US EditionEx-FBI Director James Comey surrenders over charge of threatening Trump's life in Instagram post
Comey denies the charges and his lawyers plan to argue the case is a vindictive prosecution with free-speech protections at stake.
- Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in Alexandria, Virginia, federal court on Wednesday to face a two-count indictment for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump through a seashell photo posted on Instagram last May.
- Prosecutors allege the "86 47" seashell pattern on a North Carolina beach was a "serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States," while Comey claims the numbers represented a "political message."
- The indictment accuses Comey of acting "knowingly and willfully," but legal experts note the three-page document lacks supporting evidence and faces significant First Amendment hurdles under Supreme Court precedent requiring proof of subjective intent.
- Democratic Senator Dick Durbin denounced the prosecution as "baseless" and "petty retribution," while Comey remained defiant: "I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let's go."
- This marks Comey's second indictment in less than a year; the first was dismissed last year. FBI Director Kash Patel said the investigation lasted 11 months, though the sparse indictment raises constitutional validity questions.
269 Articles
269 Articles
If “86” Is Illegal Speech, Nobody is Free
Ellis Boyle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, during a press conference about the Comey indictment on April 28, 2026. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.)During a rally in 1966, a recently drafted man, Robert Watts, reportedly told friends, “If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man I want to get in my sights is L.B.J.”For this, a federal court convicted Watts of “knowingly and willfully threatening t…
James Comey appears in court following indictment for “86 47” social media meme
James Comey, the former FBI director who was fired by Donald Trump in 2017, was indicted by a North Carolina grand jury on Tuesday for a post on Instagram that prosecutors claim was a threat to kill the president.
Beatrice Daily Sun
Comey turns himself in, makes court appearance
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in federal court Wednesday in Virginia, a day after being indicted over a social media post that prosecutors allege threatened President Donald Trump.
James Comey surrenders to authorities after indictment over seashell post
WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey made a brief appearance in court on Wednesday after the justice department indicted him over a social media post in a renewed bid to prosecute one of Donald Trump’s longtime political adversaries. Comey surrendered to the authorities to face charges that the photo of seashells on a beach arranged to read "86 47", which he briefly shared Instagram in 2025, posed a threat to the life of US president. Th…
Trump Calls James Comey 'Dirty Cop' As Former FBI Director Surrenders
President Donald Trump has called former FBI director James Comey a "dirty cop" as he faces charges over an Instagram post from last year. Comey was indicted in North Carolina this week after posting a photo last year of seashells laid out to read “86 47,” which the Justice Department alleges was…
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