Former FBI Director James Comey reacted to his indictment Thursday on federal charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
Comey’s indictment marks the first prosecution of a senior official from the 2016 Trump-Russia investigation scandal.
The two-count indictment, filed just days before the five-year statute of limitations expired, accuses Comey of lying to Congress during September 30, 2020 testimony about authorizing FBI leaks to media outlets during investigations into Russian interference and Hillary Clinton’s emails.
“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey,” Trump posted on Truth Social, calling the former FBI director “the former Corrupt Head of the FBI.”
The charges stem from Comey’s exchange with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-T.X., during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where he denied authorizing FBI officials to serve as anonymous sources for news reports. The indictment alleges this was false, contradicting claims by former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe that Comey approved disclosures to The Wall Street Journal about the Clinton email investigation.
“What they did was so terrible and so corrupt,” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “Comey placed a cloud over the entire nation, and actually, the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax made it very difficult. It could have caused wars.”
Democrats say the prosecution is a weaponization of the legal system and questioned the Justice Department’s independence after Trump publicly pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring charges against Comey and others.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” Trump wrote in a since-deleted Truth Social post Saturday targeting Bondi. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
Comey reacted to the indictment with a video statement.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent, so let’s have a trial and keep the faith,” Comey said.
Take a look —
Comey’s response to the indictment!
He’s guilty, his lips are moving. pic.twitter.com/0Pg8zEUsZV
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) September 26, 2025
The case was filed by the Eastern District of Virginia office after Trump fired U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, who had declined to charge Comey and faced pressure to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James on mortgage fraud allegations.
Trump quickly replaced Siebert with Lindsey Halligan, his former personal lawyer and current White House aide, who rushed to present the case to a grand jury this week before the statute of limitations timer expired.
“No one is above the law,” Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people.”
FBI Director Kash Patel called the indictment “another step” in holding those behind “the Russiagate hoax” accountable, said said “previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement.”
Comey faces up to five years in prison if convicted on both counts. He has retained former federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald as his defense attorney and is scheduled for arraignment October 9 before District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, a Biden appointee.
The case has already created upheaval within prosecutorial ranks. Minutes after Comey’s indictment, his son-in-law Troy Edwards resigned as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, writing in his resignation letter that he quit “to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country.”
Earlier this year, the Justice Department fired Comey’s daughter Maurene, a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York who handled high-profile cases including Jeffrey Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs. She has since sued the department, claiming her termination was politically motivated.
Comey will be arraigned on October 9, 2025 in federal court in Virginia. At this hearing, he is expected to enter a not guilty plea.