politics
Trump Administration Indicts Comey Over Seashell Photo
The Trump administration secured an indictment against the former FBI director for an Instagram post showing seashells arranged as "8647." Comey called the case an example of the president's desire for revenge and said he will continue speaking out. Legal experts questioned whether the charges can survive court scrutiny under current Supreme Court precedent on threats.
May 11, 7:45 PM·3m read4 sources
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" The indictment from a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina asserts the image constituted a serious expression of intent to do harm to the president. Officials said investigators gathered additional evidence during the 11 months between the May 2025 post and the charging decision.
Comey said Monday that the case reflects the president's fixation on critics. He told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace that his family had grown accustomed to repercussions from his public criticism, including his daughter losing her job as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York and his son-in-law resigning as a prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia.
"Donald Trump has a bottomless desire to gain revenge against those who criticized him," Comey said in the interview. He added that he plans to keep speaking out, citing his grandchildren and a desire for them to know his actions during this period.
Comey maintained he is innocent of any threat and described the president as obsessed with him. He warned of the risk that the public becomes numb to what critics call the weaponization of the Justice Department. "Even I can feel it, 'Oh, the second time, whatever,'" Comey said.
" The photo, which Comey later deleted, showed shells on a beach near his North Carolina property. He has said he and his wife initially thought the arrangement spelled out an address before recognizing it as a political message. His wife, who had restaurant experience, identified the slang meaning of "86" as discarding or getting rid of something.
Comey's legal team plans to seek dismissal, arguing the case represents selective and vindictive prosecution. They intend to make arguments similar to those used after a prior indictment that was later invalidated. Legal experts across the political spectrum described the case as weak.
