DOJ Indicts James Comey on Felony Threat Charges

U.S. Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony counts: knowingly making a threat against the President of the United States, and transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to kill the President. Each felony count against Comey carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Comey. Comey was indicted on Tuesday in an investigation over a social media photo of seashells arranged on a beach. The arrangement of shells read '86 47'. Comey deleted the social media post shortly after it was made.

Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service in May after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating the assassination of Trump. This is the second criminal case the Justice Department has brought against Comey. Comey was indicted in September on charges that he lied to and obstructed Congress related to testimony he gave in 2020.

After deleting the post, Comey wrote 'I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence'. Comey wrote 'I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down' after deleting the post.

Comey assumed the arrangement of shells was a political message, not a call to violence.