Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on Tuesday (April 28) in connection with a social media post that authorities say was a threat to President Donald Trump. The Associated Press reported on the development, citing a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Details regarding the specific charges have not yet been released.
The “86 47” controversy.
The case centers on a photo Comey released showing seashells arranged to read “86 47.” It is claimed that the message could be interpreted as a call to remove or damage Trump, who is serving as the 47th president.
However, Comey denied any violent intent:
“I didn’t realize that some people associate those numbers with violence.”
-“I’m against violence of any kind so I deleted this post.”
“86” is commonly understood in slang to mean “throw away” or “get rid of”, adding ambiguity to the interpretation, while “47” is understood to refer to Trump’s position as the 47th president.
Secret Service Investigation
Following that post, the United States Secret Service interviewed Comey in May after Trump administration officials suggested the memo could be interpreted as advocating an assassination.
Comey told investigators that he encountered the arrangement of shells while walking on the beach and did not create it himself. He removed the post shortly after due to growing backlash.
Legal control pattern
The indictment comes amid continued tension between Trump and Comey dating back to 2017, when Trump fired Comey as FBI director during the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Since then, Comey has become a vocal critic of the former and current president.
This is not the first legal action taken against Comey by Trump officials. In September of the previous year, the Justice Department filed charges accusing him of lying to Congress about media leaks. However, that case was dismissed by a federal judge due to procedural issues surrounding the appointment of a prosecutor.
Comey “denied any wrongdoing” and the case was thrown out on procedural grounds.
Long-term tensions with Trump
The relationship between Comey and Trump has been strained for years. Comey, who was appointed FBI director by Barack Obama, remained in the role when Trump took office in 2017.
Tensions soon escalated, particularly after Comey refused a request from Trump to pledge personal loyalty — an interaction Comey documented in the current memo.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017 amid an FBI investigation into potential ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.
