James Comey, Long a Target of Trump's, Faces Charges

James Comey was charged Thursday with making a false statement and obstruction in a criminal case filed days after President Trump appeared to urge his attorney general to prosecute the former FBI director and other perceived political enemies. The unprecedented indictment makes Comey the first former senior government official to face prosecution in connection with one of Trump's chief grievances: the long-concluded investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, the AP reports. Trump and his supporters deride that investigation as a "hoax" and a "witch hunt" despite multiple government reviews showing the Russian government interfered in the US on behalf of the Republican candidate's campaign.

"No one is above the law," Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X, per Axios. "Today's indictment reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people." The criminal case, the culmination of a feud between Trump and Comey spanning years, is likely to prompt an amplified outcry that the Justice Department under Bondi is being weaponized in pursuit of investigations and now prosecutions of public figures the president regards as his political enemies. CNN calls the charges "an extraordinary escalation" in that battle. Comey was fired months into Trump's first administration and has been a top target for Trump supporters seeking retribution.

Comey was a senior Justice Department official in Republican President George W. Bush's administration, was picked by Barack Obama to lead the FBI in 2013, and was director when the bureau opened the Russia investigation. Comey's relationship with Trump was strained from the start and was exacerbated when Comey resisted a request by Trump at a private White House dinner to pledge personal loyalty to the president, per the AP. Trump fired Comey in May 2017. Earlier this year, the department fired Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, as a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. She has since sued, saying the termination was carried out without any explanation and was done for political reasons.