Former FBI Director James Comey Indicted on False Statements and Obstruction Charges Under Trump Administration

James Comey served as the FBI director from 2013 until May 2017 when he was terminated by Trump.

Washington:

Former FBI director and vocal Donald Trump critic James Comey has been indicted on two charges, according to US media reports on Thursday, as the US president intensified a campaign of legal retaliation against political opponents.

The charges - making false statements and obstruction of justice - came shortly after Trump took the unusual step of publicly calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey and others.

"No one is above the law," Bondi stated on X following news of the indictment, without specifically naming Comey.

"Today's indictment reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case."

Comey's indictment was brought by federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan, recently appointed by Trump, who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer with no prosecutorial experience.

Halligan was named to the significant position of US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia following last week's resignation of Erik Siebert, the previous US attorney.

Siebert reportedly resigned under pressure from Trump after informing Justice Department leadership there was insufficient evidence to charge Comey or New York Attorney General Letitia James.

James, along with other Democratic officials, has been accused by Trump ally Bill Pulte, Federal Housing Finance Agency director, of falsifying mortgage application documents.

Trump dismissed Comey in 2017 during an investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign members and Moscow to influence the 2016 presidential election.

In August, FBI agents conducted raids on the home and office of another Trump critic - former national security advisor John Bolton - in an investigation officials linked to classified documents.

Bolton earned Trump's ire by publishing a highly critical book, "The Room Where it Happened," and frequently appears on television news programs and in print media criticizing the man he has described as "unfit to be president."

Since taking office in January, Trump, the first convicted felon to serve as president, has implemented several punitive measures against perceived enemies and political opponents.

He has revoked security clearances from former officials, targeted law firms involved in previous cases against him, and withdrawn federal funding from universities.

Trump himself was the subject of multiple investigations after leaving the White House.

The FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022 during an investigation into mishandling classified documents, and Trump faced charges from Special Counsel Jack Smith for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2020 election results.

Neither case proceeded to trial, and Smith - following Justice Department policy against prosecuting a sitting president - dropped both cases after Trump won the November 2024 presidential election.