DOJ Brings New Charges Against Former FBI Director James Comey

New case alleges disclosure of sensitive national-defense information as Comey vows to fight prosecution

WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 26, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched another criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of improperly sharing sensitive national-defense information with the media while serving as the nation’s top federal law enforcement official in 2016.

The newly disclosed charges, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., allege that Comey transmitted and conspired to transmit national-defense information connected to a New York Times report published in October 2016. Comey denies wrongdoing and says he intends to challenge the case.

The charging document was filed on October 5 but remained sealed until Monday. Prosecutors say the filing was intended to preserve the case before the 10-year statute of limitations expired. Comey’s attorneys argue that the legal deadline and the method used to bring the charges make the prosecution invalid.

In a video statement posted online, Comey described the latest action as an abuse of the Justice Department and reaffirmed his innocence.

The department, meanwhile, maintains that filing a criminal information to preserve a case is an established legal practice.

The new case represents the third criminal prosecution pursued against Comey under President Donald Trump’s administration. A previous case accusing him of making false statements to Congress was dismissed after a judge ruled that the prosecutor involved had been unlawfully appointed.

Comey also faces a separate case in North Carolina over an Instagram photograph of seashells arranged to spell “8647.”

Prosecutors allege that the image could be interpreted as a threat against Trump. Comey has denied intending to threaten the president, and that case remains pending.