticisms of Mr. Trump.
Attorney General Todd Blanche asserted on Wednesday that the new charges were "absolutely, positively not" politically motivated, telling CBS News that threatening the President is a serious matter. Mr. Blanche referenced a recent incident at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner where an individual charged towards Mr. Trump's location.
Mr. Comey's original May 2025 post, captioned "Cool shell formation on my beach walk", was deleted after public outcry. He subsequently posted a note explaining he had not realised the numbers were associated with violence and removed the post because he opposes all forms of violence.
The indictment argues that a "reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret" the image "as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States." Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a fine.
This is not the first legal action against Mr. Comey. He was indicted in September on charges of lying to Congress and obstructing proceedings, but that case was dismissed in November by US District Judge Cameron Currie due to an "invalid" appointment of the prosecutor.
