James Comey indicted over social media post Trump's DOJ says crossed a line
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by the Department of Justice for the second time under the Trump administration, this time accused of threatening the president's life through a social media post.
- The indictment centers on a photo Comey shared showing shells arranged to spell "8647," which the DOJ interprets as a death threat referencing President Trump, the 47th president, and the slang term "86," meaning to get rid of something.
- Comey faces two felony counts with a potential maximum sentence of 10 years, but he denies the allegations, stating he was unaware of the violent connotations and has removed the post.
- The DOJ's case faces a high legal threshold, as the Supreme Court requires proof that the defendant knowingly made a threatening statement, and Comey maintains his innocence citing First Amendment protections.
- This indictment could set a precedent for similar cases, though each will depend on specific facts; any new charges would likely relate to actions during Trump's second term due to a five-year statute of limitations.
