Federal prosecutors in the United States have moved to charge former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey over the alleged disclosure of national defence information, according to a court filing.
The latest move marks the third time the US Department of Justice has pursued criminal charges against Comey, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump.
Court documents indicate that the case involves two counts linked to an alleged disclosure of classified information to The New York Times in October 2016, when Comey was still serving as FBI director.
Comey has denied any wrongdoing, describing the charges as an “appalling abuse” of the Department of Justice in a video posted on Substack on Monday.
“It would almost be funny if it weren’t such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice, one that we cannot become numb to,” Comey said.
“Nothing’s changed with me — I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid of these people and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary,” he added.
The charges were filed in Washington, DC, through a criminal information, a formal charging document submitted directly by prosecutors without requiring approval from a grand jury.
Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said two separate teams of prosecutors had previously investigated the alleged disclosure during Trump’s first administration but concluded that no charges should be brought against anyone.
Fitzgerald described the latest filing as an attempt to prosecute Comey for crimes he did not commit and confirmed that his legal team had filed a motion seeking to have the charges dismissed.
Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told the BBC that the case could face a significant legal challenge if the 10-year statute of limitations for the alleged offence has expired.
Kirschner said Comey’s motion to dismiss had “a very good chance of being granted,” while describing the prosecution as a “revenge-fuelled attempt” by Trump to find criminal charges against his longtime adversary.
Comey was dismissed by Trump in 2017 after the former FBI director oversaw an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.
Since then, Trump has repeatedly called for Comey’s prosecution.
In September 2025, Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury on allegations that he had lied to Congress and obstructed a congressional proceeding. He pleaded not guilty before the case was dismissed in November 2025.
In April 2026, Comey surrendered to authorities over separate allegations linked to an Instagram post he shared in 2025. The post featured seashells arranged to display the numbers “86 47,” which prosecutors interpreted as a threat against Trump, the 47th US president.
Comey denied that interpretation, saying he did not know the numbers’ alleged meaning and accusing the administration of politically motivated prosecution. That case remains ongoing.
The latest charges were made public on the same day a federal judge ruled that the Department of Justice had illegally fired Comey’s daughter, Maurene Comey, adding another legal development involving the former FBI director’s family to the administration’s ongoing disputes.
