Ex‑FBI Director James Comey faces third set of federal charges

Former FBI Director James Comey has been charged for a third time by U.S. federal prosecutors, this time over an alleged leak of national‑defence information.

The court filing, a three‑page criminal information, alleges that Comey disclosed classified material to the New York Times in October 2016 while serving as FBI head. Details of the two counts were not disclosed.

Comey denied any wrongdoing in a video posted on Substack, describing the charges as “an appalling abuse” of the Department of Justice. His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said two separate prosecutor teams had previously investigated the same alleged disclosure and both times decided no charges were warranted.

The filing marks the third attempt by the Trump administration to prosecute Comey. He was first indicted in September 2025 for lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding, a case that was dismissed in November 2025. In April 2026 he surrendered to face charges related to an Instagram post that prosecutors said threatened President Donald Trump’s life.

Comey maintains his innocence and asserts confidence in the independent federal judiciary.

Source: BBC News. Photo: David Guerrero / Pexels.