Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge Monday to dismiss the Justice Department’s criminal case, arguing it is a “vindictive and selective prosecution” and US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was appointed unlawfully.
Former FBI Director James Comey asked a federal judge Monday to dismiss the Justice Department’s criminal case against him, arguing it’s a “vindictive and selective prosecution” and US Attorney Lindsey Halligan was appointed unlawfully.
Comey, 64, is facing federal charges of lying to Congress and obstruction of justice stemming from the long-running FBI probe into alleged collusion between President Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russian officials. He has pleaded not guilty to both.
But his lawyerrs claimed his proseuction is purely personal.
“[T]he government has singled out Mr. Comey for prosecution because of his protected speech and because of President Trump’s personal animus toward Mr. Comey,” the ex-FBI director’s attorneys wrote in a motion to District Judge Michael Nachmanoff.
Comey’s lawyers contend that Trump “ordered” the DOJ to prosecute their client “because of personal spite and because Mr. Comey has frequently criticized the President for his conduct in office.”
“When no career prosecutor would carry out those orders, the President publicly forced the interim U.S. Attorney to resign and directed the Attorney General to effectuate ‘justice’ against Mr. Comey,” the motion continues.
Comey’s legal team cites Trump’s Sept. 20 Truth Social post directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, in which the president appears to pressure the AG to go after his political foes, including the ex-FBI boss, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen.
