Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation tied to his 2020 testimony. The arraignment took place in a federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, nearly two weeks after a grand jury issued the indictment.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on September 25 following a federal grand jury decision in the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to the Department of Justice, the indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505. The indictment also alleges that Comey made a false statement in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 by claiming he did not authorize anyone at the FBI to be an anonymous source.
Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 to 2017, responded calmly to U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff’s questions.
“I do, your honor, thank you very much,” Comey said when asked if he understood the charges, according to CBS News. The judge released him on his own recognizance and set a tentative trial date for early January.
Prosecutor Nathaniel Lemons told the court the case may involve classified information.
Judge Nachmanoff warned that the government faces “an extraordinary amount of pressure” to manage such material responsibly. “There should be no reason this case gets off track,” he said.
Comey’s attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said his client would seek to dismiss the indictment, calling it “a simple case.” He plans to challenge the prosecution on several grounds, including claims of vindictive prosecution and the legality of Acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment.
Halligan, a former attorney for President Donald Trump, personally signed Comey’s indictment and attended the grand jury proceedings. Trump appointed her to the post after the resignation of Erik Siebert.
In a video statement after his indictment, Comey expressed his confidence in the federal judicial system, adding, “I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial.”
His wife, Patrice, and daughter, Maurene — a former federal prosecutor who has sued the Trump administration over her firing — attended the arraignment.
Fitzgerald estimated a trial could last two to three days. The case represents one of the most high-profile prosecutions of a former FBI official in recent history.