The U.S. Department of Justice is making a third attempt to criminally prosecute former FBI Director James Comey. This time, he is accused of unlawfully disclosing classified information related to national defense. The Hill reports this, citing declassified court documents, according to UNN.
Details
The new charges against Comey were filed on October 5, but the details of the case became known only after a federal court allowed the relevant materials to be made public.
According to the Department of Justice, in October 2016, the then-FBI director allegedly instructed his subordinates to provide confidential information to a New York Times journalist. Investigators believe this happened during an attempt to correct inaccuracies in a Reuters report.
Comey denies the allegations and demands that the case be dismissed
The former FBI director rejected all the allegations and called the Department of Justice's actions an abuse of power.
Nothing has changed for me. I am still innocent, but I am still not afraid of these people and I continue to believe in an independent judicial system
His attorneys emphasize that the circumstances surrounding the alleged information leak have already been examined by two federal prosecutors' offices, which previously declined to bring charges.
In addition, the defense believes that the case should be dismissed because the statute of limitations has expired and because the procedure for bringing the charges was violated.
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This is already the third attempt by the U.S. Department of Justice to criminally prosecute Comey.
Previously, a case was opened against him over a social media post that law enforcement authorities interpreted as a threat to President Donald Trump.
Another proceeding, related to Comey's alleged false testimony before Congress in 2020, ended in failure because of the unlawful appointment of the prosecutor handling the case.
Critics of the Trump administration view the criminal prosecution of the former FBI director as a possible attempt to pressure the president's political opponents.