James Comey pleads not guilty to charge of lying to US Congress

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James Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to US Congress and obstruction, in the first court appearance by the former FBI director who oversaw the investigation into alleged links between Donald Trump and Russia.

Michael Nachmanoff, the judge presiding over the case in Virginia, on Wednesday set a trial date of January 5.

The Justice Department’s case against Comey represents a dramatic escalation of Trump’s attacks on his political enemies, raising concerns among the president’s critics that he is wielding the Justice Department as a weapon of retaliation.

The administration also launched investigations targeting Lisa Cook, a top Federal Reserve official, and Letitia James, the New York prosecutor who last year filed a civil fraud case against Trump. The Justice Department rejects allegations that it is being used to punish Trump’s enemies.

The charges came after the resignation of the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia who was in charge of the investigation against Comey – and days after Trump chose Lindsey Halligan, his former personal lawyer, to replace him.

They followed a social media post in which Trump last month urged the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to prosecute Comey and James.

Patrick Fitzgerald, the attorney representing Comey, told the court that he would seek to advance the prosecution’s motion to prosecute and would challenge Halligan’s appointment rule. She was also in attendance.

“This allegation was brought at the direction of President Trump’s silence… criticizing him,” Fitzgerald told the court.

Comey, who arrived at the courtroom 20 minutes early wearing a red tie, only spoke when the judge asked him if he understood the charges against him. “I do your honor, thank you very much,” he said.

The government did not seek to detain Comey.

Protesters holding signs gathered outside a courthouse in Virginia during a brief hearing.

“I don’t know if what’s going on is more of a Putin show trial or Trump reality TV, but it’s messed up,” said Bill Christeson, a 71-year-old democracy activist holding up a sign.

Bondi declined to comment on the Comey case in an appearance before the congressional committee on Tuesday, but said he “has been indicted.[by]”One of the most liberal grand juries in the country.”

Trump appeared to indicate last month that more of his political opponents could also be prosecuted, warning that while there was no list of those being targeted, “there will be others.”

The president on Tuesday turned his attention to Jack Smith, the former special counsel who oversaw federal criminal cases targeting the president during the Biden administration, including his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley this week shared a memo showing that federal investigators had seized phone records of nine Republican lawmakers while investigating Trump’s alleged interference in 2020 polls.

“Disoriented Jack Smith was caught with his hand in a cookie jar,” Trump wrote on social media.

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote earlier that day on X that he had “launched an ongoing investigation” and fired staffers in connection with “baseless surveillance” of Republican lawmakers.

Representatives for Smith did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Comey last month declared his innocence in a video posted on social media. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump,” he said. “But we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way.”

The allegations stem from Comey’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, when Republican Ted Cruz questioned him about whether he authorized anyone at the FBI to leak information to the press.

Comey denied that he gave that authorization. His statement contradicts separate testimony from former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.

If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison, although sentences for federal crimes are often shorter than the maximum.

Trump fired Comey as head of the FBI in 2017 as he oversaw the investigation into links between the Republican presidential campaign and Russia. The men have publicly feuded ever since.