Comey prosecution ‘not just’ about Instagram post: Blanche
Blanche said prosecutors built the case with witnesses, documents and other evidence during an 11-month investigation.
- Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the federal indictment of former FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, stating the case rests on an 11-month investigation rather than solely a social media post.
- The controversy stems from Comey's May 2025 Instagram post of seashells arranged to spell "86 47." President Donald Trump alleges "86" is a mob term for "kill him," while critics argue the phrase simply means to dismiss or remove someone.
- Questioning the indictment's basis, Sen. Adam Schiff labeled it a "seashells case" and said he "never saw such a weak case," while Sen. Thom Tillis noted "86" has roots in restaurant industry slang, expressing skepticism about the prosecution's evidence.
- Comey has professed his innocence in a Substack video, claiming he did not intend to threaten the president. If convicted on felony counts, the former director faces up to 10 years in prison.
- Legal experts remain divided on whether the slogan meets the high bar for a "true threat." Blanche maintains prosecutors will prove criminal intent through witnesses and documents at a public trial.
93 Articles
93 Articles
Readers respond: A double standard on ‘86’
According to President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general, a photo of seashells arranged to display “86 47” represents a serious attempt on the president’s life. Obviously, that is not what former FBI director James Comey intended when he posted the photo he took on a beach to his Instagram account.
The Great Seashell Threat: a Former Montana Supreme Court Justice on the Comey Indictment
Photograph Source: Mark Warner – CC BY 2.0 Of all the really stupid prosecutions Trump and his Department of Justice have pursued since he became the despot in chief, the charges against former FBI Director James Comey, are the most ridiculous. On Tuesday, April 28, Comey was indicted over a photo of seashells on the shore, officials said threatened President Donald Trump. The indictment was handed down by a grand jury in the Eastern District o…
Democrat Rep. Parrots James Comey, Posts ’86 47′
Democratic California Rep. Ted Lieu posted “86 47” on his X account Sunday, mimicking an alleged threat to assassinate President Donald Trump that former FBI Director James Comey was indicted for posting previously. A federal grand jury indicted Comey Tuesday on charges of threatening to assassinate Trump over a May 2025 Instagram post which depicted seashells saying “8647,” a phrase interpreted by Trump supporters as calling for the president’s…
NBC Montana
Blanche: Comey indictment goes beyond '86 47' post
Acting Attorney Todd Blanche said there was more to former FBI Director James Comey’s indictment than just the image of “8647” seashells.
House Democrat Posts ’86 47′ on Social Media to Support James Comey
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) is facing backlash after posting “86 47” on social media, language that has been widely interpreted as a death threat against President Donald Trump. The post House Democrat Posts ’86 47′ on Social Media to Support James Comey appeared first on Slay News.
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