James Comey charged with threatening Trump’s life in ‘8647’ seashell post
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted on charges of threatening President Donald Trump when he posted an image of seashells spelling out “8647” on his Instagram account last year.
The charges are the second time that Comey was indicted in a federal case since Trump’s second presidential term began.
The indictment was revealed three days after Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after an alleged assassin ran toward the event.
“I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,” Comey said in a video response.
Former FBI Director James Comey was charged Tuesday with threatening President Donald Trump’s life when he posted an image of seashells spelling out “8647” on his Instagram account last year, a federal indictment showed.
The indictment returned by a federal grand jury marks the second time that Comey has been indicted since Trump’s second presidential term began.
The charges came three days after Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after an alleged assassin ran toward the ballroom where the event was being held. The Trump administration and its allies have accused Democrats of inciting the attack by spreading incendiary rhetoric about Trump.
Comey, whom Trump has long viewed as a foe, faces one count each of threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, according to the indictment filed in North Carolina.
Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference later Tuesday. Actual sentences are often far lower than the maximums.
An arrest warrant for Comey, requested by federal prosecutors, has been issued, according to his case docket.
Comey, in a video response to the indictment on Substack entitled “Seashells,” said, “I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go.”
“But it’s really important that all of us remember that this is not who we are as a country,” Comey said. “This is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be. And the good news is we get closer every day to restoring those values. Keep the faith.”
Comey’s lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, in a statement said, “Mr. Comey vigorously denies the charges contained in the Indictment filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina.”
“We will contest these charges in the courtroom and look forward to vindicating Mr. Comey and the First Amendment,” Fitzgerald said.
The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan, who was appointed to the federal court in eastern North Carolina in 2003 by former President George W. Bush.
The indictment quickly drew heated accusations that the Department of Justice was being weaponized to appease Trump by targeting his political enemies.
Jimmy Gurulé, a University of Notre Dame Law School professor and former federal prosecutor, called the indictment “an embarrassment to the American criminal justice system.”
“The damage to the credibility, integrity and reputation of the U.S. Department of Justice may be immeasurable,” he said in an email to CNBC. “Every DOJ lawyer that played a role in returning this frivolous indictment should be ashamed.”
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said in a statement, “Just like the last baseless indictment against Mr. Comey, this is another case of a weaponized Justice Department lashing out on behalf of a vengeful President.”
But Blanche said at the press conference that the DOJ is treating Comey the same as it would anyone accused of threatening the president.
“Threatening the life of the President of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” he said. “While this case is unique and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct is the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate.”
The ’8647′ controversy
Trump had accused Comey of “calling for the assassination of the president” by sharing the image of the numbers in the May 15 post.
“Eighty-six” is a term often used in the restaurant industry when a menu item is discontinued. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary says it can more broadly mean “to eject, dismiss, or remove (someone).”
Trump is the 47th U.S. president.
Comey at the time denied he was threatening Trump with the seashell post, writing in a follow-up, “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.” He said he deleted it anyway because “I oppose violence of any kind.”
The Trump administration investigated Comey over the social media post, but no charges were immediately brought.
Around four months later, however, he was indicted in Virginia on one count each of making a false statement to Congress and obstruction.
Comey denied the charges, which were brought under Lindsey Halligan, a former personal lawyer for Trump who was installed as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
In November, a federal judge dismissed the criminal case against Comey after ruling that Halligan was unlawfully appointed.
Blanche noted Tuesday that the charges in the latest Comey case carry a five-year statute of limitations.
Trump’s foes
Comey is one of many of Trump’s perceived enemies who have been indicted or federally investigated since the president returned to office in January 2025.
Trump, in a September social media post, openly urged then-Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action against Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., claiming “they’re all guilty as hell.”
James was indicted weeks later on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Her case was also dropped when Halligan’s appointment was invalidated.
The DOJ investigated Schiff on mortgage fraud allegations, but a federal prosecutor reportedly said she did not believe there was sufficient evidence to charge him.
Trump fired Bondi on April 2, following reports that the president was increasingly frustrated with her efforts to pursue his foes, as well as her handling of files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Blanche, a former Trump criminal defense lawyer who was serving as deputy attorney general, has taken over the DOJ in an acting capacity.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles admitted in a 2025 Vanity Fair interview that Trump has engaged in “retribution” against his enemies since his return to office.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/28/james-comey-indicted-trump-seashell-8647.htmlTo "86" someone in a restaurant means to refuse them service, throw them out, or permanently ban them from the establishment. It is a hospitality industry term indicating an unruly, intoxicated, or problematic customer must leave immediately. It can also mean running out of a menu item (e.g., "86 the salmon").
To "86" someone at a bar means to refuse them further service, ban them, or forcibly eject them from the premises. It is commonly used when a customer is too intoxicated, disorderly, or disruptive. The term also means to "get rid of" an item or person.
Does the DOJ actually believe they can prove Comey's intent was meant to kill trump? And they actually think they can prove that intent in a court of law? What a bunch of idiots.
But then when the idiot at the top orders you to go after his political enemies by name...............
Trump publicly pushes Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute his political foes
Alongside the extraordinary demand, the president also named his former defense attorney late Saturday to replace the head of a key prosecutor’s office he forced out a day earlier.
"We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!" Trump said on Truth Social.
He said people were complaining that "nothing is being done" and name-checked some public officials with whom he has tussled: former FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/tr...l-pam-bondi-go-political-foes-rcna232669Can we say Freedumb! boys and girls?
