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Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday in connection with an Instagram photo of seashells, which he said he came across while walking on the beach.
The shells lay in a pattern that formed “86 47.” The indictment alleges that any reasonable person “familiar with the circumstances would interpret this as a serious expression of intent to harm the President of the United States.” The number 86 is slang for “get rid of,” and some see the 47 as a reference to Trump, who is the 47th (and 45th) president.
The grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina – where Comey owns a beach house and from where he posted the photo – indicted him on two counts: threatening to cause death or physical harm to President Donald Trump and communicating the threat in interstate commerce via Instagram.
Comey maintains his innocence
Comey has long been a Trump target; The Department of Homeland Security had already investigated the former FBI director over the May social media post. At the time, Comey said he didn’t know that some people associated the numbers with violence and assumed the shells were a “political message” – not a threat of violence. He emphasized that he rejected any form of violence and deleted the post.
In a Substack video, Comey responded to the charges and maintained his innocence. “They’re back, this time because of a photo of seashells on a beach in North Carolina a year ago – and that won’t be the end. But nothing has changed about me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in an independent federal judiciary. So let’s go,” Comey said. “It’s really important that we all remember: This is not who we are as a country. This is not how the Justice Department is supposed to work. And the good news is that every day we get closer to restoring those values. Stand firm.”
Comey has long been a harsh critic of Trump and led the FBI during his first term. He was fired by Trump in 2017 amid a Comey-led investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Prosecutor on proof of intent
At a press conference, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the charges were the result of “extensive investigative work.” Asked how he would prove intent – after all, Comey said he did not associate “86” with violence, promptly deleted the post and denied any intention to harm the president – Blanche replied: “How do you prove intent in any case? With witnesses, with documents, with the defendant himself… and that’s how we will prove intent in this case too.”
