Former US FBI director James Comey was indicted for making false statements and obstructing justice in what became popularly known as the Russiagate scandal affecting US elections in 2016.
US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan announced the charges and said Comey could face up to five years behind bars if convicted. The United States President Donald Trump has hailed the indictment, saying Comey "is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our nation".
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the indictment "reflects this Department of Justice's commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people." The current FBI director, Kash Patel, also hailed the indictment, saying, “No one is above the law.”
Comey, however, said, “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have faith and confidence in the federal judicial system, and I am innocent, so let's have a trial and keep the faith.”
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Comey said that “my family and I knew for years that there is a cost to standing up to Donald Trump, but I couldn't imagine living any other way." He said the move was politically motivated, as have been Trump’s reckless actions and policies in the past few months, which the entire world has witnessed.
Comey's son-in-law, Troy Edwards, stepped down from his position at the Justice Department after Comey's indictment. Comey came on Trump’s radar during his first term, when he was investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaign's possible collusion with Russia to win that election.
Comey has also been on the list of the persons who have remained on Trump’s radar since 2017, while the courts recently acquitted Trump in the scandal, citing a lack of evidence in the case.
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