US prosecutors to seek indictment of former FBI Director Comey in Virginia Sarah N. Lynch
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/former-fbi-director-comey-indicted-192939067.html
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Prosecutors are expected to ask a grand jury to indict former FBI Director James Comey in the Eastern District of Virginia in the coming days, two sources briefed on the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
The exact charges remained unclear, and it was uncertain whether the grand jury would return an indictment against one of Trump‘s longtime political antagonists.
Comey served as FBI director from 2013 until Trump fired him in 2017, and Trump has since regularly assailed Comey’s handling of the FBI probe into contact between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government.
Any charges against Comey would mark the starkest example of the Trump administration using its law enforcement authority against a prominent critic – after the president promised retribution in his election campaign.
One of the sources said some prosecutors within the Eastern District of Virginia have presented new U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan with a memo explaining why charges should not be filed, saying the case lacked evidence to show probable cause that a crime was committed.
A representative for Comey declined to comment.
At least one of the potential charges being considered would accuse Comey of lying to Congress during his testimony in 2020. The statute of limitations to bring charges against Comey in connection with that testimony would expire on Tuesday.
Since Trump returned to power in January, the Justice Department has been examining Comey’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, when he addressed Republican criticisms of the Russia investigation and denied he had authorized disclosures of sensitive information to the media.
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