A federal grand jury on Sept. 25, 2025, indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice.
The indictment stems from his Sept. 30, 2020 testimony, in which prosecutors allege Comey falsely denied authorizing anyone at the FBI to serve as an anonymous source in news reports tied to an investigation.
Comey responded in a video posted to Instagram: “I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith my family and I have known for years.”
Trump Reacts with Celebration
President Donald Trump, who fired Comey in 2017 during the FBI’s probe into his campaign’s ties to Russia, hailed the indictment on Truth Social: “JUSTICE IN AMERICA! … He is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”
Trump has long accused Comey of corruption, framing the prosecution as long-overdue accountability.
Defense and Defiance
Comey’s attorney, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said the charges are baseless and vowed to fight them in court. In his video statement, Comey struck a defiant tone:
- “We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either.”
- He also quoted his daughter, Maurene Comey, who has her own lawsuit against the Trump administration, saying: “Fear is the tool of a tyrant … I’m not afraid, and I hope you’re not either.”
Political Context and DOJ Shake-Up
The indictment follows Trump’s public calls for Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey and other political opponents, including Rep. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The case is being overseen by Lindsey Halligan, a newly appointed chief prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia and former real estate lawyer with no prior prosecutorial experience. Halligan replaced Erik Siebert, who resigned after raising doubts about the Comey case.
Reactions and Criticism
The charges triggered swift political backlash:
- Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) accused Trump of abusing the justice system for political vendettas.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said Comey would likely be acquitted but decried the prosecution as a “savage assault on justice.”
- Matthew Miller, former DOJ spokesperson under Obama, warned: “The Justice Department we have long known is dead … now exists as an arm of the government to punish the president’s enemies.”
Still, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) suggested the prosecution could be valid if evidence supports the charges.
DOJ and White House Response
Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the indictment: “No one is above the law … this Department of Justice is committed to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable.”
Trump claimed he left the decision to “very professional people,” including Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, though critics say his pressure campaign influenced the case.
A Deepening Divide
For supporters, the indictment represents accountability for a longtime Trump antagonist. For critics, it is evidence of the justice system being weaponized for political gain.
As Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) warned on X, the case raises a stark choice: “Time for leaders … to pick a side: democracy or autocracy?”
The trial of James Comey is now set to become a defining moment in America’s ongoing clash between law, politics, and the future of democratic institutions.
