Threat against Trump/Former FBI Director Surrenders

2026-04-29 19:35:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to law enforcement on Wednesday in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia.

He was briefly remanded in custody before his first court appearance. The hearing lasted less than 10 minutes.

Comey is charged with making a threat against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, according to court documents.

He said in a video message on Substack on Tuesday that he is "still innocent."

The charges were filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, but Comey's first appearance was in a court in Alexandria, Virginia. In the dock was Judge William E. Fitzpatrick.

Comey entered and exited the courtroom through a side entrance used by the defendants. He wore a dark suit and did not speak during the hearing.

Comey was allowed to leave without conditions on his release. No plea was entered Wednesday.

"I don't see why they would be necessary this time," Fitzpatrick said.

Comey's lawyers told the judge they plan to file motions accusing the Justice Department of selective and retaliatory prosecution of their client.

A date has not yet been set for Comey's arraignment or first appearance in North Carolina, where the charges were filed.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Ellis Boyle, was in the courtroom on Wednesday.

Boyle will oversee this case as it moves through federal court in New Bern, NC.

Tuesday's indictment centers on a photo Comey posted on social media last May of shells on a beach spelling out the numbers "86 47." He wrote in the caption, "Cool shell formation during my walk on the beach."

Almost immediately after his post, Republicans and administration officials began criticizing Comey for what they called a death threat against President Donald Trump.

When used as slang, the number 86 can refer to giving up or rejecting something. Trump is currently the 47th president.

The indictment against Comey comes at a time when Blanche has accelerated the pace of raising issues that the president has publicly struggled with./ CNA, translated by CNN