Comey seeks to cancel upcoming court appearance in Trump threat case
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- Former FBI Director James Comey requested to cancel his upcoming court appearance in North Carolina, arguing it is unnecessary since he already surrendered and appeared before a judge in Virginia for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump.
- Comey faces a two-count indictment for posting an Instagram photo of seashells arranged as "86 47," which prosecutors claim was a threat against Trump, the 47th president.
- Comey contends the seashell arrangement was a political message he found on a beach, not a threat, and he removed the post after realizing some interpreted it as threatening.
- His lawyers, supported by the Department of Justice, asked a judge to cancel the North Carolina court appearance, citing his prior surrender in Virginia.
- Legal experts doubt the prosecution can prove Comey intended the Instagram post as a threat, though Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche claims investigators have additional evidence beyond the post itself.
