James Comey indicted by Justice Department for second time: reports

Avery Lotz

Former FBI director James Comey speaks at a Barnes & Noble in New York City on May 19, 2025. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Former FBI Director James Comey, a frequent critic of President Trump, has been indicted by the Department of Justice for a second time, multiple outlets reported.

The big picture: The indictment was not immediately available, but Fox and the New York Times both reported it involves a social media post by Comey that included seashells arranged to display "8647," which some Republicans interpreted as a threat against Trump at the time.

The DOJ did not immediately respond to Axios' request for confirmation.

Context: The Justice Department last year tried to indict Comey for lying to Congress in 2020, but that prosecution crumbled.

The case was tossed because Trump's hand-picked prosecutor Lindsey Halligan's appointment was deemed invalid.
Comey said after a judge dismissed the initial case against him that he anticipated the president coming after him again.

Catch up quick: Comey told MSNBC last year that he thought the formation of shells on a beach into the number "8647" — the 47 a reference to Trump's current term — was a "clever way to express a political viewpoint" and didn't know of a violent meaning behind "86."

"86" is slang meaning to "get rid of."
But the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security probed Comey's since-deleted post with then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem claiming Comey "called for the assassination" of Trump.

Comey, in a message confirming he removed the image from his Instagram, wrote that he opposed "violence of any kind."

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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James Comey indicted by Justice Department for second time: reports

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