DOJ says Comey’s 8647 seashells post was a threat to kill Trump

Key Points:

• The Department of Justice cited James Comey's novel to argue against dismissing criminal charges accusing him of threatening to kill President Trump by posting an Instagram photo of seashells forming "86 47," a coded message prosecutors interpret as "kill President Trump."
• Comey's lawyers contend that "86 47" is a political slogan opposing Trump and that "86" commonly means an item is removed or unavailable, denying any violent intent behind the post.
• Prosecutors counter that the term "86" has historical slang meanings related to killing, and Comey admitted "47" referred to Trump, asserting an objective viewer could interpret the message as a threat.
• The DOJ affidavit states no undue pressure was involved in indicting Comey, who was previously indicted on unrelated charges of lying during Senate testimony, but that case was dismissed due to a procedural issue with the U.S. attorney's appointment.
• Comey's defense highlighted AI and law enforcement sources disputing the violent interpretation of "86," noting the term's violent meaning is not widely recognized or officially documented in major dictionaries.