Comey subpoenaed in Trump administration Russia probe inquiry
Comey subpoenaed regarding 2016 Russia interference investigation during Trump administration probe.
Event / Politics
James Comey Indictment
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by the Justice Department in April 2026 on charges related to an Instagram post showing seashells arranged as '8647,' which Trump administration officials interpreted as coded threat. Comey claims he was unaware of the meaning and deleted the post after being informed. This is the second indictment against Comey by the Trump Justice Department.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 29 Apr, 00:08 UTC
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What happened
Senator Adam Schiff criticizes Comey indictment as politically motivated
Senator Adam Schiff, D-California, criticized Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's defense of the Comey indictment on NBC's "Meet the Press." Schiff argued that the only facts distinguishing Comey's case from ordinary people buying or posting "86 47" merchandise on Amazon is that Comey is a political opponent of the president and the president has called for his prosecution. Schiff expressed concern that Justice Department leadership focusing on the case detracts from violent crime, rape cases, and child trafficking investigations.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche replaced Attorney General Pam Bondi
Todd Blanche took over as Acting Attorney General after President Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi last month.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says Comey indictment includes evidence beyond the Instagram post
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated on NBC's "Meet the Press" and CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the indictment against Comey extends beyond the single Instagram post. Blanche said prosecutors collected evidence over approximately 11 months before securing the indictment. He declined to disclose the additional evidence, stating it would be revealed at trial, but emphasized that career prosecutors, FBI agents, and Secret Service agents conducted extensive investigation before the indictment was returned.
Former FBI Director James Comey indicted on charges of threatening the president
A grand jury in North Carolina indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges alleging he threatened the life of President Donald Trump. The indictment centers on an Instagram post Comey made in May 2025 showing seashells arranged to form the numbers "86 47." The indictment alleges that a reasonable recipient familiar with the circumstances would interpret the image as a serious expression of intent to harm the president.
Previously dismissed indictment against Comey was overturned due to improper appointment of prosecutor
Last year, prosecutors in the Justice Department sought criminal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Those cases were dismissed by a federal judge who found that the prosecutor who indicted them was not lawfully appointed. Acting Attorney General Blanche stated the previously dismissed indictment is unrelated to the current case and compared them as "apples to oranges," noting the judge dismissed on procedural grounds regarding the prosecutor's appointment, not on factual merits. Blanche indicated those cases are on appeal.
Former FBI Director James Comey subpoenaed in Trump administration probe on 2016 Russian interference investigation
Former FBI Director James Comey was subpoenaed in a wide-ranging probe led by the Trump administration related to an earlier federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
President Trump says he felt probably threatened by Comey's seashell post
President Donald Trump stated that he probably felt his life was threatened by Comey's Instagram post. Trump interpreted the "86" as a mob term meaning "kill him," though restaurant workers and industry experts indicated the term is common restaurant lingo referring to canceling a menu item and has nothing to do with death or murder.
Senator Thom Tillis questions whether "86" constitutes a call for violence
Senator Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, lambasted the indictment of Comey as baseless. Despite calling Comey's FBI directorship the "biggest disappointment" of his Senate career, Tillis stated he cannot find evidence that "86" is used as a call for violence. He noted the term has roots in the restaurant industry where "86ing" refers to canceling a menu item or product.
Acting Attorney General Blanche states "86 47" merchandise is widely available without resulting in prosecutions
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that the phrase "86 47" is posted and used constantly online and in commerce. He stated that not every threatening statement against President Trump results in indictments, and noted that dozens of products with the "86 47" terminology are currently being sold on Amazon.com. Blanche said the Justice Department has charged dozens of men and women this year with threatening President Trump, but emphasized that individual facts and circumstances determine which cases result in indictments.
Trump administration officials alleged Comey Instagram post was call for assassination
Trump administration officials, including then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, claimed the seashell post constituted a call 'for the assassination' of President Trump. President Trump told Fox News in May 2025 that Comey was 'calling for the assassination of the president,' stating 'He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant.' Trump urged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue charges, posting on Truth Social to do so. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for Comey to be imprisoned.
Former FBI Director James Comey indicted over Instagram post with seashells arranged as '86 47'
A federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted former FBI Director James Comey on April 28, 2026, based on an Instagram post he made in May 2025. The post showed seashells arranged on a beach spelling '86 47' with the caption 'Cool shell formation on my beach walk.' Prosecutors alleged the post constituted a threat against President Trump, citing the slang meaning of '86' as 'to get rid of' or 'to kill.' Comey had deleted the post and stated he assumed the shell arrangement was a political message and was unaware the numbers could be associated with violence.
Indictment charges Comey with threatening president and transmitting threat through interstate commerce
The indictment against Comey contained two counts: threatening the president and transmitting a threat through interstate commerce. Each count carried a possible five-year prison sentence. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that threatening the life of the president would not be tolerated and that Comey would face the same charges as any other American. It remained unclear whether Comey would be arrested or allowed to turn himself in.
Justice Department also pursuing criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan
The Justice Department is pursuing a criminal investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan, another key figure in the Russia investigation. In April 2026, the Department removed a top career prosecutor from the controversial Florida investigation after sources indicated she had expressed concerns about a rushed effort to bring criminal charges against Brennan. This reflects Trump administration efforts to target figures involved in investigations of the 2016 campaign.
Comey claimed seashells on beach appeared to be political message
After the post drew criticism, Comey removed it from Instagram and issued a statement on May 15, 2025, saying he assumed the shell arrangement he saw on a beach walk was a political message. He stated he was unaware that some people associate the numbers '86 47' with violence and that it never occurred to him. Comey emphasized that he opposes violence of any kind and took the post down for that reason.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche heads Justice Department after Pam Bondi removal
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who replaced Pam Bondi after Trump fired her earlier in April 2026, announced the indictment against Comey and stated that the Justice Department would not tolerate threats against the president. Blanche emphasized that Comey would face the same charges as any other American, though sources indicated the Department of Justice had been under pressure to bring criminal charges against Trump's perceived political enemies.
Secret Service and FBI investigated Comey's Instagram post in May 2025
Following the Instagram post in May 2025, the U.S. Secret Service and FBI launched investigations. Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service after Trump administration officials asserted the post was a threat. FBI Director Kash Patel stated the FBI was aware of the post and in communication with the Secret Service, indicating primary jurisdiction lay with the Secret Service.
Second indictment against Comey follows dismissal of previous federal charges
This marked the second indictment against Comey brought by the Justice Department under the Trump administration. A previous indictment from September 2025 on charges of false statements to Congress and obstruction was dismissed in a separate case after a federal judge found the prosecutor who secured the indictment was improperly appointed in an interim capacity. That dismissed case related to testimony Comey gave in 2020 about whether he had authorized leaks to journalists during his time as FBI director.
Comey's 2017 firing occurred during FBI investigation into Trump's 2016 campaign
Comey served as FBI director from 2013 until Trump fired him in May 2017. Trump fired Comey amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The investigation was later taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller, which ultimately found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and the Trump team welcomed the help, but there was insufficient evidence to prove criminal collaboration. Comey had resisted Trump's request during a private dinner to pledge personal loyalty to him.
Democrats criticized indictment as politically motivated prosecution
Senator Richard J. Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, criticized the new indictment, stating that with the Justice Department 'riddled with turmoil,' its political leadership was 'clearly desperate to continue to appease Donald Trump by appealing to his worst instincts and need for petty retribution.' Durbin characterized the case as 'another case of a weaponized Justice Department lashing out on behalf of a vengeful President,' comparing it to the previous baseless indictment.
Comey's deleted Instagram post featured seashells arranged as '8647'
In 2025, James Comey posted a photo on Instagram showing seashells arranged on a beach spelling the numbers '8647,' captioned as a 'cool shell formation' from a beach walk. The post was later deleted. Authorities interpreted the number sequence as a coded reference to eliminating Trump, with '86' being slang for 'discard' or 'get rid of' and '47' referencing Trump's status as the 47th president.
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2 alternative perspectives
Justice Department leadership shift amid Comey indictment proceedings
Justice Department leadership changed as Comey's prior indictment was dismissed over prosecutorial irregularities.
Debate intensifies over evidence in Comey indictment case
Officials and lawmakers dispute whether available evidence justifies Comey's threat charges.
Trump Justice Department pursues Comey and Brennan after Blanche takeover
Justice Department under new leadership pursues criminal cases against Comey and Brennan.
Comey indicted on threat charges tied to Instagram seashell arrangement
Comey indicted for alleged threat charges based on Instagram seashell post interpretation.
Comey's earlier indictment dismissed as new charges emerge
Federal court dismisses Comey's first indictment as second prosecution advances.
Comey indicted after Secret Service investigates Instagram post
Comey indicted following Secret Service probe into Instagram image of seashells.