Federal prosecutors have charged former FBI Director James Comey with two felonies stemming from an Instagram post he made while vacationing last year, marking another high-profile case in which the Trump administration's justice department has pursued the president's political adversaries.
Comey posted a photograph showing seashells arranged to spell "86 47" on the beach. The numbers were interpreted as a threat to Trump, who is the 47th president, with "86" being slang for eliminating something. Comey deleted the post and apologized, saying he had not understood the numerical combination carried violent associations.
The indictment was filed Tuesday in federal court in the eastern district of North Carolina. Prosecutors claim that a reasonable person would view the arrangement "as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States." Each count carries penalties of up to five years in prison and fines.
The charges against Comey follow a pattern. The justice department previously charged New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud allegations described as thin. That case was dismissed, much like Comey's earlier prosecution.
Comey has been a persistent target of Trump's anger over his role leading the FBI's investigation into the president's ties to Russia. Trump's allies have publicly called for him to face punishment. While many observers dismissed the seashell post as a non-violent expression of political opposition, federal law enforcement nonetheless investigated the matter and interviewed Comey.
Author James Rodriguez: "The seashells indictment appears designed to send a message: cross Trump and the justice department's machinery turns in your direction."
Comments