Legal expert: Comey’s new charges might have legs
Former FBI Director James Comey is facing a new indictment over his “86-47” seashell photo that the DOJ maintains was a threat against President Trump. Jim Lokay talks with constitutional law attorney Chris Murray on The Final 5 about what it means, and why a North Carolina grand jury could make the difference in whether this case sticks against Comey.
WASHINGTON – Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted again Tuesday, this time over a social media photo of seashells arranged on a beach that officials say amounted to a threat against President Donald Trump.
Comey is expected to turn himself in to authorities on Wednesday.
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What we know:
It’s the second case in months against Comey and part of the Trump administration Justice Department’s ongoing effort to prosecute political opponents of the Republican president.
The seashell photo was posted nearly a year ago, but the indictment comes as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist and former personal lawyer, works to convince the president he deserves the job permanently.
The decision to pursue a new case after an earlier, unrelated indictment was dismissed could fuel claims of a vindictive prosecution and arguments that the department is targeting Comey, who as FBI director oversaw the early stages of the investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 19: Investigative Journalist Richard Esposito and Author James Comey, former FBI Director, speak at the Barnes & Noble Upper West Side on May 19, 2025 in New York City. Comey sat with Esposito to discuss his career an
Trump fired Comey months into his first term as that investigation continued, and the two have publicly feuded ever since.
The new charges stem from a May Instagram post in which Comey shared a photo of seashells arranged as “86 47.”
He said he believed the numbers reflected a political message, not a threat. Comey deleted the post shortly afterward.
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he wrote. “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he continued.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
