The US Department of Justice has indicted former FBI Director James Comey for the second time under the Trump administration. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the charges on Tuesday, alleging that Comey threatened the life of President Donald Trump.

The indictment is linked to an Instagram post from Comey in May 2024, which showed seashells on a beach forming the numbers "86 47." The number "86" is US slang for "kill" or "take out," while "47" refers to Trump being the 47th president. Republican critics interpreted the post as a threat against Trump.

Comey also faces a charge of making an interstate threat to kill the president. This marks the second time the Justice Department under Trump has targeted Comey. In September 2024, Comey was indicted for making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice, but those charges were dropped in November after a judge ruled the appointment of prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was unlawful.

Comey served as FBI director from 2013 to 2017 and has been a vocal critic of Trump. He was fired by Trump in 2017 amid controversy over his handling of Hillary Clinton's email investigation, though Democrats argued the dismissal was linked to the FBI's probe into Trump's 2016 campaign ties with Russia.

The Trump administration has faced criticism for pressuring the Justice Department to prosecute political opponents. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche previously served as Trump's personal attorney, raising concerns about political interference in the case.

Source: www.dw.com