Former FBI Director James Comey pleaded not guilty during an appearance in a federal court on Wednesday for his arraignment on charges brought after President Donald Trump called for his prosecution.
Comey's attorney, Pat Fitzgerald, asked the court to skip reading the charges and requested a jury trial during the brief court appearance.
Last month, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted Comey, whom Trump fired during his first term in office, on two charges: making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
Just days earlier, Trump penned on his social media platform, asking Attorney General Pam Bondi to charge Comey. "We can't delay any longer," he said.
Comey, who served in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration, became the subject of Trump's fury after he helped spark special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The Trump administration accused Comey of lying to Congress about having authorised a third party to speak anonymously to the media about an FBI investigation.
In 2017, the 64-year-old told Congress that he did not authorise any leaks related to an investigation, and he reiterated again in 2020, "I stand by the testimony."
Maurene Comey, his daughter, a former federal prosecutor who was fired by the Justice Department in July, was seen at the court in support of her father.
Comey only spoke once during the hearing, walking to the microphone to say, "I do your honour, thank you very much," in response to whether he understood his rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.
A trial date was set for January 5, and both parties expect the trial to last 2-3 days.
Comey's team told the judge they will be filing two sets of motions: one challenging the charges as a vindictive and selective prosecution, and a motion challenging the appointment of Lindsey Halligan, Trump's former personal attorney, as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Fitzgerald said Comey's team also planned to file motions related to what he called "grand jury abuse" and "outrageous government conduct".
The charges against Comey were filed after Trump successfully pressured the acting head of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia to resign.
Trump then named Halligan to head the office, though she has no prosecutorial experience, and in an unusual move, Halligan presented the case against Comey to a grand jury by herself.
Trump has called for charges to be filed against other political foes since he began his second term, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
