'Let's Have A Trial': James Comey Slams Donald Trump, Strike A Defiant Pose After Indictment

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Former FBI director James Comey has struck a defiant pose after being indicted on charges that he had lied to the US Congress. Comey was charged days after President Donald Trump urged his attorney general Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey and other perceived political enemies.

Trump on Thursday hailed the indictment as“JUSTICE FOR AMERICA!” Bondi, a Trump loyalist, and FBI Director Kash Patel, a longtime vocal critic of the Russia investigation, issued similar statements.“No one is above the law,” Bondi said.

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In a video message uploaded on Instagram, Comey said that he and his family has long known that the price of standing up to Trump will be high, but they "could not imagine" themselves living any other way.

"We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn't either," he told his social media followers.

Comey recalled a quote - "Fear is the tool of the tyrant," further adding, "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.”

He said that he is not afraid and asked US citizens to also not be afraid, and instead vote to make their voices heard.

What did Comey's lawyer say?

His attorney, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, said in a statement:“Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety. We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom."

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If convicted, Comey could face up to five years in prison. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation.

Trump-Comey tensions date back to 2016 campaign

Trump and Comey have had an acrimonious relationship since the start of the president's first term. Trump fired him as FBI director days after Comey publicly confirmed that the president was under investigation over his election campaign's connections to Russia . Comey then emerged as a prominent critic of the president, calling him "morally unfit" for office.

Comey's firing led to the appointment of another former FBI chief, Robert Mueller, as a special counsel to take charge of the Russia probe, which unearthed numerous contacts between the campaign and Russian officials, but concluded that there was not enough evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy.

Trump repeatedly attacked the investigation as a "witch hunt." His second administration has sought to undermine conclusions by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in which Trump defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump's attacks on political rivals & importance of Comey's indictment

Trump has threatened to imprison his political rivals since he first ran for president in 2015, but Thursday's indictment marks the first time his administration has succeeded in securing a grand jury indictment against one of them.

Trump's Justice Department is also investigating other antagonists including New York Attorney General Letitia James and John Bolton, who served as a national security official in Trump's first term as president. The charges breach decades-long norms that have sought to insulate U.S. law enforcement from political pressures.

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The federal prosecutor in Virginia who had been tasked with pursuing the case resigned last week after drawing Trump's wrath for expressing doubts about the case, and others in the office have privately said the evidence does not merit criminal charges, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Trump, who has pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey and other critics, celebrated the news. "JUSTICE IN AMERICA!" he wrote on social media. "He has been so bad for our Country, for so long."

With Reuters inputs

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