Ex-FBI Director Comey Pleads Not Guilty, Backed By Experienced Legal Team
Former FBI Director James Comey made his first court appearance Wednesday after being federally indicted late last month, pleading not guilty to charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.
The case is widely seen as the first major prosecution of President Trump's political enemies.
INSIDE THE COURTROOM
Comey, a former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, is represented by Patrick Fitzgerald, the former U.S. attorney in Chicago. He led the prosecution of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, helped take down the Chicago mob, and helped put two consecutive governors — one Republican, one Democratic— behind bars.
On the other side sits Lindsey Halligan, a former Trump defense lawyer with no prosecutorial experience. Wednesday’s hearing was just her second-ever appearance as a prosecutor.
She was installed last month after Trump fired the previous U.S. attorney for refusing to indict Comey.
Comey’s trial is set for January 5. His lawyers plan to move to dismiss the case, arguing it is a “vindictive” and “selective” prosecution.
HOW WE GOT HERE
The charges stem from Comey’s Sept. 30, 2020, Senate testimony, when he told Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) he stood by earlier claims that he never authorized FBI leaks about investigations into then-President Trump or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The case is in Virginia because Comey testified remotely from his home in McLean, VA, during COVID. The indictment includes very few details, so it is unclear how much evidence the government has to prove that he lied.
A 2018 DOJ inspector general report said Comey’s deputy, Andrew McCabe, claimed his boss authorized him to leak to the media. But the same report found McCabe also gave false or misleading statements. TRANSLATION: This appears to be an extremely challenging case to get a conviction on.