Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by a federal grand jury. Comey to face charges stemming from controversies surrounding the 2016 investigation into alleged Russian interference in Trump’s first presidential campaign.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Comey is facing charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice. The indictment was handed down late Thursday evening, sending shockwaves across Washington and reigniting fierce debate over whether the Justice Department has become a battleground for political score-settling.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, posted on X shortly after the announcement: “No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) September 25, 2025
Despite Bondi’s public statement, reports suggest that prosecutors inside the Eastern District of Virginia expressed deep reservations about the strength of the case.
The charges focus on testimony Comey gave before Congress regarding the FBI’s 2016 Russia investigation—a probe Trump has long branded as a “witch hunt.”
Lindsey Halligan, Trump’s former personal attorney who was recently elevated to serve as the top prosecutor in the Eastern District, was reportedly instrumental in advancing the case. Halligan has been seen multiple times at the Justice Department this week and participated in final discussions on whether to bring charges against the former FBI director.
At the White House on Thursday, Trump said, “They’re going to make a determination. I’m not making that determination,” Trump told reporters. “I think I’d be allowed to get involved if I want, but I don’t really choose to do so.” He then added, “Comey is a bad person.”
Trump, both publicly and privately, has long complained that prosecutors were quick to pursue charges against him after he left office, while political figures who targeted him—including Comey—escaped accountability. “I just want people to act. And we want to act fast,” Trump said Saturday before leaving the White House. “If they’re not guilty, that’s fine. If they are guilty, or if they should be charged, they should be charged, and we have to do it now.”
Inside the White House, aides view Halligan’s decision to move forward with the indictment as a deliberate effort to satisfy Trump’s demand for accountability.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff, told Fox News on Wednesday night that the charges were long overdue. “I’m always happy to talk about Comey, who of course is corrupt, who of course has been engaged in vast amounts of illicit and unlawful conduct, who of course was at the center of the Russia gate attack and assault on American democracy,” Miller said. “It has to lead somewhere to accountability.”
Former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, also weighed in. “There’s a lot of people out there who should be in prison in my judgment, and I think in the judgment of many people in the Trump Administration,” Navarro said. “James Comey’s at the top of that list now.”
Her statement emphasized accountability: “This Department of Justice will not shy away from pursuing individuals who mislead Congress, the courts, or the American people. The facts will guide us, and the law will decide the rest.”
Comey, who has not yet commented publicly, is expected to make his first court appearance in Virginia in the coming weeks.
