James Comey faces new DOJ case over alleged national defense disclosure

Federal prosecutors have opened a fresh legal front against former FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of handing national defense information to someone with no right to receive it. The charging paper, known as a criminal information, was filed in the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia and contains two counts: one for communicating the material and one for conspiring with others to disclose it unlawfully. The alleged conduct dates to around Oct. 5, 2016, according to Fox News · CBS News.

A Justice Department spokesperson explained that the document was submitted without a waiver so the clock on the statute of limitations would stop while the investigation continues. The spokesperson described the tactic as widely accepted and endorsed by several federal appeals courts, and declined further comment.

Comey's lawyers dispute the approach, arguing that a federal grand jury must issue an indictment before the case can proceed. Judge Trevor McFadden, whom President Donald Trump appointed in 2017, held a closed emergency hearing on Oct. 9. He agreed to unseal the case but has yet to decide whether to dismiss it. Whether prosecutors will pursue an indictment is unknown.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News · CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News · CBS News →