Former FBI Director James Comey is facing a third prosecution attempt by the US Justice Department, which has accused him of unlawfully transmitting national defence information and conspiring to share such material.
The case came to light through a court filing known as a “criminal information”. The Justice Department said it submitted the document to prevent the 10-year statute of limitations for the alleged offence from expiring earlier this month.
Filed in federal court in Washington, the document alleges that Comey shared classified information with a New York Times reporter in October 2016. The charges centre on the alleged transmission of sensitive national defence information.
Responding to the development, Comey said in a video posted on Instagram that the authorities were pursuing him again. He maintained his innocence, stating, “I’m still innocent.” His lawyers have already asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing that the legal proceedings are improper.
US President Donald Trump criticised the former FBI chief when asked about the case at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, describing Comey as “a dirty cop”. Trump also said he did not know much about the latest proceedings.
The latest case adds to Comey’s ongoing legal battles with the Justice Department. He has previously faced two other prosecutions involving allegations of lying to Congress about media leaks and making threats against Trump in a social media post.
A judge dismissed the case involving alleged false statements, while the separate case concerning the alleged threats remains pending.
Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, rejected the latest allegations, saying the court document purported to charge his client with crimes he had not committed.
The criminal information was filed on October 5 and made public on Monday following a request from Comey’s legal team.
A Justice Department spokesperson defended the decision to file the document to preserve the prosecution deadline, describing the measure as a widely recognised practice in federal court.
“This is an ongoing criminal investigation, and we will not comment further,” the spokesperson said.
