(Photo Brendan Smialowski)
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey was charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ), according to charging documents unsealed Monday.
The documents, originally sealed October 5, state the Obama-era FBI director faces charges under the Espionage Act and for conspiracy after allegedly directing another individual to disclose national defense information to a reporter in 2016.
“It would almost be funny if it weren’t such an appalling abuse of the Department of Justice, one that we can not become numb to,” Comey said in a video statement posted to his Instagram.
This is the third indictment against Comey following his investigation into then-incoming President Donald Trump regarding potential Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Comey was previously indicted by the DOJ in 2025 on one count of making an alleged false statement within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch and one count of obstruction of a congressional investigation.
According to a filing unsealed Monday, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Farahnak said that the investigation has “uncovered evidence that Mr. Comey directed staff to speak to [The New York Times reporter Charlie Savage] about specific accuracy concerns related to the Reuters article, and thereby illegally transferred classified information,” according to NBC News.
“Nothing’s changed with me. I’m still innocent,” Comey’s statement continued. “I’m still not afraid of these people, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”
The news comes only hours after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration had “unlawfully terminated” his daughter, Maurene Comey, from her position as an assistant U.S. attorney in 2025.
The Department of Justice has not responded to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.