Former FBI chief James Comey indicted: What it means for Trump’s war on his rivals

Former FBI director and vocal Donald Trump critic James Comey has been indicted on two criminal counts, marking the most dramatic step yet in the US president’s widening campaign of retribution against political rivals.

The Justice Department said Comey faces charges of making false statements and obstructing justice linked to his role in the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Federal prosecutor Lindsey Halligan — a former personal lawyer to Trump with no prosecutorial background — is leading the case. She was appointed just days ago to replace Erik Siebert, who resigned after reportedly warning officials there was insufficient evidence to charge Comey.

Comey, in a video message posted to Instagram, denied wrongdoing and said: “I’m not afraid.”

Trump praised the indictment, calling Comey “one of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the charges, saying “no one is above the law.” Trump has denied direct involvement, though he previously hinted Halligan was appointed to target Comey and other perceived enemies.

Comey was fired in 2017 while investigating whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Moscow to sway the 2016 election. Since then, he has been a vocal critic of Trump’s efforts to weaponise the justice system.

Trump has long dismissed the Russia investigation as a “hoax,” despite intelligence reports and congressional committees confirming Moscow interfered in the 2016 election.

Trump, the first convicted felon to serve as US president, has systematically targeted critics during his second term — from stripping former officials of their security clearances to cutting federal funding for universities.

Past probes into Trump — including the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election — were dropped after his 2024 victory, under Justice Department policy not to prosecute a sitting president.

The Trump-Comey feud has simmered for years. After his firing in 2017, Comey published a scathing memoir portraying Trump as “untethered to truth” and likening him to a mafia don. Trump, in turn, repeatedly branded Comey a “slime ball” and demanded he face prosecution.

Thursday’s indictment, though not tied directly to the Russia probe, alleges Comey lied to Congress about whether he had authorised FBI officials to serve as anonymous sources during high-profile investigations.

Comey responded defiantly: “I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial.”

The indictment of James Comey is the first criminal case brought against a high-profile adversary of Donald Trump in his current administration. The charges — centred on an alleged false statement to Congress — underscore both the legal questions and the personal rivalry that have defined their relationship for nearly a decade.

Comey, appointed by Barack Obama in 2013, was still in office when Trump took the presidency in January 2017. At the time, the FBI was under intense scrutiny — criticised for its handling of Hillary Clinton’s email probe while also investigating possible ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

From the start, tensions were high. Comey briefed Trump on an unverified dossier of salacious allegations. He later revealed Trump had pressed him for personal loyalty and urged him to drop an investigation into national security adviser Michael Flynn. When Comey refused to publicly clear Trump of wrongdoing, the relationship deteriorated further.

Trump fired Comey in May 2017, later admitting he was thinking about “the Russia thing” at the time — a move that triggered Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into obstruction of justice.

Comey stayed in the public eye. He leaked memos detailing Oval Office conversations, published a blistering memoir comparing Trump to a mafia don, and remained a sharp critic of the president’s leadership.

Trump, meanwhile, continued to attack him, branding him an “untruthful slime ball” and calling for him to be prosecuted for “treason.” The feud became a backdrop to the Russia investigation that dogged Trump’s first term.

Though Comey’s actions drew criticism in inspector general reports, no charges had been filed against him — until now.

The two-count indictment accuses Comey of making a false statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee and obstructing a congressional proceeding. Crucially, it is not tied directly to the Russia investigation.

Instead, prosecutors allege he lied when asked whether he authorised FBI officials to serve as anonymous sources during investigations into Trump or Clinton. Context suggests the matter may relate to Clinton, though the indictment is vague.

In his video response, Comey said: “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.”