Ex-FBI chief charged with leaking national defense secrets

Three federal charges have been filed against former FBI Director James Comey. The new case accuses him of sharing national defense information with a person who did not have permission to receive it. Prosecutors also claim he conspired with others to break the law. The legal document, unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., details these allegations. It states that Comey directed an unnamed individual to disclose specific details to a reporter for a national news publication.

The incident allegedly took place on Oct. 5, 2016. At that time, Comey was accused of disclosing classified information to The New York Times. His legal team argues that two separate U.S. Attorneys investigated this matter over the past ten years. Both officials declined to prosecute the case. They are now asking a judge to dismiss the new charges. They contend the 10-year statute of limitations for a grand jury indictment has expired.

Comey's attorneys filed a motion on Oct. 9 to have the case thrown out. They argued that the Department of Justice filed a faulty document under seal. They said this move was designed to pause the statute of limitations. The DOJ originally filed the information on Oct. 5. They asked Judge Trevor McFadden to keep it secret. The judge granted that request, citing risks to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Comey has faced federal charges three times in the last year. His attorney, Patrick Fitzgerald, said Comey maintains his innocence in a statement. Fitzgerald noted that the Department of Justice has repeatedly targeted Comey under President Donald Trump. Trump fired Comey as FBI director in 2017. The two men have been vocal critics of each other since that firing. Fitzgerald said, "For the third time in little more than one year, the Department of Justice has attempted to charge Mr. Comey with a federal crime."

Another case is currently pending in North Carolina federal court. Prosecutors there charged Comey with threatening Trump's life. The charge stems from an Instagram post of seashells arranged to form the numbers 86 47. Prosecutors claim the number 86, a restaurant term for removing an item, was code for suggesting Trump be killed. Comey denies this interpretation. He is seeking dismissal of that indictment as well.

Comey was previously indicted in Virginia in September 2025. Those charges involved false statements and obstruction related to 2020 Senate testimony. A judge dismissed that case on Nov. 24, 2025. The dismissal occurred because the interim U.S. attorney who obtained the indictment was invalidly appointed. That same judge also dismissed an unrelated fraud case against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The new charges became public hours after a New York federal judge ruled that the DOJ unlawfully fired Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey. Maurene Comey had served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. James Comey addressed the new case in a video message on Substack. He said, "Well, they're back, again," and added, "Nothing's changed with me. I'm still innocent."

Comey stated that he is not afraid of the people charging him. He expressed confidence in the independent federal judiciary. He also noted that the next couple of years will be difficult. He asked his supporters to keep their faith in America. The DOJ filed the information against him on Oct. 5, and Judge McFadden agreed to unseal it on Monday.