Former FBI Director James Comey says he has ‘complete faith’ in the judicial system amid seashell case
Former FBI Director James Comey said Sunday he has “complete confidence in our justice system” as he faces an ongoing federal case over a 2025 Instagram post.
Subscribe to read this story ad-free
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.
The justice system is “the genius of our founders,” Comey told NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
“It’s frankly the only leg of our three-legged stool that’s still standing in the U.S. government, but it’s tall and straight,” he added. “She is the guardian of the rule of law and I believe in that. »
The former FBI director was indicted last month after prosecutors said his photo of seashells spelling out “86 47” posed a threat to the president’s life.
Trump administration officials and the Justice Department say “86” means “kill,” with President Donald Trump telling reporters in the Oval Office last month: “Well, if anyone knows anything about crime, they know that 86 – you know what 86 – is a popular term for kill.” »
Restaurant workers, meanwhile, told NBC News last month that “86” is a common, non-violent term in the hospitality industry, meaning the kitchen is out of an item.
In an interview with “Meet the Press” earlier this month, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the indictment goes beyond the shell photo.
“It’s not just about one Instagram post,” Blanche said at the time. “This is a body of evidence that [prosecutors] collected over a series of approximately 11 months. This evidence was presented to the grand jury.
He added that he was not “authorized” to publicly share further evidence against Comey in the case.
On Sunday, Comey declined to comment on the details of the shell case, citing the ongoing lawsuit, and urged Blanche not to speak publicly about it either.
“He shouldn’t talk about it,” the former FBI director said. “I can’t talk about it.”
Since his indictment, Comey has repeatedly said he will not remain silent in the face of attacks from the president and his allies, telling MS NOW last week that “Donald Trump has an endless desire to get revenge on those who have criticized him” and: “I’m not going to be silent; I will continue to speak about what I believe. »
In a separate interview with NBC News last week, Comey also said targeting Trump’s enemies was in direct conflict with the Justice Department’s mission to enforce the law.
“The department can’t target people like Adam Schiff, Letitia James or Senator Kelly because the president doesn’t like what they say,” the former FBI director told NBC News’ Hallie Jackson. “It simply cannot happen like this and continue to uphold the rule of law in this country.”
Separate indictments against Comey and James — the New York attorney general who filed a civil suit against Trump and his company — were dismissed last year because a judge found the prosecutor in those cases was improperly appointed. Senators Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, and Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, both of whom drew the president’s ire, were also targeted in separate cases that did not move forward.
On Sunday, Comey said the case thrown out last year was “absolutely” a case of political revenge because the president doesn’t like him.
“We have filed a motion to have this case dismissed on the grounds that it is a vindictive prosecution,” the former FBI director said. “The president of the United States cannot use the Department of Justice to target people because he wants to retaliate against them. We simply cannot function as a republic if that happens.”
