The Justice Department has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a second time over an Instagram post showing seashells arranged in numbers '8647', which officials interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump. The charges stem from an image posted by Comey last year, though the exact charge or charges were not immediately clear.
Key Takeaways
The Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey over an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to say '8647', which officials interpreted as a threat against President Trump. This is his second indictment under the Trump administration.
- Former FBI director James Comey was indicted for the second time by the Justice Department
- The charges relate to an image posted on Instagram showing seashells arranged in numbers '8647'
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist and former personal lawyer, secured the indictment
- This is part of the Trump administration's effort to prosecute political opponents
- Comey denied threatening Trump, stating he opposed violence of any kind and deleted the post
According to multiple reports, this is the second indictment of Comey under the Trump administration. A grand jury handed up the indictment, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist and former personal lawyer, secured it. The case revolves around an Instagram post from May 2025 where seashells were arranged to form the numbers '8647'.
'Eighty-six' is a slang term used to mean 'eject' or 'remove,' according to BBC News. Trump, being the 47th U.S. president, officials interpreted this as a reference to him. Comey denied threatening Trump, stating he opposed violence of any kind and deleted the post.
The indictment is part of the Trump administration's effort to prosecute political opponents, raising concerns about vindictive prosecution according to PBS News. Meanwhile, a federal judge ruled that Maurene Comey's lawsuit challenging her firing by President Trump can move forward in federal court. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman rejected the Trump administration's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit on grounds that it should be heard before the Merit Systems Protection Board.
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