Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty Wednesday to one count of false statements and one count of obstructing a congressional hearing, marking his dramatic return to a federal courthouse in Virginia. The charges follow a grand jury indictment last month, which came after a sudden shake-up within the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Comey, once the public face of the FBI’s 2016 investigation into Russian election interference, now finds himself at the center of a legal firestorm that has reignited political tensions in Washington. Former President Donald Trump, who has long accused Comey of bias, publicly demanded his prosecution just days before the indictment.
Trial Set as Defense Alleges Political Retaliation
During Wednesday’s arraignment, DOJ attorney Nathaniel Lemons told U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff that the trial should last two to three days. The judge scheduled the trial for January 5, granting a short delay requested by Comey’s legal team to prepare pretrial motions.
Comey’s lead attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, signaled plans to file a motion to dismiss for vindictive prosecution, alleging the charges were politically motivated and directed by Trump himself.
“It’s the honor of my life to represent Director Comey,” Fitzgerald told the court, while calling the prosecution “an abuse of the justice system for political ends.”
