James Comey faces new federal charge over 2016 leak

The Justice Department has initiated a third federal prosecution against former FBI Director James Comey.

Court documents unsealed on Monday charge Comey with transmitting and conspiring to transmit national defense information. The allegation centers on classified details he allegedly shared with a New York Times reporter in October 2016.

The government filed the criminal information on October 5 to halt the 10-year statute of limitations, which was set to expire earlier in the month. A department spokesperson described the filing as a widely recognized practice in federal court. The agency stated that the matter is an ongoing criminal investigation and declined to provide further comment.

Comey’s legal team requested the unsealing of the document to formally challenge the case. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald argued that the filing purports to charge Comey with crimes he did not commit. The lawyers have asked a judge to dismiss the matter as legally improper.

In an Instagram video, Comey stated that he is still innocent and referenced the Justice Department’s renewed action. He did not offer additional details about his defense strategy.

This new charge joins two existing cases against Comey. The Justice Department previously accused him of lying to Congress regarding media leaks and threatening President Donald Trump in a social media post. A judge dismissed the false statements case, while the threats case remains pending before the court.