In a move that has ignited a firestorm of political debate, a federal grand jury in North Carolina indicted former FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday.
The charges stem from a 2025 Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to spell out the numbers “86 47.”
Prosecutors allege the post was a veiled threat against President Donald Trump, the 47th president. In slang, “86” often means to eject or eliminate.
The indictment includes counts of making threats against the President and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.
Comey has consistently maintained the photo was an innocent find during a beach walk stating, “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”
President Trump previously slammed the post asserting “A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination.”
Despite the heavy allegations, Comey remains defiant.
In a video statement following the news, he told supporters, “I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go.”
If convicted, the 65-year-old former official could face up to 10 years in prison.
