Ex-FBI chief James Comey pleads not guilty to charges of lying to Congress during 2020 testimony

[ad_1] Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not responsible to prices stemming from congressional testimony he gave 5 years in the past, showing in courtroom for an arraignment Wednesday after the Justice Division criminally charged the ex-FBI chief and Trump foe in late September.

The continuing on the courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, got here practically two weeks after a federal grand jury indicted him on prices of mendacity to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation when he testified earlier than a Senate panel in September 2020.

Comey spoke throughout the proceedings Wednesday. When the decide requested whether or not he understood the costs, he replied, "I do, your honor, thanks very a lot." Prosecutors didn't search to have him detained, and Comey was launched on his personal recognizance.

U.S. District Choose Michael Nachmanoff, who's presiding over the case, set a trial date for early January, although that would change. Comey will search to have the indictment dismissed earlier than a trial, his lawyer mentioned..

Through the arraignment, Nathaniel Lemons, one of many federal prosecutors introduced on to work on the case, mentioned it may contain labeled info, which may carry issues. Nachmanoff, nonetheless, famous that solely two prices have been introduced towards Comey.

"The federal government goes to be beneath a unprecedented quantity of strain" to provide labeled paperwork or declassify them, Nachmanoff mentioned. "There ought to be no cause this case will get off observe."

Patrick Fitzgerald, Comey's lawyer, instructed the courtroom that they "see this as a easy case."

Prosecutors estimated a trial will take two to 3 days, although Fitzgerald mentioned he would search to have the case dismissed on a number of grounds: vindictive and illegal prosecution, and the legality of interim U.S. Legal professional Lindsey Halligan's appointment to that position.

Mr. Trump introduced final month that he had chosen Halligan to briefly lead the U.S. Legal professional's Workplace within the Japanese District of Virginia after the abrupt departure of Erik Siebert from the publish.

Siebert had been stored on as the highest prosecutor for the workplace by the judges on the federal district courtroom for the Japanese District of Virginia in Could. Due to the involvement of judges in that district in extending Siebert's tenure as U.S. legal professional, the problem to Halligan's appointment might be heard by different judges exterior the district.

Comey has mentioned he is harmless and, in a video after he was indicted , declared "let's have a trial." His spouse, Patrice, and daughter, Maurene, a former prosecutor in New York, had been within the courtroom for the continuing. Maurene Comey was fired from the Justice Division in July and has since sued the Trump administration over her ouster.

The Justice Division's prosecution of the previous FBI director marked a big escalation in President Trump's efforts to go after his political foes. Mr. Trump has for years attacked Comey, who was FBI director when the bureau investigated Russian meddling within the 2016 election.

Days earlier than Comey was indicted, the president took to social media to induce Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi to take motion towards the previous FBI director and different political opponents, writing, "We won't delay any longer."

Extra on Comey's arraignment The arraignment came about in open courtroom, however cameras weren't allowed.

Comey's lawyer mentioned his group would file a number of motions to have the costs dismissed, together with alleging the previous FBI director is a sufferer of vindictive prosecution and arguing the U.S. legal professional who introduced the costs, Halligan, was appointed invalidly.

"Patrick Fitzgerald is a hell of a lawyer, and I might not need to pre-guess what technique he will comply with right here," mentioned Mitchell Epner, a associate on the New York regulation agency Kudman Trachten Aloe Posner.

The place did Comey's arraignment happen? Comey was arraigned on the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, which is a part of the Japanese District of Virginia. The case is probably going being heard there as a result of the costs are based mostly on a 2020 Senate listening to that Comey attended remotely from his Virginia house.

If the case goes to trial, Comey will face a jury pool made up of residents of the Washington, D.C., suburbs — an space that typically disfavors President Trump.

Some 62.6% of voters within the jap district's Alexandria division voted for Democrat Kamala Harris final yr, and 34.1% voted for Mr. Trump. The division contains Alexandria and a number of other different cities and counties in Northern Virginia.

Who's the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan? The case towards Comey is being overseen by Lindsey Halligan, the performing U.S. legal professional for the Japanese District of Virginia who was sworn into the position simply days earlier than Comey was indicted.

A former Florida insurance coverage lawyer, Halligan beforehand labored as a private legal professional to Mr. Trump, and was a part of his protection group in a federal case accusing him of mishandling labeled paperwork. Extra lately, Halligan labored as a White Home aide.

She took over the workplace after the resignation of former performing U.S. Legal professional Erik Siebert.

In an uncommon transfer, Halligan has dealt with elements of the prosecution herself to this point. She personally signed Comey's indictment and appeared in courtroom when the grand jury returned the indictment.

Two assistant U.S. attorneys from the Japanese District of North Carolina had been added to the case Tuesday: Gabriel Diaz and Nathaniel Lemons.

Who's Comey's legal professional, Patrick Fitzgerald? Comey is being represented by Fitzgerald, a well known legal professional who retired as a associate on the regulation agency Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in 2023.

Fitzgerald was named particular counsel in George W. Bush's administration, to research a 2003 leak that exposed the identification of CIA officer Valerie Plame. He additionally served as U.S. legal professional in Chicago for greater than a decade, overseeing the prosecution of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Who's Choose Nachmanoff? Nachmanoff was assigned to supervise Comey's case. He was nominated to the federal bench by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and confirmed by the Senate in a 52-46 vote. Three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting sure: Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Nachmanoff beforehand labored within the district as a public defender and Justice of the Peace decide. Whereas within the latter position, he oversaw the 2019 arraignment of Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, two gamers in Mr. Trump's first impeachment who had been charged with marketing campaign finance violations.

Mr. Trump has attacked Nachmanoff, writing on Reality Social that Comey "was simply assigned a Crooked Joe Biden appointed Choose, so he is off to an excellent begin."

What's Comey charged with? The primary rely accuses him of making a false assertion in a September 2020 Senate listening to.

Prosecutors allege Comey falsely asserted he had by no means licensed an FBI staffer to function an nameless supply in information experiences in regards to the bureau's 2016 investigations into Hillary Clinton. In a testy back-and-forth 5 years in the past, Comey instructed Republican Sen. Ted Cruz that he stood by testimony he gave in 2017 wherein he mentioned he did not approve any nameless sources.

The indictment doesn't clarify the substance of the alleged leak or specify which FBI staffer Comey is accused of giving permission to leak.

Cruz's questions centered on an incident wherein Comey and his onetime deputy, Andrew McCabe, gave inconsistent tales a couple of 2016 Wall Road Journal article on one of many FBI's Clinton probes. McCabe mentioned he instructed Comey after the story got here out that McCabe had licensed staffers to speak to the Journal, however Comey says McCabe instructed him no such factor. The Justice Division's inside watchdog sided with Comey and located McCabe lacked candor.

In a latest CNN interview, McCabe mentioned he hasn't been approached by the FBI in reference to the Comey probe and doubted the indictment was about him, noting that he did not ask Comey for permission to launch info to the media as a result of he did not want permission.

Comey has additionally been probed by the Justice Division's watchdog for releasing memos on his interactions with Mr. Trump to his buddy, Daniel Richman, who shared their contents to the New York Occasions. The watchdog discovered Comey violated FBI insurance policies however did not leak labeled materials.

The second rely towards Comey accuses him of obstructing a congressional continuing by "making false and deceptive statements" in the identical 2020 listening to.

And in a uncommon transfer , the grand jury declined to indict him on a further rely of mendacity to Congress within the 2020 listening to, referring to testimony Comey gave lawmakers that he did not bear in mind getting a tip from the intelligence group referring to Hillary Clinton and Mr. Trump.

Many critics consider the Comey indictment is the results of Mr. Trump's willpower to punish a longtime political foe. The president fired Comey in 2017, and the 2 have traded barbs since then. Mr. Trump publicly urged Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi to look into Comey earlier than he was charged, and the president celebrated the indictment shortly after it was handed down.

Earlier than Comey was charged, some workers within the Workplace of the U.S. Legal professional within the Japanese District of Virginia circulated a memo arguing prices shouldn't be introduced, a Justice Division supply aware of the matter instructed CBS Information .

The Justice Division has defended its dealing with of the case. After Comey was indicted, Bondi mentioned in an announcement the transfer "displays this Division of Justice's dedication to holding those that abuse positions of energy accountable for deceptive the American folks."

Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.

Extra from CBS Information

Jacob Rosen

Jake Rosen is a reporter masking the Division of Justice. He was beforehand a marketing campaign digital reporter masking President Trump's 2024 marketing campaign and in addition served as an affiliate producer for "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."