Federal Prosecutor Troy Edwards Resigns Following Father-in-Law James Comey's Indictment: A Constitutional Stand

"To Uphold My Oath": James Comey's Son-In-Law Quits Justice Department After Ex-FBI Director's Indictment

Troy Edwards, who served as the deputy chief of the National Security Section, submitted his resignation as a federal prosecutor on Thursday immediately following the indictment of his father-in-law, former FBI Director James Comey.

In Alexandria, Edwards tendered a concise one-sentence resignation letter to Lindsey Halligan, the newly appointed acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. In his letter, Edwards stated his resignation was necessary "to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country."

The Eastern District of Virginia office, which employed Edwards, was the same office that brought charges against Comey. Edwards had held a prestigious position overseeing national security matters in a U.S. attorney's jurisdiction that encompasses both Pentagon and CIA headquarters, handling some of the nation's most sensitive espionage cases.

Edwards had previously distinguished himself as part of the prosecution team that secured the conviction of Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers, for organizing a violent plot to storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to keep then-President Donald Trump in power despite his 2020 election loss.

Comey's indictment on charges of lying to Congress came shortly after Trump appeared to encourage his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political opponents. Halligan expedited the case presentation to a grand jury this week before the five-year statute of limitations expired. These charges were filed days following the resignation of Halligan's predecessor, who had declined to charge Comey and reportedly faced pressure to bring charges against another Trump target, New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a mortgage fraud investigation.

Responding to the indictment, Comey maintained his innocence and welcomed a trial, expressing his "great confidence in the federal judicial system."

Edwards was present in the courtroom, observing from the front row of the gallery when his father-in-law was indicted on Thursday evening.

This resignation follows just two months after the Justice Department's unexplained termination of Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, in July. She had been a long-serving attorney in the Southern District of New York, widely regarded as the most prestigious federal prosecution office in the country.

Maurene Comey filed a lawsuit against the government this month seeking reinstatement, alleging her dismissal was politically motivated and unconstitutional.