Ex-FBI director Comey appears in court over Trump threat charge

WASHINGTON – Former FBI director James Comey surrendered to authorities in Virginia on April 29 after he was charged with threatening President Donald Trump’s life with a social media post.

The outspoken critic of the US President, who faced other federal charges that were subsequently thrown out, posted a photo to Instagram in May 2025 of seashells arranged in the shape of the numbers 86 and 47 on a beach in North Carolina.

Mr Trump said this gesture was a coded threat.

Comey faces one count of “wilfully making a threat to take the life of and to inflict bodily harm upon the president of the United States” and another of making an interstate threat.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

He appeared for a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia, where he did not enter a plea and was later allowed to leave.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking to reporters, said he did not know when Comey’s next court appearance would be.

Mr Blanche defended the indictment when asked if anyone who posted the numbers “8647” would face charges.

“Every threats’ case is different,” he said. “Every time there is a threat against the president, it doesn’t necessarily lead to an indictment.

“It depends on the investigation. It depends on all kinds of factors,” he added.

Mr Trump, who regularly uses virulent language to describe his political opponents, said the former Federal Bureau of Investigation chief knew “full well” the connotations.

“86 47 means ‘kill President Trump’. James Comey, who is a dirty cop, one of the worst, knows this full well!” Mr Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform after the court hearing.

‘Petty retribution’

Comey apologised at the time for the Instagram post and said he “didn’t realise some folk associate those numbers with violence”.

“It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he added.

In September 2025, Comey was charged with making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding in what was widely seen as retribution by the Republican President against a political opponent.

A federal judge threw out that case on the grounds the prosecutor handpicked by Mr Trump who brought the charges was unlawfully appointed.

Democrats are viewing this latest indictment in a similar light.

Senator Dick Durbin called the charges “baseless” and “petty retribution”.

“This is another case of a weaponised Justice Department lashing out on behalf of a vengeful president,” he said in a statement.

Comey served as FBI director from 2013 to 2017.

During his tenure, he oversaw the investigation of Mrs Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail server and the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, among other notable cases.

Comey was fired by Mr Trump in May 2017. AFP