James Comey was indicted in the Eastern District of North Carolina on charges of making threats against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce over a photo of seashells arranged as “86 47,” which authorities interpreted as a serious threat to President Trump. [1]
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said threatening the president is not allowed and said the government will present evidence that Comey intended to cause harm. He described the charge as a response to what prosecutors view as a direct threat. [1]
Comey denied the charges and said he would contest the case. “Nothing has changed with me. I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let's go,” he said. His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said the defense will fight the indictment in court and seek to vindicate Comey and First Amendment rights. [1]
Comey previously described the “86 47” seashell photo as a clever political statement with no violent meaning. The Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the post, and then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem accused Comey of calling for Trump’s assassination based on the image. [1]
The Justice Department had already tried in 2025 to indict Comey for lying to Congress, but that case was dismissed after a court found prosecutor Lindsey Halligan had been invalidly appointed. [1]
The new indictment was filed on 2026-04-28, and the case is now set to move through the federal court process in North Carolina. [1]