(NewsNation) — Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted Thursday on charges of making false statements to Congress and obstructing justice, days after President Trump had urged the Justice Department to bring charges against Comey and others he believes have wronged him.
Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said a federal grand jury returned an indictment with the charges. They are related to Comey’s oral testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020, about potential collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” Halligan said. “The balance of power is a bedrock principle of our democracy, and it relies upon accountability and a forthright presentation of facts from executive leadership to congressional oversight. Any intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance is a violation of professional responsibility and, most importantly, the law.”
A court filing indicated the grand jury did not concur on part of the indictment.
James Comey says he won’t back down after indictment
A defiant Comey, who will be arraigned Oct. 9, took to Instagram to make a statement, saying he accepts that there is a cost to standing up to Trump.
“My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system, and I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial. And keep the faith,” the 64-year-old said.
Former US attorney surfaces as James Comey counsel
Patrick J. Fitzgerald, a former U.S. attorney in Chicago whose office brought political corruption cases against elected officials, identified himself as counsel for Comey. In a filing, Fitzgerald asked judges in the Eastern District of Virginia to be admitted to the case.
In a statement to media, he said: “Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety. We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom.”
Meantime, Comey’s son-in-law resigned as a federal prosecutor minutes after the indictment, The Associated Press reported. Troy Edwards said in a one-sentence resignation letter that he quit his job Thursday “to uphold my oath to the Constitution and the country.”
The letter was addressed to Halligan. Edwards was the deputy chief of the office’s National Security Section.
Political opponents question Trump tactics
Halligan took over as top prosecutor in the Eastern District after Erik Siebert resigned or was fired last week with the Justice Department facing a Sept. 30 deadline to have Comey indicted for the Senate testimony. President Trump, who fired Comey early in his first administration, was critical of Siebert and on Sept. 20 expressed impatience with the Justice Department for the progress of its cases against Comey and other Trump enemies.
The circumstances did not go unnoticed by Democrats.
“Donald Trump forced out a respected U.S. attorney because they wouldn’t go along with Trump’s demands for political prosecutions,” said Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat and Trump nemesis. “Less than a week later, his inexperienced handpicked successor brings charges against a member of Trump’s enemies list. In my almost six years as an assistant U.S. attorney, I never witnessed such a blatant abuse of the department. The DOJ is now little more than an arm of the president’s retribution campaign.”
“A sad, sad day for our justice system,” Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said. “When a staunchly Republican U.S. attorney couldn’t even find a credible case against James Comey, Trump pushed him out and found someone who would. Trump will stop at nothing to punish political enemies.”
Trump elated at James Comey indictment
Trump wasted little time in rejoicing over Comey’s indictment on Truth Social, calling the former FBI director “one of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to.”
The president added: “He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”
There is no love lost between Trump and Comey. After his 2017 firing, Comey said Trump had privately sought to pressure him to be loyal to his administration and directed him to quash an investigation into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison.
Contributing: Andrew Fischer-Espitallier